Rome Newsroom, Sep 18, 2024 / 12:50 pm (CNA).
After more than four decades of investigation into alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the head of the Vatican’s doctrine office will hold a press conference Thursday about the “spiritual experience” at the Marian site, the Vatican said.
The alleged visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje occurred to six children starting on June 24, 1981, originally on a hilltop near the town.
Since they began, the alleged events and messages from Mary have been a source of controversy and division, as fame of the phenomena spread despite declarations from local bishops and Vatican authorities that there was no confirmation of their authenticity.
Devotees continued to flock to the area, however, even while Church-organized pilgrimages were banned. They were later allowed after a papal envoy found evidence of spiritual fruits for those who visited.
More than 40 years since they first claimed to have been visited by Mary, the alleged visionaries say they continue to receive messages from Mary conveying a desire for peace for the world, a call to conversion, prayer, and fasting, and certain secrets surrounding events to be fulfilled in the future.
Below is a timeline of the Catholic Church’s investigations into and decisions about Medjugorje.
April 10, 1991: After local bishops formed three different commissions to study the phenomena at Medjugorje starting in January 1982, the bishops’ conference of what was then Yugoslavia rules that “on the basis of studies conducted so far, it cannot be affirmed that supernatural apparitions and revelations are occurring” at Medjugorje.
March 23, 1996: Affirming the indications of the Yugoslavia bishops, the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop (later Cardinal) Tarcisio Bertone, says in a response to a letter from a French bishop that official pilgrimages to Medjugorje as a site of authentic Marian apparitions, organized at the diocesan or parish level, are not permitted.
March 17, 2010: At the request of the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pope Benedict XVI establishes a commission chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini to investigate the supernatural character of the events in Medjugorje. The commission includes approximately 20 cardinals, bishops, and experts.
Jan. 17, 2014: After nearly four years of investigations into the doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the Medjugorje apparitions, the commission formed in 2010 completes its work and submits a document, the so-called “Ruini report,” to the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
June 6, 2015: Pope Francis visits Bosnia and Herzegovina but declines to stop at Medjugorje. During the in-flight press conference on the papal plane returning to Rome, the pope says the Vatican’s investigation into the apparitions is nearly complete.
Sometime in 2016: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the leadership of Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, reads and discusses the findings of the “Ruini report.” The opinions of the congregation’s members are then sent to Pope Francis.
Feb. 11, 2017: Pope Francis appoints Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser papal envoy to Medjugorje “with the aim of acquiring a deeper knowledge of the pastoral situation there and above all, of the needs of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage.” A Vatican spokesman clarifies that the archbishop’s mandate is pastoral, and not doctrinal, in nature.
Two months after his appointment as special envoy, Hoser tells members of the press that the site bears many genuine expressions of faith, and many vocations are found there. However, he clarifies that the final determination of the apparitions’ authenticity remains to be seen.
May 13, 2017: Pope Francis speaks about the commission formed by Benedict XVI in 2010 and the so-called “Ruini report” during an in-flight press conference aboard the papal plane returning from Fátima, Portugal. He says he is personally “suspicious” of the apparitions since they appear to him to turn the Blessed Virgin Mary into a “telegraph operator” delivering daily messages.
May 17, 2017: A report in the “Vatican Insider” section of the Italian newspaper La Stampa says that the 2010–2014 commission’s “Ruini report” found a difference between the first seven alleged apparitions of June 24–July 3, 1981, and those that followed. The vote on the first seven alleged visions gave a mostly favorable opinion of supernaturality.
According to La Stampa, the majority of commission members also expressed an opinion that the spiritual fruits of Medjugorje were positive or mostly positive. On the supernatural character of the later alleged visions, the majority of the commission’s members said an opinion could not be expressed and two members voted against.
Dec. 7, 2017: Hoser tells Catholic media outlet Aleteia that while the pope will make a final decision on the authenticity of the alleged visions at Medjugorje, “today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem.”
May 31, 2018: Pope Francis reappoints Hoser, retired archbishop of Warsaw-Prague, apostolic visitor to Medjugorje, tasked with overseeing the pastoral needs of the site for an undetermined length of time. This nomination follows the archbishop’s earlier role as papal envoy.
May 12, 2019: Pope Francis formally authorizes Catholics to organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje in acknowledgment of the “abundant fruits of grace” that have come from visits to the shrine, though the Church had still not issued a verdict on the authenticity of the alleged apparitions.
Aug. 14, 2021: Hoser dies in a hospital in Warsaw, Poland, after a long and serious illness. He was 78.
Nov. 27, 2021: Pope Francis names Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, a longtime Vatican diplomat, as special apostolic visitor to the parish community of Medjugorje for an indefinite period following Hoser’s death.
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The “seers” have attributed numerous moronic statements to their vision, especially in the early days. The Mother of Christ can not say stupid things. Case closed. The juvenile delinquents caught smoking and trying to lie their way out of trouble by snottily claiming they say the Virgin Mary were exposed at the beginning. The fact that this idiocy is taken seriously only speaks to the dire state of the Church.
I agree. There are silly aspects even with the early visions. The later ones, with their daily banal offerings, do not inspire confidence in a supernatural origin. I will continue to exercise my privilege of not believing in Medjugorje.
Why does no one comment on the bad fruit? The “apparitions”served as a conduit for spreading Maria Valtorta’s vile work, The Poem of the Man-God, all over the world. One of the seers even claimed that the Virgin had told her that the Poem was good to read.
I’m not a Medjugorje follower but I do have to say that without exception every single person I know who’s made a pilgrimage there has returned the better for it. And some were greatly better & greatly changed. Major, lasting conversions.
Years ago, I interviewed a celebrity priest who was a big fan of Medjugorje. He described how the teens on a pilgrimage he led had prayed there for him to stop smoking. Instant cure. But he was waving a cigarette around as he told his anecdote, claimed that now he “only smoked when he chose to.” Uhuh. He was later disgraced for improper behavior with teenage boys.
I had lots of friends who went to Medjugorje and felt it was a profound experience. But followers of “seers” later proven to be frauds thought their messages were profound, too.
The Church has made a pact with the Gospa: it recognizes the Queen of Peace, Mother of the Church, listens to her messages, walks and fights alongside her, and ascends Calvary with the Madonna. All of this is implied by the “nihil obstat.” After the fall of the empire of evil, there will be the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and of the Church. The Prefect Cardinal’s report could not foresee the future, but this apocalyptic scenario, which does not concern only Marian devotees, is opened precisely by the “nihil obstat.”
The call to conversion and holiness was emphasized by the Cardinal, but for us Marian followers, the message of Medjugorje must be presented in its entirety. Just as Fatima was not only a light of holiness, so too Medjugorje is a great historical prophecy, a singularity that could not have been highlighted at yesterday’s press conference. The singularity is the revelation of the presence of God and Satan in the history of salvation, which will become evident during the secrets, except the third. The first element is the threat of a world war, and the second is apostasy—that is, modernism, the dissolution of faith, not just in the physical world.
Well, we each have different experiences of course. I’m neither a Medjugorje believer or non believer. I just like to keep an open mind.
It’s certainly possible to make a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine & return home unchanged. That’s our choice & how free will works. But I’m glad my in laws & friends returned for the better. And are still walking in the right path.
Fr. Spitzer also recommends Valtorta’s “vile” work in his books, so someone might want to talk to him about that. In seriousness, Fr. Spitzer is a brilliant man. If Fr. Spitzer recommends the books, there just might be another side to the story.
I laid out my case against Valtorta on this site three years ago. https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2021/09/14/a-monument-to-pseudo-religiosity-a-case-against-the-poem-of-the-man-god/
My essay, one of several I’ve done on this topic, is based on close reading of the entire POEM. A fundamental problem is its claim to correct the New Testament because the evangelists just didn’t write what God wanted. It’s riddled with historical errors, creepy sexual subtexts, and vicious, pervasive antiJudaism. If Fr. Spitzer would care to discuss this with me, I would be happy to do so privately.
“Valtorta’s vile work”. I have read all 10 volumes of Maria Valtorta’s work and attended the First International Valtorta Conference in Viareggio on October 22-23, 2016. Though I lack academic credentials, my perspective is quite different from the mainstream views.
Maria Valtorta was born in Caserta on March 14, 1897, and suffered from poor health throughout her life. Her condition worsened to the point that, from Good Friday of 1934, she was bedridden until her death.
In 1925, inspired by reading *The Story of a Soul* by Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873-1897), Valtorta offered herself to God for the salvation of souls. Seeking a meaningful path within the Catholic Church, she joined Catholic Action and the Third Order of Saint Francis. In 1943, she began her great endeavor: between January 1944 and April 1947, she wrote approximately 11,000 pages without any revisions, documenting the life of Jesus with astonishing detail. This work was first published in 1956 under the title *The Poem of the Man-God*, and since 1993, it has been known as *The Gospel as It Was Revealed to Me*. These ten volumes, translated into thirty languages, have since garnered significant scholarly attention.
Remarkably, as of 2012, it has been discovered that Valtorta’s descriptions align perfectly with advanced archaeological and historical research. Even her references to celestial bodies—the Moon, stars, and planets—are consistent with modern astronomical findings and match the timeline she presents in the narrative.
These findings have cast new light on the work’s history, especially considering that it was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books in 1959. That year, the Holy Office evaluated numerous visionary messages, including 295 others, and also banned devotion to Divine Mercy, which was promoted by the Polish nun Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), who was later canonized in 2000. On January 5, 1960, *L’Osservatore Romano* published the decree placing Valtorta’s work on the Index, accompanied by an unsigned article describing it as “a poorly fictionalized life of Jesus.” The article claimed that biblical scholars would find many historical and geographical errors, though no specific examples were cited. In fact, subsequent studies have proven the opposite, affirming the accuracy of her descriptions.
Valtorta’s work reconstructs the life of a mystic who offered herself as a victim to God for the salvation of souls. She presented the life of Jesus with vivid detail, recounting scenes with striking clarity—down to the phrases spoken, the colors, and even the scents—bringing immense spiritual benefit to her readers.
On the topic of Marian apparitions, I think we often misunderstand because we try to be overly clever. For example, in today’s Gospel (Mark 9:30-37), Jesus plainly tells his Apostles that he will be arrested, killed, and then rise from the dead, yet they did not grasp his meaning. Why not? Because they insisted on interpreting his words in symbolic or mystical ways. This serves as a reminder that, in matters of faith, belief often precedes understanding—faith leads reason, not the other way around.
As Peter Kreeft insightfully noted, this pattern has repeated throughout Christian history. There have always been three approaches: the “faith alone” fundamentalists, the “reason over faith” liberals, and the “both-and” defenders of orthodox Christianity. This threefold pattern can also be seen in the reception of Marian apparitions.
Fatima stands as a profound source of light and holiness, but it is much more than that. It is a monumental historical prophecy. Cardinal Caffara and, later, Pope Benedict XVI both recognized its unique significance—these were two brilliant minds and staunch defenders of the faith.
Fatima reveals the presence of both God and Satan in the history of salvation. This revelation continues through the messages of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje, and indeed, implicitly through all her messages. In the early days, she spoke explicitly about her secrets—aside from the third secret, which concerns a heavenly event, the others pertain to unfolding historical events. These are not esoteric speculations but real occurrences we can witness today.
Two key elements stand out. First, the world, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine, is driven by hatred and seems to be on the path to total destruction. This could happen in a matter of months. For the past two years, there have been threats of launching tactical nuclear bombs, and the longer this continues, the more likely it becomes.
Second, there is a growing dissolution of faith, as foreseen by Saint Paul VI. He recognized that the true crisis today is one of faith. Within the Church itself, an ideology is taking root that undermines Christianity—this ideology is modernism.
Paolo, lucky you. Read the books again and you will learn more. And do not worry too much about the criticisms of Ms Meisel and others. The book’s critics come and go. The book has prospered and is in the hands of over 20 million people bebause who know it is real. The critics are upset because the book has suceeded so well. It is for real.
And, unfortunately, so are vicious insults to the honor and dignity of the Mother of God real. Satan doesn’t care if we exit the faith stage left or stage right. If the phoniness of progressivisim doesn’t seduce souls, the phoniness of false piety can be used to seduce souls.
How much “theology” does it take to “analyze” such idiotic statements like “Gospa” saying “All religions are the same. It is only man who has made divisions between religions.” On the occasion when she “invited the Devil” to make a guest appearance with her, she explained that she did so to prove that the devil was real. On the many occasions when the “seers” have sold the privilege of attending their vision to touch the garments of their vision, for a hefty fee, Their vision throws fits that the visitors are getting her garments “dirty” and will have to get angels in heaven to dry clean them. Their vision has also proposed betting odds on soccer matches. In the early days the vision told them a story of the town drunk, who was given a bloody handkerchief by Jesus walking along the road, and told by Jesus to throw it in the river. Had he failed to do so, the world would have ended. Wow, we sure dodged a bullet on that one.
And the local bishops dodged the vengeance of Jesus when the vision revealed that Jesus is “losing His patience” with them, and if they don’t approve of the apparitions, he might have to come down and “beat them up.”
How much stupidity is necessary for “open minds?” And how many divorced couples among Medjhead fanaticism are necessary to begin to question “fruits.”
I would say that more than the messages—which the Cardinal Prefect clearly stated during the press conference should be understood and individually corrected by considering them as a whole—what is more theologically relevant is the fact that we must not confuse the current beginning of eschatological peace, which is possible even now, though amid many evils and sufferings, and which can be the subject of private revelations (as in the case of Fatima and also Medjugorje), with the future full and final peace, which is only the subject of public revelation.
Warning and judging humanity is not the role of a private revelation, which must be verified by Rome; it belongs solely to Christ, whose message obviously does not need to be supervised.
However, it is striking to see how Catholic media (not to mention secular media) seek to downplay, diminish, or obscure the Pope’s Note. But the recognition by Rome, that is, by the Church, with this Note, is total and full. It does not pronounce on the supernatural, but the recognition of the fruits is extraordinary because the presence of the Virgin Mary is continuous. Both laypeople and Catholics are strangely anesthetized. The world stands on the eve of a global conflagration, driven by the “Empire of Evil” (as Israeli President Herzog recently said) and by the theologians of Armageddon.
(This is by the way the main problem with Orthodox Christianity, at least within its hierarchies: being a support for the state, even to the point of suggesting a new apocalypse. On May 7, 2024, after Vladimir Putin’s inauguration ceremony, Patriarch Kirill said: “May God grant that the end of the century coincides with the end of your time in power. You have everything you need to carry out this great task in service to the homeland for a long time and with success.” (Michael Epstein, *A New Apocalypticism*, August 8, 2024, *La nuova Europa*). Here, the word “century” is not a temporal definition (since Putin cannot live another 76 years), but a translation of the Greek word “eon,” meaning our entire world. Moreover, this threat to destroy the world in the event of a Russian defeat was made explicitly by Kirill himself on January 19, 2023. “This desire to defeat Russia,” he said, “has taken on very dangerous forms. We pray to the Lord to enlighten these madmen (that is, the Westerners) and help them understand that any desire to destroy Russia will mean the end of the world.”).
This scenario should be clear to all, and we should be grateful to the Queen of Peace, who has come to save this world.
The recognition of the supernatural will come very soon, when the sign of the mountain appears. Through the great tribulation will come the time of peace.
I heard that, until the messages are finished, they cannot rule on the authenticity of Medjugorje. The fruits do seem to be positive, but it is the content of the messages that need to be analyzed theologically. So, no definitive ruling can happen for now.
Heidi, I believe that the messages have ceased. I say this because I recall reading a little blurb in a Catholic publication or website reporting that Our Lady had stated that this was her last message. It is also reported that she previously said that once her appearances/messages at Medjugorje ceased, that the chastisements would begin. This was in January of 2020.
As an aside, I had occasion to visit Saint James in Medjugorje while I was stationed in Bosnia. Two things struck me: 1. Why was a pastor inspired decades previous to raise such a sizeable church for such a small village, and 2., there was absolutely no battle damage in the village. The entire country was severely battle damaged. I would know. I was in Civil Affairs and I toured all over BiH. To have one village completely untouched is extraordinary to say the least.
The visions have not ceased for all of the seers. For some of them, yes. And under the Vatican’s new norms for discerning apparitions, there is never any official positive judgment passed on the supernatural origin of apparitions. The best you will get is a “nihil obstat”, i.e. nothing obstructs one from believing…and that was the judgment given yesterday regarding Medjugorje.
But common sense and decency and a respect for the Mother of God does.
I think that people have a deep experience of the faith that they bring with them.
Pay attention to the distinction they make between “pastoral” and “doctrinal”. This distinction is wrong, as if pastoral were a parallel path to doctrinal. True pastoral can never ignore doctrine.