Medjugorje and the upcoming judgement of the Church -A reason for concern?
By: Glenn Dallaire
(Before I begin this article I would like to emphatically state that I remain neutral in what concerns the alleged apparitions of Medjugorge. In seeking to obey the Church, while at the same time awaiting the definitive judgment by the Vatican, I do recognise and give assent to the local Bishops opposition to the apparitions, and I also give assent to the 1991 "Zadar" decision from the Commission formed by the Yugoslavian Bishops conference which concluded "non constat de supernaturalitate" [the supernaturality is not proven] .
I do feel very strongly that the local Bishops opposition must be respected, and that it, along with the Zadar decision represents the position of the Church for now, until the official judgement from Rome is promulgated. At the same time it must be understood that Medjugorje has never been officially condemned, and that thusfar the Church has left the faithful free to carefully discern and to come to one's own conclusions concerning the alleged heavenly events that are said to be occurring there. Additionally, it is not in the scope of this article to give an opinion either way as to whether the alleged supernatural events that are said to be occuring in Medjugorje are authentic or fake.
United States Apostolic Nuncio sends letter to all Archdioceses in the USA concerning Medjugorge conferences
At the direction of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine & Faith (CDF), on October 21, 2013, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S. has written a letter stating that Catholics “are not permitted” to participate in meetings which take for granted that the supposed Marian apparitions in Medjugorje are credible.
“The Congregation (for the Doctrine of the Faith) has affirmed that, with regard to the credibility of the 'apparitions' in question, all should accept the declaration … which asserts: 'On the basis of the research that has been done, it is not possible to state that there were apparitions or supernatural revelations,'” Archbishop Carlo Vigano wrote in an Oct. 21 letter to the bishops of the U.S., sent to the general secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“It follows, therefore, that clerics and the faithful are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions' would be taken for granted.”
Archbishop Vigano wrote the letter “at the request” of Archbishop Gerhard Mueller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
-If the Church sees the apparitions as being positive thus far:
Since the alleged apparitions are ongoing, most observers believe that the Pope will not issue an outright decision unless it is negative decision, however if it is decided that things are positive thus far, then it is expected that the Pope will release some additional "guidelines for the faithful" concerning Medjugorje pilgrimages, conferences etc.
Given the worldwide following and devotion of the apparitions, many in the Church strongly believe that the Vatican needs to come to a clear judgment concerning the authenticity of the events, or at the very least provide some clear guidelines for the sake of the faithful, even though the alleged apparitions are still ongoing. It is a widely accepted conclusion that the decision of the Commission will soon afterwards lead to a decision by the Pope, or perhaps the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.
A decision that will be wrought with great consequences
Having said this, there are some who strongly think there is a very serious concern looming with such a decision, regardless of whether it be in support of the supernatural nature of the apparitions and messages, or against them.
Ramifications of a positive decision in favor of the supernatural authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions
Those who follow or have studied Medjugorje know that the the local Ordinary, that is, the local Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, both past and present, have for many years been against the apparitions, and have made many public explanations over the years concerning their opposition to the apparitions and the alleged heavenly messages.
Now, many have remarked that IF the Commission and/or the Pope concludes in favor of the supernatural authenticity of the alleged apparitions, such a decision would directly contradict the opinion of the local Bishop, and also his predecessor, both of whom over the years have continually publicly opposed the alleged apparitions and messages of the Gospa. To my knowledge, the Vatican has never come to a judgment concerning an apparition that has contradicted the opinion of the local Bishop. In fact, normally speaking it is the Ordinary alone, and not the Vatican (or even the Pope), who is the sole judge in matters of private revelation that is occurring within the jurisdiction of his diocese. However in very special cases such as Medjugorje, because of its worldwide significance and following, a regional Commission or even (as presently in this case) a Vatican Commission can be formed to judge the matter for the Church as a whole. So a favorable decision by Rome would contradict the opinion of the local Bishop in a matter that is normally rightfully his alone to judge, as a successor to the apostles.
And then there are the numerous legitimate issues---some call them “red flags”---concerning the apparitions and visionaries at Medjugorje that have been brought forth by not only the local Bishop, but also from various religious and lay persons who have studied and experienced the apparitions firsthand. One can go onto the local Bishops website for an extensive treatment of many of the concerns or red flags that have been raised. Apart from the Bishops opposition, one surprising example of a red flag would be the damaging 3 minute video of Vicka who is caught on camera by Professor Louis Belanger obviously feigning an ecstasy, and then trying to cover up afterwards with an explanation that is, quite honestly, simply fraudulant.
The accusation of "Apparitions on demand"
Another very questionable ongoing practice surrounding the events of Medjugorje that those who are opposed to Medjugorje often criticize is the so called "apparitions on demand" that (allegedly) occur during the many speaking conferences throughout the world that several of the visionaries have held over the years. Many times the apparition of the Gospa to the visionaries is announced before such events--Here are some very recent examples from three of the alleged seers:.
IVAN:
"Ivan will have an apparition on apparition hill at 22:00" (June 17, 2013)
VICKA:
Or again announcing a week beforehand that "Her [Vicka's] apparition will take place in Nazareth's Basilica of the Annunciation" (August 20, 2013)
MARIJA:
"We find out a day beforehand when and where the apparitions will be" according to Ruth McDonald, one of the residents of the religious commuinity at Caritas of Birmington, Alabama who have hosted Marija on a number of occasions over recent years.(June 23, 2012).
And it was precisely at the site of Caritas of Birmingham that the main promoter allegedly one day declared "Someday Marija will have an apparition at this pine tree. I haven't figured it out yet how I'm going to do it, but I will..." -And so it came to pass....
These are just a few recent examples of such announcements. Understandably many religious and laity have serious reservations and concern in regards to such so called "apparitions on demand".
Ramifications of a proposed negative decision
I think that it is safe to say that the worldwide number of those who follow and support Medjugorje would have to be in the tens of millions, and over the past 30 years there have been many extraordinary and beautiful testimonies of conversion and renewal at Medjugorje. Without a doubt there has been very much good fruit over the years that has come forth from it. But in all truthfulness there nevertheless has been some unfavorable fruit also, most especially the disobedience to some of the directives of the local Bishop, which I will not delve into, because it is beyond the scope of this article.
However the fact remains that those who currently publicly promote the apparitions and messages of Medjugorje do so contrary to directives of the local Bishop, who has asked that the alleged messages of the Gospa not be promoted. In fact, to publicly support Medjugorje one would be openly contradicting the long held opposition and negative opinion of the local Bishop(s), both past and present. But what if the Vatican were to formally decide against the apparitions at Medjugorje---would the millions who currently follow Medjugorje obey the decision of the Church? And here is precisely where I think there is a enormous concern if the Church was to in fact come to a negative decision concerning the apparitions.
Is there a real possibility of a false "Marian” schism?
And here I must now interject my own personal experiences, which have nothing to do with current situation of Medjugorje, at this current moment. A number of years ago I was a member of a large Marian group that was led by a mystic. The movement was eventually first condemned by the local Bishop, and then later by Rome itself. I decided to obey the rightful judgment of the Church, who alone has the authority of Christ to judge such matters. The vast majority of the members however chose to remain in the movement, contrary to the negative judgment of the Church.
Condemned apparitions and disobedience to the Church
And this is not in the least bit an isolated case. We see this happening right at this moment in the USA and abroad with numerous followers of alleged visionaries and apparitions such as Maureen Sweeney-Kyle and the "Holy Love" apparitions, Gianna Talone-Sullivan and "Our Lady of Emmitsburg", Vassula Ryden and "True Life in God", Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY., Julia Kim and "Our Lady of Naju", Christina Gallagher and the “Queen of Peace” –just to mention a few. All of these have received a negative judgments from the local Bishop, and several of these negative judgments have also been validated, that is, confirmed by the Vatican (which in fact is not necessary under most circumstances, as mentioned earlier).
The fact remains that even after the negative judgment from the local Ordinary and in some cases even with a validation from the Vatican, there are still a very large number of followers in the examples above who continue to support these condemned visionaries and apparitions, despite the Church's negative judgment. Sadly by doing so such persons setup Christ (and the Virgin Mary) against His Church.
And so the question is—what would happen if Medjugorje actually received a negative judgement from the Vatican? Would the majority of the millions of Catholics who are currenly following Medjugorje obey? Or would a negative decision on the part of Rome lead to a sort of false "Marian" apostasy or schism? No one knows what the upcoming decision of the Commission will be, but from the many recent examples above we can see that this is a reasonable and legitimate grave concern.
The example of St John Vianney, the holy 'Cure of Ars"
Within regards to cautious discernment concerning visionaries and apparitions, we can recall how the holy 'Cure of Ars' , St John Vianney, for eight years became very skeptical of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at La Salette prior to the Bishops approval. The apparitions had occurred not far from Ars, and there was an extraordinary amount of interest among the faithful. Because of his reputation for holiness, people would frequently visit him and ask his opinion. He would suddenly get very serious, yet remain silent. Himself a recepient of some extraordinary graces from God, he had met Maximin (one of the visionaries) in 1850, nevertheless he was very cautious and reserved. But he did at least on one occasion voice a certain opposition, which apparently stemmed from his meeting with Maximin, and this 'negative' opinion of the holy Cure spread across the newspapers in France.
While the local Bishop, and later Rome, eventually fully approved the appearences of the Virgin Mary at LaSalette, Saint John Vianney's reservation, I think, is a lesson in not accepting alleged apparitions too quickly; that one should always be prudent and cautious concerning them, until they are approved by the local Bishop (or in the special case of Medjugorje, the possible approval of Rome, in whose judgement we are all awaiting).
It remains for the Church alone to decide as to the authenticity of the alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Medjugorje. I pray that the Holy Spirit may guide the Church in this matter, and may all Catholics give assent to the judgement of the Church, whatever it may be. And may our Blessed Mother cover us under Her mantle, and lead us ever closer to Her beloved Son, Jesus.
-Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen. +
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Click here for an article exploring private revelations and mystics & visionaries in the world today.
Additionally, those interested in getting a better understanding on discerning and judging visionaries and apparitions will benefit from this article on judging private revelations and obedience to the Catholic church.
46 comments:
Very wise article
Good post. A few things...
A favorable judgement can generally only be pronounced after apparitions have concluded (a pre-approval cannot be given to future locutions!). An unfavorable judgement can be pronounced, if warranted, even while the phenomenon is ongoing, which has occurred in numerous instances of false private revelations. From this it follows that IF a decision by the Pope closely follows the commission's report, it will almost certainly not be a favorable judgement.
Since the commission's report is due by the end of the year, there is a likelihood of the Pope issuing a final declaration (if the decision is negative) within the Year of Faith. The silver lining of this will be an opportunity to teach about the true nature of this theological virtue. The teaching of St John of the Cross is relevant to this; faith does not rely essentially on visions, consolations, or phenomena, but in grows the most surely in the absence of these, which actually have a huge potential to mislead. Visions and locutions, in fact, are among the lesser phenomena of the spiritual life and tend to be left behind (he teaches to pay no special attention to them) in the course of spiritual growth as one passes through the "dark night" of spiritual purification, toward intimate divine union. Faith, according to John of the Cross, is a pure gift of God's grace infused in the soul, and is the proximate means to union with God in love. Anyway, a possible declaration of nonsupernaturality, likely to shake the faith of even millions, would actually be a teaching opportunity with potential to lead many of them much deeper in faith.
If Medjugorje is not from heaven, it is a massive scandal and source of division. In the actual Diocese of Mostar-Duvno the Medjugorje phenomenon has helped to perpetuate a pre-existing schism of certain Franciscan run parishes. Anyone who has looked into it much may have seen, as I have seen, Medjugorje devotees including priests, sadly declaring their willingness to choose Medjugorje over the Church. There is major possibility of increasing ecclesial division or schism. Certainly of individuals including some priests leaving the community of the Church or painful and divisive instances of dissent.
In the event that Medjugorje is approved as being supernatural, it would remain true that no individual is required to believe in it. No one is required to believe in any private revelation, though ordinary prudence dictates being generally accepting toward those the Church approves (which would be true also if Medjugorje is approved). On the surface of it, approving Medjugorje is the option that rocks the boat the least. But the Church is obliged to do what conforms with the truth, and no good can actually come of doing otherwise.
The Pope will soon put a stop to the Medjugorjians new religion that they have desperately been trying to pawn off as Catholicism to the unsuspecting masses. (Oh yea, at one time there’s was a lot of confessions taking place there, and this was used as evidence of the authenticity of the situation – just one problem though – they were all invalid!! A lot of these creeps were "anointed" to hear confessions by some freak from the Jansen's Old Catholic Church that's been over there five hundred years!)
Yea, and that Jozo dude is giving people demons, too.
They have been successful in separating the people of God from their Bishops in the True Catholic Church by inundating them with what are supposedly daily messages straight from Heaven via the ‘mother of god’, thereby deceiving untold thousands through brainwashing techniques accomplished with the help of internet technology and old fashioned gullibility.
It’s been an amazing feat to behold. Truly the work of some of the best con-men the world has ever seen. The used car salesmen’s 'old bait and switch' pales in comparison to what we have been seeing take place right before our eyes.
What’s the bait? Mary!
What’s the switch? Another Gospel!
Man, look. If you can convince a lot of Catholic people that something is Mary – they will believe ANYTHING.
No longer is it necessary to separate someone from their family and use sleep deprivation, fasting and brainwashing techniques to get the person to join a cult and wind up shaking a tambourine and selling books in the airport. No, all you have to do is get them to go to one stupid seminar and send em’ home with a pile of literature and a Web Site to go to, and ya got em’ hooked!
The false mystic says, “listen to me! I see mary!
Listen to me… And the POPE.” See how slick that is??
The dingbat will make it seem as if she really is true – hey, she listens to the Pope, right!!!
Never mind the Bishop though –Ah, he’s a dumb dog.
Now what happens when the next Pope is elected and the false mystic says, “He’s the antichrist!” Now what? You’ve already been separated from the Bishop of your souls! All you’ve got left is some jezebel dressed up like a nun telling you what the Truth is…
These people are guna’ split off from the Church and elect their own pope and make what Lefebvre and his gang did look like a Sunday picnic.
Six little minions of the fallen angel decided to disobey their Bishop. And when disobedience in not checked, it leads to rebellion. And this is exactly what happened in the former Yugoslavia. And when a rebellion is not swiftly put down, it leads to mutiny! On the High Seas! Now somebody’s got to die in order to restore order, and prevent chaos. And that's exactly what happened to that fella that started Medjugorje - God smote him dead of a heart attack right there on his hill of aberration. He died outside the Sacraments of the Church!
When a rebellion is breaks out, then you’ve got witchcraft.
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
There is nothing more powerful in opening up a way to the demonic spirit world than rebellion; it’s more powerful that pharmaceuticals. And the devil has taken advantage of this to demonstrate his wares to his unsuspecting visitors.
Nothing has ever happened at Medjugorje that the devil couldn’t do. So beware, my friend – Beware.
RbM
Glenn,
Very prudent advice and a good overview.
I've added a link to your post in mine here:
http://te-deum.blogspot.com/2012/02/medjugorje-commission-to-end-its-work.html
Anonymous said: (...at one time there’s was a lot of confessions taking place there, and this was used as evidence of the authenticity of the situation – just one problem though – they were all invalid!! A lot of these creeps were "anointed" to hear confessions by some freak from the Jansen's Old Catholic Church that's been over there five hundred years!)
I am among the skeptics and critics of Medjugorje and I can tell you that this is not exactly true.
There are 9 Franciscans who usurped several parishes in the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, and among them, quite close to Medjugorje. It was at one of these parishes that the fake bishop was brought in. Some 800 confirmations were invalid and it fell upon Bishop Peric to inform the families that the bishop was fake. He then had a massive Confirmation for the young people. At those usurped parishes, which remain so today, the Franciscans involved, already kicked out of the Franciscan order, and suspended "a divinis", remain at those parishes. Confessions heard there, are invalid.
This all stems from the Herzegovina Conflict. Until two summers ago, English speaking readers had not seen the 1975 decree of the Holy See - Romanis Pontificibus which is at the heart of the problem. People will often refer to it as the "rift between the bishop and the Franciscans. In actuality, it is a rift between the Franciscans and the Holy See itself, which issued the decree. No where in the world do we see any religious order running the vast majority of parishes in an area. When we do see it, it often involves a missionary order like the Franciscans, and it takes place in missionary territory. The decree of the Holy See generously allowed the Franciscans to keep 50% of the parishes and asked them to hand over nine, I believe.
The Holy See has been trying, for well over 100 years now, to move that region out of missionary status. But, some Franciscans, not all, have been resistant. Moreover, it involves only the Herzegovina Province.
Recently, a Franciscan by the name of Marko Semren, OFM was name auxiliary bishop of Banja Luka. This is the first bishop in over 40 years from the Franciscan order. As Franciscan order websites around the world acknowledged it, notably absent was any word from the Herzegovina province, or the Medjugorje website. See here and see the homily of the papal nuncio upon his naming.
It is interesting to compare Fatima (approved by the Church), Akita (approved too) and Medjugorje.
The two first could be resume to a few messages with a straight content: penance, prayer, repentance, preparation with apocalyptic warnings ("If men don't repent..." etc...) And both apparitions are tightly linked as then Card. Ratzinger acknowledged.
With Medjugorge, since 30 years we are overwhelmed by a number of weekly wishy-washy messages, sometimes even daily of which content often is repetitive. Theologically speaking, a few messages are suspicious, for example regarding the EENS dogma.
In addition, Akita, like Fatima were very quickly approved.
The fact that the bishop of Medjugorge's diocese early declined to approve these apparitions is a sign.
In my opinbion, although one cannot deny that there are many good fruits of conversion an faith in Medjugorje, these apparitions are too controversial.
A few people only know that several purported apparitions happened in the vicinity and the aftermath of those of Lourdes. Although they looked theologically right, they never wer approved. Why to make an exception with Medjugorge and reverse _in an unprecedented manner_ the irrevocable decision of a bishop who was certainly inspired by the Holy Spirit?
Thank you Mark, Elizabeth, Anonymous, Diane and Jac for your comments.
Elizabeth:
You make an excellent point that a favorable judgement really cannot be made until AFTER the apparitions/messages have ended. And this brings forth one of the most unique elements about Medjugorje---the sheer number of alleged heavenly messages and the extensive 30 year ongoing timeframe. No other approved apparition has had anywhere near the amount of messages or length of time of these allged apparitions. So I too wonder how it could be possible for the Church to approve the messages/apparition as it is still ongoing.
This is why I am thinking that the upcoming decision will be one of two outcomes:
1) Either the judgement will be negative,
2) or, it will simply be a set of norms and guidelines for priests in regards to the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments at Medjugorje, along with other guidelines pertaining to pilgrimages and the devotion of the faithful, in my opinion.
--------------------
Diane:
Thanks for adding a link in your blog-I sincerely appreciate it.
And thank you also for the explanations concerning the longtime and very unfortunate affair between the Church and the local Franciscans. Their ongoing disobedience to the Pope and the local Bishop is reprehensible, and by doing so they seperate not only themselves, but the people of God from the true Church of Christ.
Thanks again to everyone for your comments.
-Glenn Dallaire
Thank you Glenn and to the others who have posted thoughtful and respectful comments. To add to the conversation, I encourage readers to take the time to read a letter from the Parish Priests of Medjugorje at: http://medjugorje.hr/en/medjugorje-phenomenon/guide/spiritual-movement/
Thank you ...
Peace in Christ
I respectfully disagree with Glenn Satan cannot cause the conversion of a sinner i have seen numerous cases of conversions personally because of medjugorje fyi padre pio was considered to be false at one point in time by the church
Is there anyone else who believes that the writings of Maria Valtorta (Poem of the Godman)have an odd tone of inauthenticity and unGodliness?
Yet the vision in Medjugorje instructs us to look to Valtorta for the truth.
I can only conclude that neither are true simply because Valtorta's writings conflict with Maria of Agreda and her inspired biography of the Holy Virgin. MaryAnn
Just to provide more information (not in defense or to argue) Christina Gallagher in Ireland has never been condemned by the Church, nor has the Archbishop asked people not to go there, as is the case with some of the others she was listed with (like Bayside) Here are all the statements the Archdiocese has made on her, http://tuamarchdiocese.org/category/archdiocese/statements_house_of_prayer_achill/
That's interesting... How many stupid comments are... Listen: For me one man's opinion is important...Who can make difference between souls. An EXORCIST opinion. JUST READ THIS and think about it!
Top exorcist laments apathy to MedjugorjeBy Jakob Marschner on Nov 1, 2011
Ignoring the apparitions in Medjugorje is unforgivable for Christians, says Rome’s leading exorcist who shakes his head at those who wait until the Church has ruled. Speaking of “betrayal” Fr. Gabriele Amorth also lashes out at bishops and priests for being indifferent to the fruits of Medjugorje.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth (born 1925) was ordained a priest in 1954 and became an official exorcist in 1986. For about 20 years he served as chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. In 1990 he founded the International Association of Exorcists whose president he was until his retirement in 2000, now being honorary president for life. Throughout the years Fr. Amorth has embraced Medjugorje, and he has called the place "a great fortress against Satan"
By willingly failing to pay attention to the Virgin Mary’s apparitions in Medjugorje, a great number of Christians have proven to be no different from pagans. Within this great number, both bishops and priests are included, the leading Catholic exorcist of the past 20 years said in a September 15 interview given to Radio Maria.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth was speaking at the backdrop of the Virgin Mary’s message of August 25 when she said:
“Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said ‘yes’, be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“How bitter, how bitter was the last message of Our Lady of Medjugorje, on August 25: ”Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call’, Fr. Gabriele Amorth first commented.
“Now look here; it is very sour, this balance. After more than thirty years! More than thirty years! Now if it is the pagans who don’t listen to Our Lady’s words, then that I can understand. But be you a Christian, it is not forgivable. Be you a Christian!”.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth with visionary Vicka Ivankovic by the late 1980s
However, according to Fr. Amorth’s experience, the indifference to Medjugorje goes further than that:
“Even priests and bishops don’t even want to hear about it. It is not that they went there and then made their decision fairly after seeing things for themselves, no! They don’t even want to hear it being spoken about!”
“The Gospel is so clear, it tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been 30 years when Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than 30 years!” the exorcist reminded on Radio Maria.
“In the Old Testament God sent prophets to warn of the betrayals of the Jewish people. Now, here, to warn of the betrayal of the Christian people, also the priests, God sends us His Mother! It has been 30 years! Is it possible that people still do not hear? And as for those people who believe themselves to be intelligent by saying they wait until the Church approves? They are fools!” said Fr. Gabriele Amorth.
Top exorcist laments apathy to MedjugorjeBy Jakob Marschner on Nov 1, 2011
Ignoring the apparitions in Medjugorje is unforgivable for Christians, says Rome’s leading exorcist who shakes his head at those who wait until the Church has ruled. Speaking of “betrayal” Fr. Gabriele Amorth also lashes out at bishops and priests for being indifferent to the fruits of Medjugorje.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth (born 1925) was ordained a priest in 1954 and became an official exorcist in 1986. For about 20 years he served as chief exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. In 1990 he founded the International Association of Exorcists whose president he was until his retirement in 2000, now being honorary president for life. Throughout the years Fr. Amorth has embraced Medjugorje, and he has called the place "a great fortress against Satan"
By willingly failing to pay attention to the Virgin Mary’s apparitions in Medjugorje, a great number of Christians have proven to be no different from pagans. Within this great number, both bishops and priests are included, the leading Catholic exorcist of the past 20 years said in a September 15 interview given to Radio Maria.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth was speaking at the backdrop of the Virgin Mary’s message of August 25 when she said:
“Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said ‘yes’, be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“How bitter, how bitter was the last message of Our Lady of Medjugorje, on August 25: ”Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call’, Fr. Gabriele Amorth first commented.
“Now look here; it is very sour, this balance. After more than thirty years! More than thirty years! Now if it is the pagans who don’t listen to Our Lady’s words, then that I can understand. But be you a Christian, it is not forgivable. Be you a Christian!”.
Fr. Gabriele Amorth with visionary Vicka Ivankovic by the late 1980s
However, according to Fr. Amorth’s experience, the indifference to Medjugorje goes further than that:
“Even priests and bishops don’t even want to hear about it. It is not that they went there and then made their decision fairly after seeing things for themselves, no! They don’t even want to hear it being spoken about!”
“The Gospel is so clear, it tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been 30 years when Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than 30 years!” the exorcist reminded on Radio Maria.
“In the Old Testament God sent prophets to warn of the betrayals of the Jewish people. Now, here, to warn of the betrayal of the Christian people, also the priests, God sends us His Mother! It has been 30 years! Is it possible that people still do not hear? And as for those people who believe themselves to be intelligent by saying they wait until the Church approves? They are fools!” said Fr. Gabriele Amorth.
Chief exorcist says Devil is in Vatican
The Devil is lurking in the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican's chief exorcist claimed on Wednesday.
St. Peter's Square in the Vatican Photo: REUTERS
By Nick Squires in Rome
6:30AM GMT 11 Mar 2010
Father Gabriele Amorth said people who are possessed by Satan vomit shards of glass and pieces of iron.
He added that the assault on Pope Benedict XVI on Christmas Eve by a mentally unstable woman and the sex abuse scandals which have engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Germany and other countries, were proof that the Anti-Christ was waging a war against the Holy See.
"The Devil resides in the Vatican and you can see the consequences," said Father Amorth, 85, who has been the Holy See's chief exorcist for 25 years.
"He can remain hidden, or speak in different languages, or even appear to be sympathetic. At times he makes fun of me. But I'm a man who is happy in his work."
While there was "resistance and mistrust" towards the concept of exorcism among some Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI has no such doubts, Father Amorth said. "His Holiness believes wholeheartedly in the practice of exorcism. He has encouraged and praised our work," he added.
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The evil influence of Satan was evident in the highest ranks of the Catholic hierarchy, with "cardinals who do not believe in Jesus and bishops who are linked to the demon," Father Amorth said.
In a rare insight into the world of exorcism, the Italian priest told La Repubblica newspaper that the 1973 film The Exorcist gave a "substantially exact" impression of what it was like to be possessed by the Devil.
People possessed by evil sometimes had to be physically restrained by half a dozen people while they were exorcised. They would scream, utter blasphemies and spit out sharp objects, he said.
"From their mouths, anything can come out – pieces of iron as long as a finger, but also rose petals," said Father Amorth, who claims to have performed 70,000 exorcisms. "When the possessed dribble and slobber, and need cleaning up, I do that too. Seeing people vomit doesn't bother me. The exorcist has one principal duty - to free human beings from the fear of the Devil."
The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II by a Turkish gunman in 1981 and recent revelations of "violence and paedophilia" committed by Catholic priests against children in their care was also the work of the Devil, said Father Amorth, who has written a book about his vocation, Memoirs of an Exorcist, which was published recently.
Father Amorth, who is the president of the Association of Exorcists and fought as a partisan during the war, has previously claimed that both Hitler and Stalin were possessed by the Devil.
In an interview with Vatican Radio in 2006, he said: "Of course the Devil exists and he can not only possess a single person but also groups and entire populations.
"I am convinced that the Nazis were all possessed. All you have to do is think about what Hitler and Stalin did."
He also condemned the Harry Potter books, saying they were dangerous because they dabbled in the occult and failed to draw a clear distinction between "the Satanic art" of black magic and benevolent white magic
Well, Bee, I actualy read Father Amorth's both books and I can say one thing for sure: F. Amorth NEVER said in his books tha white magic is benevolent, but that both are satan's work....
Thank you for this website and especially for this article. I personally have witnessed many changed of hearts from Naju and Medjugorge. I too was skeptical of Naju at first but after just one visit, my whole life was changed. The vatican never condemned Naju..it was miscommunicated to the public. If you could, visit these places for yourself and ask the holy spirit to be with you..that way, you will not be deceived. The greater the work of the Lord, even more the evil ones will work through people including the religious to oppose it.
What about the Bishop's apparent disobedience to the Virgin? To say this cannot happen historically is incorrect. In Guadalupe, the Bishop doubted, asked for a sign, and Juan Diego did many things to avoid certain requests of the Virgin. To imply that a Bishop is infallible in all actions is incorrect.
The children had numerous visions before the war where they came out crying, saying Our Lady said we must pray and fast, even war could be averted. The words "war can be averted" were used over and over and over. I am sure they were given visions of the war to soon come. Both at the time this occurred and now I was sure they were begging, Our Lady was begging the Bishop to help in these needed prayers. Our Lady said may 13, 1917 at Fatima "“Pray the rosary every day to acquire world peace and the end of the war.” So we see this was the same given sentiment at Medjugorje.
After these pleas, Bishop Zanic did not say, "let us pray with the children and see, let us all pray together for God's will". Perhaps he did when he supported the children at first. But when a statement was made by one that Our lady had said he may have been a bit harsh in a judgment on one of t he Franciscans- THAT WAS IT! How dare they or Our Lady correct a Bishop! And his fury was unleashed from that point on. Perhaps he became scared when Fr. Jozo was taken by the Communist authorities and tortured. Only God knows.
Had he heeded the pleas of the Virgin, he might have averted, or lessened, the war by his prayer an inducing others to pray. Instead, he constantly fought and mocked the visions. When we think about Peter, the Bishop of Rome, and the Apostles of the Lamb, we know that they themselves were present with Our Lady, and many say were being led by Our lady, in the upper room at Pentecost. I have an older Bible from the 1800’s and there is a beautiful depiction of the Assumption of Our Lady, but the understanding was that the Apostles looked to her, loved her, and listened to her. We cannot know all of these details but we know that Jesus entrusted her care to John, who cared for her. So the point is, if Our Lady would admonish a Bishop, she would do it in love, great love. Bishop Zanic seemed to take it then as an ongoing plot of the Franciscans against him, and implied they planted these words in the children’s mouths.
Almost immediately after Bishop Zanic forced a vote in the Commission, for which it is well know he was pressuring others to rule negatively, almost right after that vote, the war started. Go look it up. I was following it closely at the time, and that was immediately my sense. To think a Bishop cannot make a mistake is incorrect. Peter denied Christ three times. Our Lady was begging them, begging us for prayer and fasting. He could have been the spiritual leader in this regard but rather did everything in hi power to discredit the apparitions. It was not fitting it should be kept under this commission with such bias and antagonism and was taken to Rome for that reason. He tried but could not get a condemnation of the apparitions, but was only able to get agreement to declare at that point there was no proof of the supernatural. By the same toke, it was not a statement that said that there was proof there it was not supernatural. So your constant defense of the Bishop and his commission, without all the facts, will not fly in the end.
(Comment 2 of 2 continued)
Some of the arguments against Medjugorje that I have seen, such as "Oh the Virgin wouldn’t go on daily for years and years", are very weak in my opinion. We know Sr. Lucia had apparitions up through DECADES. And as we all know well, in God's eyes 1,000 years is as one day as he has existed always and always will be.
So that argument should be thrown out on it's face, for God can do all things in all ways he so chooses. We cannot dictate how God would choose to send a message to His children, based upon some pattern in the past. Did God, or for that matter the Blessed Virgin Mary, ever state in His Word or in Our Lady's apparitions:: “When I come it will be as such as such, whenever and wherever- this is preposterous and more like analyzing a trend and projecting it in statistics.
We are talking about God whose ways "are a high as the Heavens above the earth" compared to our small, feeble, infinite selves. We are talking about God who created the world and us.
There is no doubt in my mind that much of the disdain for Medjugorje is rooted in deep-seated, and perhaps concealed pride.
I believe in Medjugorje, because I have bee there, have seen with my own eyes. I might add most importantly that when I went to Medjugorje, I went with an open heart, not with a closed mind as I have seen some do and say, "bah, there are many fruits but no apparition". There is a little book that millions of us have seen, which gives eyewitnesses to many events at Fatima as well as the actual picture from the Portugal paper of people during the miracle of the sun. This shows photos of the children and much is written from the words of the seers.
There is one part in that account I remember well. It was the day of the promised great miracle. Our Lady was a little "late", and they said a priest was standing up against a tree. He was mocking the whole thing, telling them to go home, it was from the devil. then it all happened, and the comment was made that the priest was no where to be found. Now I don't know if it was because the priest fled in shame, or if it was actually the devil trying to cause havoc who then disappeared, but it seemed to imply that you could ponder this.
One other IMPORTANT point - the great miracle was diminished according to Our lady, as great as it was, because of the way the children were detained by the authorities who tried to confound it. So we see that because of the unbelief an lack of faith of those who were UNBELIEVERS, whom God expects less from than believers, that the miracle was diminished. Thus, my point about the Bishop, how much more, would the fighting against the Medjugorje seers (assuming it is real), cause problems and miracles to be less, as great as they have been? We remember well the words of Our Lord when His disciples could not cast a demon out. he himself cast the devils out, then berate them somewhat of their lack of faith, the told them that this type ONLY is handled with prayer and fasting.
A few final comments on my experience in Medjugorje. I went to Medjugorje prior to the war, in about 1987 as I recall. My experiences there are forever burned within my soul. When I hear people say, especially people who have not gone there, whether not gone at all or have gone without a fully open mind and heart.. when I hear them say such things well we know the fruits are there but in a roundabout or direct way at the same time say, well, it’s not real but people gathering and praying have caused this atmosphere and after all this always possible with our faith….wet then we must ask- is it really? E especially in this day and age? Jesus made a statement once Luke 18:8 “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Well we are undoubtedly and unabashedly hurdling along the road to the erosion and destruction of faith in Jesus Christ. We see it everywhere in America and around the world. I know that Medjugorje with the multitude of signs, for which Our Lady has said has been to awaken the faith of God’s people, Medjugorje is the ONLY way to rally get through people today. Why?
In the days of Fatima, Our Lady said Jesus was very much offended by the fashions of that day. Today, porn is legalized and rampant, and movies, fashion, music, culture, political correctness, and fights against God in any form in the public place are prevalent everywhere. Drugs and alcohol are glamorized as well. All of this is such a force against people, God HAS to move in might ways to get their attention in some cases. Once he has their attention, he can work with their souls.
When I was in Medjugorje I saw many signs, the miracle of the sun, the cross spinning on Cross Mountain, as the group of teens I was with yelled out they saw it and I did as well as it flashed, and I tried to focus my eyes as I was amazed at what I was seeing. The beautiful golden, huge dome, in what I can only describe as a heavenly color unlike anything I have ever seen on earth - seen not in a faint vision but as clear as day - as it descend on cross mountain, the cross disappeared and a beautiful pink, like a rose, color was where the cross was and I sensed clearly it was Our lady whom they say prays at the foot of the cross.
I saw all these things, yet when I think of myself today, I am reminded of the Israelites, who after being delivered from Pharaoh, and having seen the miraculous parting of the waters and the feeding of Manna, water from the rock…still over time faith grew weak for many and they grumbled against God. I know that certainly can be me at times!
Also, nothing is more miraculous than the gift our Lord has given us in the Eucharist - but our faith nonetheless can grow weak at times. We, quite frankly, need all the help we can get. We all need God coming in every way everyday. The question is, will we listen and heed what he has to say?
Hi Anonymous,
You make some excellent points for consideration. There has, without a doubt, been many good fruits that have come from Medjugorje.
You did however point to one item that the Church would consider to be a bad fruit, and that it the disobedience by a good number of devotees that has occurred concerning the authoritative decisions of the local Bishop.
While you rightly point out that a bishop is NOT infallible in the decisions and judgements that he makes for matters occurring within their own dioceses, nevertheless what MUST be understood is that EVEN IF A BISHOP IS INCORRECT IN HIS JUDGEMENT CONCERNING A PRIVATE REVELATION THAT IS OCCURRING IN HIS DIOCESE, THE FAITHFUL ARE REQUIRED AND OBLIGATED TO BE OBEDIENT TO HIS JUDGEMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER HIS JUDGEMENT IS CORRECT OR NOT.
Now, in the case of Medjugorje, because of its worldwide implications, the authenticity and judgement of it has now been elevated to Rome, but nevertheless there was much disobedience by Medjugorje devotees over the years to his lawful judgments, and this goes against the teachings of the Church concerning the faithfuls requirement to be obedient to the directives of the bishop concerning matters that are occurring within his diocese. And this was and is a very bad fruit of Medjugorje. And so while the local bishop could very well have been wrong in his decisions and judgments concerning Medjugorje, all of the faithful SHOULD have obeyed his judgments over the years, and many did not.
So it is not a matter of whether the local Bishop was wrong in his decisions concerning Medjugorje, as he may very well have been, it is the disobedience of many Medjugorje followers over the years to the local Bishops rightful authority which is very much a cause of concern for those like myself, who judge and seek the truth through the eyes of Church teaching. For it is said that "obedience is the litmus test of the Church", and history has shown that many of the followers of Medjugorje including especially a number of Franciscan priests have failed this test of obedience.
As for myself, I obey and respect the local Bishops decisions over the years, along with the opinions of the Zadar commission, while at the same time I remain neutral in my own opinion, awaiting ultimately Rome/the Pope's final judgement concerning it.
For those interested, I have written an article here entitled Obedience to the Catholic Church- Judging Private Revelations.
Thanks again for your comments and your insights.
Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones.
-Glenn Dallaire
Glen Dallaire- thanks for your comments. I'm not sure which types of disobedience of "devotees" that you are talking about. It would help if you were more specific.
The statements on obeying the Bishop whether or not he is right or wrong - well in this case I don't think it applies much to the prior statement from Bishop Zanic's group, as it has been officially taken out of their hands and more squarely in the hands of Rome. I am confident the correct judgement will be made by this group in Rome. People leading or going on pilgrimages to Medjugorje have followed the general directives of Rome.
Also, I don't believe they are going to judge against or for it because of the action of devotees. Even if they did, as I don't know what disobediences you are referring to, I would say the positive outweighs the negative a million to 1.
I fully agree with the Exorcist Fr. Amorth who says, as quoted ealier in thsi blog "Even priests and bishops don’t even want to hear about it. It is not that they went there and then made their decision fairly after seeing things for themselves, no! They don’t even want to hear it being spoken about!”
“The Gospel is so clear, it tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been 30 years when Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than 30 years!” the exorcist reminded on Radio Maria.
“In the Old Testament God sent prophets to warn of the betrayals of the Jewish people. Now, here, to warn of the betrayal of the Christian people, also the priests, God sends us His Mother! It has been 30 years! Is it possible that people still do not hear? And as for those people who believe themselves to be intelligent by saying they wait until the Church approves? They are fools!” said Fr. Gabriele Amorth.
My question is, all of the people who refuse to hear the Medjugorje message, it is shown to be authentic, and they refuse it- who is really being disobedient? If God sends His mother and we ignore it than we most CERTAINLY ignore God.
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks again for your comments.
Well, in regards to the disobedience by certain promoters of Medjugorje like Fathers Tomislav Vlasic and Ivica Vego, along with other local Franciscans for example, there is really no need to go into such details here in this discussion forum, since there certainly is plenty of information on the internet concerning these matters for those seeking more information. I will simply just point out one such article here for those interested:
Medjugorje, A chronology of events: Allegations vs Evidence
At the very least, given the local Bishops decisions and declarations concerning Medjugorje over the years, I think that the Bishops both past and present have provided more than enough justifications for the faithful to be very cautious and prudent concerning Medjugorje, and that really is my approach while we await for the final decision from Rome.
Additionally, those interested can read in english the local Bishops statements over the years on the Mostar Dioceses Official website page on Medjugorge here
Best wishes and may God bless you and your loved ones,
Glenn Dallaire
Mr. Dallaire thanks for your comments. I would re-drect anyone interested to the website at the link below. This has many positive comments and actual letters from Blessed John Paul II, comments from then-cardinal Ratzinger, and comments from Secretary of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Bertone that the many comments of Bishop Peric, writings etc., are simply his personal opinion and that they carry no more weight than a lay person on this matter.
The 1991 Statement is the most recent official document, which leaves open further investigation which is ongoing now. So I pray for the intercession of Belssed John Paul II in this matter, as he is undoubtedly now face to face with the Queen of Peace. May the will of God be done, may His people hear and listen to His voice, and may His almighty power be shown today and always. May we listen to His great prophetess and Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our true Ark of the New Covenant.
Link mentioned below:
http://www.medjugorje-apologia.com/position_of_the_church.html
Mr. Dallaire thanks for your comments. I would re-drect anyone interested to the website at the link below. This has many positive comments and actual letters from Blessed John Paul II, comments from then-cardinal Ratzinger, and comments from Secretary of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Bertone that the many comments of Bishop Peric, writings etc., are simply his personal opinion and that they carry no more weight than a lay person on this matter.
The 1991 Statement is the most recent official document, which leaves open further investigation which is ongoing now. So I pray for the intercession of Belssed John Paul II in this matter, as he is undoubtedly now face to face with the Queen of Peace. May the will of God be done, may His people hear and listen to His voice, and may His almighty power be shown today and always. May we listen to His great prophetess and Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our true Ark of the New Covenant.
Also, comments of Pope Benedict August 22,2010, in which he prays, Mary Queen of peace pray for us:
"In the history of cities and peoples evangelized by the Christian message there are countless testimonies of public veneration, in some cases, even of the royal institution of the Virgin Mary. But today especially as children of the Church, we renew our devotion to her as Mother and Queen, left us by Jesus. We entrust to her intercession our daily prayer for peace, especially where the absurd logic of violence rages, so that all people will be persuaded that in this world we must help each other as brothers to build a civilization of love. Maria Regina Pacis, ora pro nobis." Pope Benedict XVI, Sunday August 22, 2010
Speaking of the Queen of Peace - we have all said the Litany of Our Lady many times over the years. Those who have followed Medjugorje have heard that Our Lady hass said that these are her final apparitions on earth.
One day it struck me that the Litany of Our Lady, which we all know, ends in the final two prayers, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Fatima), pray for us, and finally Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.
I researched this a bit and found that this Litany was approved and indulgenced by Pope Sixtus V in 1587, and again by pope Clement VIII in 1601. Several new invlocations ahve been added over the years -and the person who added teh final invocation, Our lady Queen of Peace? Pope Benedict XV! I pointed this out in a letter regarding Medjugorje a while back to Pope Benedict XVI.
A few years back I was assigned by my job to the DC area, and spent some time in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. One day, entering the lower crypt, I stopped to pray at a side altar, which was Our Lady Queen of Peace. As I read the history, I was amazed to see that it was dedicated by the people of Croatia in 1971, of course long before Medjugorje. I also pointed this out to Pope Benedict.
There, crackdown. Finally! Phew.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052230/Pope-finally-launches-crackdown-worlds-largest-illicit-Catholic-shrine-suspends-dubious-priest.html
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for the info but the "crackdown" that you linked to is actually just an older article from September 3, 2008 concerning the Vatican's suspension of Father Tomislav Vlasic, the former spiritual director of several of the Medjugorje visionaries.
While on the surface many feel that it comes across as spirtually edifyting, I will say that from what I have read, the more one looks deeper into Medjugorje, the more questions and concerns come forth.
For example, the local Bishop on the Archdiocesian website has currently documented many troubling facts, along with the books by Micheal Davies, Donal Foley and others which document literally dozens of very disturbing issues surrounding it, primarily from the seers themselves..(outright lies, deceptions etc...)
But the Church knows best, and time will tell what the Church eventually decides.
For now the faithful are free to decide. As for myself, I am "skeptically neutral".
I personally would not go on pilgrimage there, just for the simple fact that both local bishops have successively spoken against it. In fact, according to the German theologian, Manfred Hauke, the Gospa urged disobedience thirteen times to Bishop Zanic, who had originally been inclined favorably to the apparitions.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
-Glenn Dallaire
Blessed John Paul II sent Pope Benedict; when he was
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to Medjugorje, incognito;
In order for the Vatican to investigate the visionaries
on a first hand basis.
What proof have you got to back up this statement.??
All I can say about the alleged apparitions is this. We as a faithful Catholic people know for a fact that Our Lord Jesus is present in all the tabernacles of the world. God Himself has humbled Himself to come to us in the Eucharistic Veil to be physically present with us, Body, Blood, Sould and Divinity in the Tabernacle and at Adoration. We also know that wherever the Eucharist is, there is the Blessed Mother waiting to bring all people closer to Her Son, along with all the Heavenly accord. I don't believe that if tomorrow anyone of us died and had to stand before Our Lord and Our Lady she would say "Why did you spend time before the tabernacle instead of making a pilgrimage to my site at..." on the contrary, she would be over joyed that we had spent time before Our Lord in the Eucharist because in the end isn't that all she asks of us in all her true apparitions? To grow closer to her Son through the Sacraments and Prayer. Go to the Tabernacle, Pray the Rosary, Go to Confession Weekly, Go to Mass Daily, wear the scapular, Recieve our Saviour in the Eucharist. If we do this, I believe when we stand before Jesus and Mary they will not be displeased. Praised and Blessed be the Most Sacred Eucharist Heart of Jesus! Praised and Blessed be the Most Immacualte and Sorrowful Heart of Mary! Long Live the Pope!
I read the comment by Annonymous on the subject of Fr Gabriele Amorth the Exorcist.
I am amazed that such a man of the cloth who has dealt with the Devil and and his cohorts and how they can decieve "even the elect" etc would actually encourage disobedience of a ruling by not only one Bishop but 20 Bishops on the Subject of Medjugorje.
He considers Christians who do not believe in the Apparitions of Medjugorje as Pagans!!!.
Our Lord himself told his Apostles "whatever you loosed on Earth will be loosed in Heaven". So when the Bishop/s say that they believe Medjugorje is not of Supernatural origins then it is Accepted in Heaven. It does not matter that the Apparitions are genuine or not. Our Lord will obey the Bishops request to any Seers to cease in propecying until a time when they can be authenicated. If that takes many years so be it. The Devil can do many things but he does not know how to obey. It is one of the first signs that a Bishop will look for in a Seer/s. If they persist (as is the case with Medjugorje) then most times the Bishop will have no choice but to consider it not to be genuine. It seems to me that the Bishops of the region have bent over backwards to investigate the Seers and have come back with the same belief that they are not of Supernatural origin.
Instead According to the messages from Our Lady, she has gone against her own son and told the Seers that the Bishop was wrong to expel the disobedient Francisician (who is now living with an ex nun) and to more or less ignore him.
It appears that the organisers and by all accounts Fr Gabriele Amorith (by the mere fact that the likes of myself are Pagans) are breaking away from the Church and forming their own.
They should be aware that we Christians who stay with the Catholic Church do so because it is the foundation of Jesus Christ and has been built on by his Apostles and the generations of Popes, Cardinals, Bishops and Priests. it is very sad that it now appears (according to Our Lady of Medjugorje) that Our Lord has changed his mind and the Faithful have now to ignore the Bishops on a decision they make and to listen to the expelled priests of the region.
I find it hard to see how the Church could give a positive judgement on Medjugorje, considering the negativity surrounding the messages and continued disobedience by those who have professed to have spoken to Our Lady for the past 30 years.
Although Our Lady continued to appear to Lucy, nowhere does it say that she was bombarded with repeated messages each day.
In Contrast: If you read about the prophets/Seers on the page of Mystics of the Church, none of them had lavish lifestyles, in fact they suffered for Our Lord Jesus Christ throughout their Holy Lives.
The Seers of Medjugorje and the likes of Christina Gallagher live like Kings and Queens having made millions from the Visions.
Yet Our Lady has never said anything to them about their lavish lifestyles while so many people are starving in the regions where she appears and around the World. It seems Our Lady by all accounts has become Material in her ways.
I am glad to be on the side of Obedience of the Bishops. Its less sinful that way
Fr Amorth may very well believe in the authenticity of Medjugorje, and I respect him for all his work - however this doesn't mean he is infallible. As Glenn has shown us, St John Vianney didn't believe in the authenticity of LaSalette, but the Church approved it.
I agree wholeheartedly with Glenn, may we be aware, may we be neutral and await the decision of Mother Church, respecting it be it in favor of Medjugorje or not. Obedience to the Church is what Our Lady herself wants of us. May I also add that we have everything we need already in the scriptures, sacraments and teachings of the Church. Hold to these first and above all other things and we will not be led astray.
As a priest who has visited Medjugorje many times I can only speak how it has blessed my life and the lives of many people I know. It gave me a great love of the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confession, Adoration and a profound love for Our blessed Mother. I Know many of my brother priests who have similar stories to tell. It has allowed me to bring hope and healing to many people young and old. I am not interested in past historical feuds between Fransiscans and Bishops but I am interested in the transforming, healing love of Jesus Christ that is offered to all of us and that I have found in my own personal life from my visits to Medjugorje, that I can hopefully offer to others. The greatest grace that I have learned there is the challenge to be humble, which is so reflective of our Lady's life and is what our Church needs so badly today. I have never "chosen" Medjugorje over the Church as is suggested but what I have done is to try and offer the loving mercy of God to the people I minister to that I have experienced in and through Medjugorje. I never differentiate between those who have been or not and its certainly not a :" new religion" but rather a grace and blessing for those who " have ears to hear" .
Glenn, I understand that you have trouble with the so called disobedience to the local Bishop, but rather than throw up a link, would you state point by point specifically what the disobedience is? In the first several years of the apparitions, the apparition site changed at the request of first the police and then the Bishop. At first the police stopped the people from gathering on the hill of apparitions because the Communist authorities didn't want large religious gatherings so after the third week, August 12, 1981, people were forced into the church by the police. Apparitions continued in the sacristy-chapel of St. James Church until April 1985 because the Bishop said the visionaries couldn't gather in the church. For about a year the apparitions took place in the rectory (Many scientific studies took place during this period of time.) I think your article isn't fully researched and you do not give specifics into how the visionaries are disobeying. One of the visionaries gets very provoked any time a pilgrim begins to criticize clergy and in every talk she gives, she stresses repeatedly how we need to pray continuously for our priests, at every mass and in our daily prayers because they are the bridge to the triumph of the immaculate heart of Mary. Although you are hesitant to delve into this, Glenn, I personally think that you aren't looking at the whole of the events that have taken place and are continuing to take place there.
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/catholicteaching/privaterevelation/medja.htm
http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/levy_medjugorje.htm
http://www.carrietomko.blogspot.com/2005/04/how-did-we-get-here-fr.html?m=1
I certainly hope the latter isn't true, despite disapproving of the whole thing. I did read something that explained away some accusations and I acknowledge those are possible and I challenge proponents to read full challengeMedjugorje and put things in perspective. Fatima was probably real, but there are some who ate separatists over the consecration of Russia. Mary doesn't want that any more than people to disobey the bishops with whom Mary will cooperate. If it's true, it'll be vindicated and one's test of faith will have been passed. Otherwise, even if it passes via the Pope, you can lose by
winning by disregarding the Bishop, regardless how he might do wrong things, if that's the case. I wanted to go to Naju, when I taught in Korea, but knew the Bishop disapproved. I thusly abstained. That's within the Bishop's perimeters of authority. We still have the Magisterium and official catechisms and Scripture.
RE: "Condemned Apparitions..." paragraph, re. Gianna:
Because the apparitions of Gianna Sullivan have occurred in both Scottsdale, Arizona, and Emmitsburg, Maryland, two different investigations have taken place, under two different official church authorities.
The results from Arizona, which include objective scientific testing done to Gianna Sullivan, are good, favorable, and positive. The findings from the investigation in Maryland, which did not include the same type of testing, are not favorable. The situation remains filled with unanswered questions and controversy.
quote :"No other approved apparition has had anywhere near the amount of messages or length of time of these allged apparitions"
Good morning Glenn,
I just wanted to say that the apparitions which took place in Le Laus (in the south-east of France)in the 18th century, were recognised by the church a few years ago. They lasted for over 50 years...
Hi Anonymous,
Thank you for your comment!. In regards to Le Laus, during the 50+ years that you are referring to, the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary there were primarily private revelations to the shepherdess Benoite Rencurel. While the Blessed Virgin Mary ordered a Church to be built, along with a home for priests, there was no ongoing public messages, such as we see in Medjugorje.
The 50+ years you refer to is the private revelations and mystical graces given to Benoite, who in fact received some very remarkable mystical graces, including the stigmata and also the gift of reading hearts, along with a number of other extraordinary graces. In fact, I should probably really consider adding an article about her for this website!
Anyway, thanks again anonymous for your comment.
May God bless you and your loved ones.
-Glenn Dallaire
I find it very concerning that so many people out there are so against Medjugorje (although there are more within the Church who are for it thankfully). I remember hearing a priest say if Lourdes or Fatima happened today they would never have passed the litmus test. The Church is very slow when it comes to these things which is why they take a neutral stance unless something is very suspicious and fraudulent. The only 'problems' people bring up about Medjugorje are easily explained away as human weakness. The Catholic church has many problems but this does not invalidate our Faith! The visionaries are obedient and good Catholics, they are a true models for Catholic families! The messages are so beautiful and inspiring (despite Fr. Mitch Pacwas belief they aren't?!). If God would allow the devil to carry on a 'great deception' which has changed peoples lives and brought them back to the Church, I find that so hard to believe! Medjugorje has done more good for the Church than any movement- Adoration Chapels have opened, vocations, conferences, conversions! Medjugorje has also been tested and investigated more than all of the visionaries and saints on this web site!
I don't like when people say "I don't need Medjugorje" or "I don't need Fatima, my faith is enough". Well thats just spiritual pride and I think if God is giving us these gifts of apparitions and messages we'd better have an open mind. For some people faith is not enough and they need to experience God, Jesus, and the Blessed Mother in a profound and intimate way. When people go to these shrines or meet holy persons like Padre Pio or authentic mystics they truly see and experience our Faith. Some have conversions, some see signs! My priest friend met a holy mystic and experienced the scent of roses during the rosary with her- it really strengthened his vocation and devotion to Our Lady! Who knows if this priest had doubts and needed that confirmation!
It's noting more than a fraud. Condemned by the Church.
PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE HOLY FATHER
DURING FLIGHT RETURN TO FATIMA
Papal Flight
Saturday, May 13, 2017
"...mainly we must distinguish three things. On first appearances, when [the "seers"] were boys, more or less report says that you must continue to investigate. About the alleged current appearances, the relationship has his doubts. I personally have more "bad": I prefer the Virgin mother, our mother, and not the chief telegraph office Lady that every day send a message to this now ... this is not the mother of Jesus. And these alleged apparitions have not much value. And I say this as a personal opinion. But those who think that Our Lady says: "Come tomorrow at this time I will say a message to the seer"; No. [In the report-Ruini] distinguish two appearances. And third, the crux of the relationship real-Ruini: the spiritual fact, the fact pastoral, people going there and converts, people who encounter God that changes life ... For this there is no magic wand, and this spiritual and pastoral fact can not be denied. Now, to see things with all these data with the answers they sent me theologians, was appointed the Bishop - bravo, bravo because it has experience - to see the pastoral part of how it goes. And in the end, he will say a few words.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/speeches/2017/may/documents/papa-francesco_20170513_voloritorno-fatima.html
Medjugorje commission reportedly thought first seven Marian visions were real
Cindy Wooden - Catholic News ServiceMay 17, 2017
The commission that now-retired Pope Benedict XVI established to study the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, reportedly voted overwhelmingly to recognize as supernatural the first seven appearances of Mary in 1981.
However, according to a report published by the website Vatican Insider, the commission was much more doubtful about the thousands of alleged visions that have occurred since July 4, 1981, and supposedly continue to this day.
Two of the 17 commission members and consultants thought the alleged visions after the period of June 24-July 3, 1981, were not supernatural, while the other members said it was not possible to make a judgment.
The commission said it was clear that the six alleged visionaries and a seventh who claims to have begun receiving messages from Mary in December 1982 were not given adequate spiritual support.
Vatican Insider published its piece on the report May 16, three days after Pope Francis spoke about some details of the report to journalists traveling with him from Fatima, Portugal.
The Vatican press office May 17 declined to comment on the Vatican Insider piece.
Speaking to journalists May 13, Pope Francis said that, regarding the Medjugorje commission's work, "three things need to be distinguished."
"About the first apparitions, when (the 'seers') were young, the report more or less says that the investigation needs to continue," the pope said, according to the English translation posted on the Vatican website.
"Concerning the alleged current apparitions, the report expresses doubts," he said. Furthermore, "personally, I am more 'mischievous.' I prefer Our Lady to be a mother, our mother, and not a telegraph operator who sends out a message every day at a certain time -- this is not the mother of Jesus."
Pope Francis said his "personal opinion" is that "these alleged apparitions have no great value."
[...]
Still more on current investigations into Medjugorje:
http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/05/18/whats-going-medjugorje-interview-priest-assigned-investigate-it?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_campaign=031e0d0a8c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0fe8ed70be-031e0d0a8c-57325585
Pope Francis has approved official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. I know a mother that went to Medjugorje with her daughter (the daughter didn't want to go) and her daughter changed for the better and now she prays daily.
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