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Recent Comments

1. The whole Medjugorje episode is a tragic farce. It is up to Rome to end it now before any more souls are scandalised.

   Posted By: Michael Bernard

2. Two things have always concerned me about the Medjugorje phenomenon.
   
   1. Some of the Franciscan priests involved in supporting the apparitions have shown consistent and acrimonious disobedience to the local Bishop who has himself always acted in complete conformity with Church procedures while they have persecuted him.
   
   2. Towards the end of World War II, many Catholic residents of Medjugorge rounded up their Muslim neighbours, took them outside the village to a cliff and threw them to their deaths. This was a dark secret, and is still not widely publicized. Something best forgotten some would hold.
   
   Perhaps in the communal psyche of that region there is a need to atone for this sin and crime, and such a human need come to the surface and is expressed in the form of these 'apparitions'. Who knows?
   
   As for the disobedient priests? I am not sure Our Lady would approve.
   
   Of course, no one is required to give credence to these , or any apparitions, even if the Church were to confirm them, which she hasn't.
   
   I'm quite happy to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima but I'll give Medjugorje a miss.
   
   Ave Regina Caelorum!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Posted By: Phillip Turnbull

3. If I were making a tour of Marian sites, Medjugorje would not be on the list. There are too many dubious things about it.
   
   But I wonder about Garabandal in Spain. The local bishop has said "maybe, maybe not", so it's still open.
   
   There's supposed to be some great warning at which everyone in the world will perceive the state of their soul, and the chief seer of Garabandal will announce it a few days before. But she must be getting pretty old by now, and still nothing has happened.

   Posted By: Lance Eccles

4. I don't know much about Medjugorje and reserve judgement. But I know enough about Google to very quickly learn that Fr Vlasic was an assistant in the Medjugorje parish in the early eighties, and that the alleged visionaries disavowed him, in writing, some 20 years ago.
   
   Come on Cathnews! Start showing some journalistic integrity, rather than following the zeitgeist!

   Posted By: Raphael

5. To those who doubt Medjugorje, maybe this is Satan's attempt to discredit this Holy site, by causing a scandal amongst its Pastors. There is always going to be a Judas among the Church's priests. Christ had one amongst his Apostles.

   Posted By: Andrew Rahme

6. I agree with Raphael. This priest's sin does not mean the apparitions at Medjugorje are not true. The Church has not said they are or are not true.
   I don't follow the apparitions myself, but I know many people who do, who get great spiritual benefits from them. People are always skeptical of apparitions, but nobody is forcing them to believe.

   Posted By: Teresa

7. Garabandal,to my knowledge,has been completely disowned by the local ordinary.No maybe yes ,maybe not about it. He has banned any celebration or gatherings about these so-called apparitions of Mary,and declared the Mary did not appear there.He leaves open ,I think,the possibility that there may have been some visitation of some creature,and not a holy one at that. This declaration is several years old. Please correct me ,if I am wrongi.e. by referring to official documentation to the contrary, Paul Gleeson.

   Posted By: Paul Gleeson

8. Yes, Medjugorje is a fraud and a sham ... one can but wonder why the Vatican hasn't called this hysterical nonsense for what it is (a 'nice little earner' too, no doubt).
   Likewise, why haven't the Franciscans released the result of their investigation into Pio's alleged stigmata? One is left to conclude that it also was an utter sham, but don't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn, especially a lucrative one.

   Posted By: Greg

9. Well said Raphael!
   There is an enormous amount of hearsay and ignorance concerning Medjugorje. For those who seek the truth, may I suggest the following link.
   http://www.catholicpilgrim.us/aboutmed.htm
   I personally came back to the faith through Medjugorje and have since been there 4 times as a priest. I have witnessed numerous conversions through Medjugorje. What a beaufiful world we would live in, if other parishes emulated the fruits of Medjugorje.
   Peace be with you.
   God Bless,
   Fr Grace

   Posted By: Fr Grace

10. Greg, please explain how Medjugorje is a "nice little earner" for the Vatican? It seems to be costing the Vatican plenty of money and man-hours in investigating and regulating it, and earning nothing for it.
    
    For that matter how does the Vatican profit from St Pio's stigmata? Far from making a profit-making show of his stigmata, the saint was acutely embarrassed by them and did his best to hide them.

    Posted By: Peter G

11. Tragic farce? Sham? Been there? I have, and it changed my life. I went because I like to travel and the price was right..no expectations, just a Lutheran on holiday who joined a Catholic friend on a trip. Am I a skeptic? I was but now I know that the Blessed Mother does indeed touch souls in Medjugoje. I am now a Catholic and have embraced the word of God with great love. Curious that cradle Catholics are the ones who attack this blessed place more than even atheists. Why is that?

    Posted By: Philomena

12. Here you can find facts:
    
    http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje-today/headlines/668-medjugorje-the-father-tomislav-vlasic-episode.html
    
    Very nice article

    Posted By: MattSilva

13. Pope Benedict XVI's approval of the laicization of Father Tomislav Vlasic is NOT a judgment on the claims that Mary is appearing in Medjugorje, according to his former superior.
    
    
    Please read the following news article, which explains the situation:
    
    http://www.zenit.org/article-26586?l=english

    Posted By: Frank S

14. You can add my name to the list of converts Medjugorje has produced. I was agnostic and quite satisfied with my world view with my PhD and status. In fact, I went to Medjugorje very reluctantly and only to appease my wife's continued requests. What I can tell you is that Our Lady is there. No words can describe the fundamental change to my heart that occurred while I was there. I returned converted, went through RCIA and am now Catholic. I see so many who go to Medjugorje, lay people, priests and bishops who return more devout and more committed to their faith. Those who debunk Medjugorje tend to be very belligerent and lack the Christ-like love that our Lord and Saviour and His Mother desire from us. I pray that those who have set their hearts so hard against Medjugorje would reconsider their views from the standpoint of Christ-like love. Until they actually visit and interact with the visionaries, they cannot be qualified to comment.

    Posted By: Tim

15. I spent 5 weeks in Medjugorje in the heart of winter Jan-Feb 1994. I lived in a house with a number of Bosnian refugee families and I have many fond memories of these beautiful people. The snow that fell on the town was mesmerizing and I loved the routine of morning English mass, various solitary and friendly activities, and the Croatian mass in the evening. I had a disturbing event when I went exploring over the other side of Krizevac and down into the valley beyond. From what I feel from that place - I am inclined to think that this is not human deception but something dark. I can only say be very careful and I pray that when the Vatican does denounce this place, that people will retain their sanity and trust in God's providence and mercy.
    praised be Jesus and Mary (protect us). Amen.

    Posted By: Matthew Hunt

16. The clearest moral proof that the alleged apparitions are authentic would be the humble obedience of the seers, pastors and devotees of Medjugorje. That their local bishop regards them as disobedient, and teaches in fact that the apparitions are inauthentic, is not something that should be ignored because of enthusiasm for the content of the messages. If one disagrees, one should do so based upon sound information, not emotion, and with respect. Obedience to the Church is proof of authenticity.
    
    “Therefore I responsibly call upon those who claim themselves to be “seers”, as well as those persons behind the “messages”, to demonstrate ecclesiastical obedience and to cease with these public manifestations and messages in this parish. In this fashion they shall show their necessary adherence to the Church, by neither placing private “apparitions” nor private sayings before the official position of the Church.” –Bshp Peric, 6-15-06
    
    If the apparitions were true, they'd have stopped.
    

    Posted By: Patrick Bump

17. Some more clarifications:
    
    In August 1993, Cardinal Kuharic, head of the new commission appointed to examine the Medjugorje events, stated: “We bishops, after a three-year-long commission study, accept Medjugorje as a holy place, as a SHRINE. This means we have nothing against it if someone venerates the Mother of God in a manner also in agreement with the teaching and belief of the Church. Therefore, we are leaving that to further study. The Church does not hurry.” (Glas Koncila 1993).
    
    The Church has not suppressed discussion of Medjugorje. But the Vatican has stated publicly that any views expressed by the Bishop of Mostar are his PERSONAL views and not representative of the Church which is still examining the Medjugorje issue.
    
    In August 1996, the Director of the Holy See’s press office, Dr Joaquin Navarro-Valls, stated: “You cannot say people cannot go there until it has been proved false. This has not been said, so anyone can go if they want - nothing has changed, nothing new has been said. ...people (can go) in a group (with) ... a priest with them to go to confession."
    
    (He said that people can't go there on pilgimages organised by the Church.)

    Posted By: Frank S

18. The authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions and Our Blessed Mother's messages are not founded on the human frailty of one Franciscan friar.
    
    "Sensus fidelium", the numerous conversions, the lives of the visionaries, and the witness of the saintly Fr. Jozo Zovko, among many others, attest to the validity of this most recent of Marian apparitions.
    
    
    

    Posted By: Dr. Edgar A. Gamboa

19. I visited Medjugorje 14 years ago and was completely put off by the actions of the supposed 'visionaries'. Disobedience to the local ordinary has been a constant reality among them and their followers. Calumny against the lawful authority is rampant and the norm there.
    
    Pious words don't deny the reality. Conversions are good, but we know that the angel of lies can use truth mixed in with error to unseat many.
    
    What happens if/when Medjugorje is given the thumbs-down from Rome? What happens to people who have built their faith upon it.
    
    The main Medjugorje website is disingenuous, leaning towards outrightly dishonest. Their FAQ is a joke, and I'd be happy to elaborate as to why that is the case.
    
    Case in point - one of the priests supposedly receieved a 'personal letter of blessing from the Pope' which was used to lend credence and imply Papal approval of the 'apparitions' Looking at it, one can see that it is a Papal blessing; easily available from Rome and almost certainly not even seen by the Pope. I have a Papal blessing; it doesn't mean the Pope knows me or is approving of my behaviour.
    
    The sooner that Rome issues a definitive negative verdict, the sooner the prolix, rambling, vague messages can be seen for the fantasy they are.

    Posted By: Matt Austin

20. On this feast of the Assumption the humility and obedience of the Mother of Jesus is again celebrated by the Church. Praised be Jesus and Mary, the Holy Virgin was chosen from all humanity to be the Mother of God. Without her "yes" there is no incarnation, no human nature taken on by the Second person of the Trinity, no crucufixion, no resurrection.............
    We have all of the truth required for salvation and holiness in the holy canon of scripture and the sacred tradition of the Church.
    Mary our Mother was always obedient, humble, docile to the Spirit of God.
    With the light of reason can people say that what is happenning at the personality cult reflects the nature of the Mother of our Lord?
    The serpent is smarter than any person on earth.

    Posted By: Matthew Hunt

21. Jesus said you can tell a tree by its fruit. There has been almost 30 years of prayer and fasting coming out of Medjugorje. Souls are being converted to Christ, people are repenting and atoning for thier sins. So as Christ said, "Can Satan be divided against himself?" He could not take one mass being said on apparition hill in the 30 years. This is an instance similar to Fatima where the visionaries are being persecuted by satan. Or similar to the cloistering of Padre Pio because there were those in higher authority who were guilty of spiritual jealousy which is the sin against the Holy Spirit. See where the pharisees accused Jesus of being under the influence of Beezabul. To which he told those hypocrites. "Those who sin against the Son can be forgiven but those who sin against the Holy Spirit can not be forgiven. This fact has always been the case where those in the church have called the sin of despair the sin against the Holy Spirit as a means to distract that the sin of hypocrisy is the most grievous sin of all. Even mortal sin can be forgiven but calling what is good to be evil IS the worst sin of all.

    Posted By: J Vorel

22. Did not one of the visionaries say that our blessed Lady said that all religions are equal in the eyes of God? Uh, wait a bit if that is true then God doesn't care what religion you belong to then. So even pagans and other false religions are going to heaven accept for traditional Catholics.
    Medjugorje has the smell of Freemasonry.

    Posted By: James Orth

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