Latest statement on Medjugorje

Msgr. Ratko Peric, Bishop of Mostar, Herzegovnia

This is still a few years old (2004), but I thought it worth linking to. Here is the most recent statement by the Bishop of Mostar (Msgr. Ratko Peric) regarding the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje. For those who, after 26 years, are still saying that full approval for the Medjugorje messages is right around the corner, this letter certainly puts that notion to rest. These messages will never be accepted as authentic. Bishop Peric points out in this statement how it took the Church 4 years to accept the messages of Lourdes and 13 years to accept Fatima. If the Vatican has not accepted Medjugorje after 26 years, it seems unlikely that they ever will, especially since there is so much disorder, schism and falsehood surrounding the so-called "seers." Here is an excerpt from Bishop Peric's statement on the schism, disobedience and even heresy that have come from Medjugorje:

There are at least 6 or 7 religious or quasi-religious communities, just initiating or already established, some of diocesan right, some not, which have arbitrarily been installed in Medjugorje without the permission of the local Diocesan authorities. These communities are more a sign of disobedience than a real charisma of obedience in this Church!

There exists a problem in this diocese of Mostar-Duvno which in recent years has practically precipitated into a schism. At least eight Franciscan priests, who have rebelled against the decision of the Holy See to transfer a certain number of parishes administered by the Franciscans to the diocesan priests, have been expelled from the Franciscan Order and suspended 'a divinis'. In spite of this, they have occupied at least five parishes through force, and continue to exercise sacred functions. They invalidly assist at marriages, hear confessions without canonical faculties and invalidly confer the sacrament of confirmation. Three years ago they even invited a deacon of the Old-Catholic Church who falsely presented himself as a bishop, to preside at a confirmation and he "confirmed" about 800 young people in three parishes.

Two of these expelled priests sought after episcopal consecration from Swiss bishop of the Old-Catholic Church, Hans Gerny, yet without any result. So many invalid sacraments, so much disobedience, violence, sacrilege, disorder,irregularities, and not a single "message" from tens of thousands of "apparitions" has been directed towards eliminating these scandals. A very strange thing indeed! The Church, from the local to supreme level, from the beginning to this very day, has clearly and constantly repeated: Non constat de supernaturalitate! [No evidence of supernatural activity] No to pilgrimages that would ascribe a supernatural nature to the apparitions, no shrine of the Madonna, no authentic messages nor revelations, no true visions! This is the state of things today. How will things be tomorrow? We'll leave them in God's hands and under Our Lady's protection!

I recommend you all read over this document in full. It summarizes the position of the Chuch (both the local bishops and the Vatican) on the phenomenon at Medjugorje and exposes many of the falsehoods surrounding the alleged apparitions and the seers. Here's one final excerpt from Bishop Peric on the real danger of Medjurgorje:

Regarding Medjugorje, there's a real danger that the Madonna and the Church could be privatized. People could start contriving a Madonna and a Church according to their own taste, perception and deception: by not submitting their reason as believers to the official Magisterium of the Church, but rather forcing the Church to follow and recognize their fantasy.

Naive believers could easily then leave the living fountains of grace in their own parishes to mosey on down to Medjugorje or follow the "seers" around the world, who by the way, thanks to the "apparitions" have good homes and a comfortableexistence - at least that's what the mass-media say.