Of Men and Mary Page 20
In many of Mary’s messages, she encourages us to live in joy. On June 6, 1986, she said:
Dear children, these days the Lord is allowing me to intercede for more graces for you. Thus I urge you once more to pray, dear children. Pray without ceasing. That way I can give you the joy which the Lord has given me. With these graces, dear children, your sufferings can be turned to joy. I am your mother and I want to help you.9
Since the apparitions began, the visionaries, who humbly say that they are not important and no more holy than you or me, spend as many as six hours or more daily in prayer and fast on bread and water up to three times a week. Following their initial fright, the six young visionaries quickly lost their fear of the Virgin Mary. They say her love for them and all of humanity cannot be expressed in words, and that to be in her presence is like being in heaven. They speak of her as “beautiful beyond anything in this world.”10 In the early days of the apparitions, they once asked her, “Why are you so beautiful?” and she responded, “I am beautiful because I love. You, too, are beautiful when you love.”11
Tens of millions of pilgrims from all over the world have been to Medjugorje, including hundreds of bishops, dozens of archbishops, a handful of cardinals, and many thousands of priests who have publicly visited Medjugorje.12 This does not include all of the clerics who have chosen to go privately for their own personal pilgrimage.13 Each day, villagers and pilgrims pray for hours in the local church, while others wait in the long lines for Confession. All day, and often into the night, pilgrims climb Apparition Hill, where Mary first appeared to the children, lending their prayers to the sacred atmosphere. Nearby, pilgrims also climb Cross Mountain, upon which the villagers erected by hand a fifteen-ton, thirty-six-foot-high cross in 1933 to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the crucifixion. Mary told the children that she chose to appear in Medjugorje because of the strong faith she found in the village, and she continues to call people from across the globe to make a pilgrimage there to encounter her Son in a special way. Those who heed her call with an open spirit find themselves in a place of extraordinary peace, where rosaries turn gold, the sun dances and spins in the sky, and miracles, conversions, and healings abound—most importantly, the healing of the human heart.
Notes
1. Story compiled from Janice Connell’s The Visions of the Children (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1997), 10; Medjugorje Magazine, May 2002 Special issue, 14; and a videotape of Mirjana telling her story to pilgrims in December 2001, provided by Fiat Voluntas Tua.
2. www.medjugorje.org/msg09.htm.
3. Richard Beyer, Medjugorje Day by Day (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1993), 6.
4. www.medjugorje.org/msg09.htm.
5. Mary’s message of August 25, 1991. Sister Emmanuel, Medjugorje, the ’90s (Santa Barbara, CA: Queenship Publishing Co., 1997), 69.
6. Janice Connell, The Visions of the Children (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1997), 178.
7. Beyer, Medjugorje Day by Day, July 14 meditation.
8. Wayne Weible, Medjugorje the Message (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 1989), 44.
9. Beyer, Medjugorje Day by Day, July 27 meditation.
10. Ibid., 5.
11. Mirjana’s story as told by her, captured on videotape to pilgrims in December 2001, provided by Fiat Voluntas Tua.
12. Miravalle and Weible, Are the Medjugorje Apparitions Authentic? back cover.
13. Denis Nolan, Medjugorje and the Church, 4th edition (Goleta, CA: Queenship Publishing, 2007), 36-45.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S STANCE
ON MEDJUGORJE
For many years, the official stance on Medjugorje by the Church came from statements made by the 1993 committee of Bishops in Zadar, Yugoslavia, organized by St. Pope John Paul II: "We bishops, after a three-year-long commission study, accept Medjugorje as a holy place, as a shrine. This means that we have nothing against it if someone venerates the Mother of God in a manner also in agreement with the teaching and belief of the Church. . . Therefore, we are leaving that to further study. The Church does not hurry."1 In 1991, the same conference, had assigned one of these three official categories to the alleged apparitions: 1) constat de supernaturalitate (the apparition is established as supernatural), 2) constat de non supernaturalitate (the apparition is clearly not miraculous or lacks sufficient signs of the miraculous); or 3) non constat de supernaturalitate (It may not be evident whether or not the alleged apparition is authentic). The commission chose this third, in between category, neither condemning Medjugorje, nor giving final approval, since the Church almost never pronounces an apparition as authentic while it is continuing to occur.
Ignoring the official stance of the Church, the Bishop of Mostar (the diocese to which the parish belonged), Bishop Zanic, made his personal and hostile opinions of Medjugorje known, as did his successor, Bishop Ratko Peric, causing much confusion. The negative stance adopted by both Ordinaries was rendered moot when the Holy See, during the pontificate of John Paul II, consequently removed evaluation of the phenomenon from their jurisdiction: an unprecedented action the Church.
During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, there was another unprecedented move when the Vatican adopted direct jurisdiction over Medjugorje. A commission was appointed to assess the apparitions under Cardinal Ruini. Remarkably, the Ruini Commission, which met from March 2010 to January 2014, concluded in 2017, by near-unanimous agreement, that the first seven apparitions were authentic. This was an exceptional breakthrough in terms of official recognition of an apparition. Although Pope Francis has yet to officially release the Ruini report, the Pontiff, himself, confirmed in an interview that the Commission had reached this conclusion. In point of fact, the Pope had actually stopped attempts by the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Müller, to block this judgment. The pope also asked that the Ruini report be sent to him for a review and determination, as opposed to Müller, who was originally set to receive it.
On February 11, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as his papal envoy to coordinate all matters relating to Medjugorje. In December of 2017, Archbishop Hoser shared the breaking news that the Vatican now permits official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem,” he said.2 At a recorded Medjugorje press conference on April 5, 2017, the archbishop reconfirmed this fact.3 Müller’s 2013 CDF statement that Catholics should not participate in any meetings in which the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions were taken for granted is now null and void. In Archbishop Hoser’s own words: “My mission was not to close Medjugorje, but to evaluate whether the pastoral ministry was proper, consistent with the doctrine and teaching of the Church, effective and well organized. I conclude that this is the case. On the pastoral side my assessment is very positive. Thus, the ongoing pastoral activities, liturgical order and conferences should continue.”4
At the conclusion of the press conference, in which he urged everyone to bring the light of Medjugorje “to the world that is sinking into darkness. . . ,” he stated, “You, my dear friends, should be the carriers of the joyful news. Say to the whole world that in Medjugorje we can find the light again!”5
It can safely be said that Medjugorje now has received as much official recognition as it can receive, given that the phenomenon is still going on. It is well known that two of the most illustrious saints of recent times, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Pope John Paul II, were ardent devotees of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje. Thanks to them and millions of the faithful, Medjugorje’s message of repentance, reconciliation, peace, and penance has spread across the globe.
St. Pope John Paul II, when addressing American bishops at the Philadelphia Eucharistic Congress five years before Our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje began, stated:
We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. . . We are now facing the final confrontation
between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore in God’s plan and a trial which the Church must take up!
Given that St. John Paul II understood that these days were those of the final confrontation, when he learned of Our Lady’s coming to Medjugorje and her words, “I have descended among you,” he knew her presence with us had now changed everything. To Monsignor Murilo Sebastiao Ramos Krieger, Archbishop of Florianopolis in Brazil, he stated, “Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!” He told friends, including Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek, who made the words public, that if he weren’t Pope, he’d be living in Medjugorje as a priest, helping to hear confessions. In the Pope’s own hand, he wrote to friends in Poland:
I thank Sophia for everything concerning Medjugorje. I too go there every day as a pilgrim in my prayers. I unite in my prayers with all those who pray there or receive a call for prayer from there. Today we have understood this call better. I rejoice that our time is not lacking people of prayer and apostles.
St. Pope John Paul II fully believed and told us in his will that "Victory when it comes, will be a victory through Maria!"
Dear children, my real living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety!
—Medjugorje message from Our Lady on July 2, 2016
Denis Nolan
MaryTV.tv
Author of Medjugorje and the Church
* * *
1 (Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993).
2 Jesús Colina, “Official pilgrimages to Medjugorje are being authorized, confirms Pope Francis’ envoy,” Aletia, December 7, 2017, accessed July 14, 2018, https://aleteia.org/2017/12/07/official-pilgrimages-to-medjugorje-are-being-authorized-confirms-pope-francis-envoy/.
3 Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference, April 5th, 2017, streamed live through MaryTV.tv and available for viewing at http://marytv.tv/daily-rosary-3-3/. MaryTV.tv is a Medjugorje Internet TV channel that broadcasts 24/7 to help people stay connected to important ongoing events. Free apps are available for smart phones and Apple TV. Transcription of the press conference in Polish: “Konferencija za medije posebnog izaslanika mons. Henryka Hosera,” Medjugorje: Mjesto Molitve I Pomirenja, April 4, 2017, accessed July 14, 2018, http://medjugorje.hr/hr/novosti/obavijesti/konferencija-za-medije-posebnog-izaslanika-mons.-henryka-hosera,8795.html.
4 “Breaking News—Historic Moment in Catholic Church History…Vatican Special Envoy to Medjugorje: ‘Everything indicates that the apparitions will be recognized, perhaps even this year.’” Published at Deon.pl (Catholic News Site in Poland—8.18.2017), August 18, 2017, accessed July 14, 2018, https://mysticpost.com/2017/08/breaking-news-historic-moment-catholic-church-history-making-vatican-special-envoy-medjugorje-everything-indicates-apparitions-will-recognized-perhaps-even-year/.
5 Ibid., Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference
THE MEDJUGORJE TESTAMENT OF
FR. RENÉ LAURENTIN (1917-2017)
Fr. René Laurentin, one of the world’s leading experts in Mariology, was among the many important figures in the Church who grasped the urgency and supreme importance of Mary’s presence in Medjugorje at this time in the world’s history. Trained in classical theology, he was not inclined toward apparitions: “I did not search them out, they came and looked for me.” His success in the research and extensive writings on apparitions asked of him, he became, in spite of himself, a specialist in the subject. As a prolific author, a renowned professor, a consummate researcher and scholar, and recipient of numerous awards in the Church, his knowledge is profound and his words are a poignant reminder of the need for our world to wake up to the grace that is being given to us now, and not to waste it in hostility, indifference, doubt or delay:
TESTAMENT
This being my time of testament, I present here not my last will, for I have no other will but God’s and the Church’s. This will is not always easy to clarify, but much hope is placed on the Lord. . .
Do not close your eyes to the flow of grace, which is without equal in the Church today, at least as pertains to the conversions, and the confessions, and the healings for which many give thanks to God. . .
You who tolerate and support so many institutions where prayer is disappearing, where faith and sometimes morals are disintegrating, where vocations are few or are lost, do not fight against this unequalled source of conversions and vocations. . .
You who, according to the doctrines of the Church and of the Bible, are respectful of life in all its forms, and discourage abortions, do not perpetrate abortion of this great grace. . .
Do not dissuade the pilgrimages which have borne so many conversions and spiritual discoveries for the service of the Church. Do not uproot this garden of graces which has played such a providential role in the present conflict in the Church and against the invasion of sects. . .
Do not perpetuate the obstinacy of the scribes and Pharisees about which the Gospel of the man born blind gives such a clear lesson. . .1
* * *
1 Fr. René Laurentin, Medjugorje Testament: Hostility Abounds, Grace Superabounds (The Latest News #17) (Toronto, Ontario: Ave Maria Press, 1998), 175-176.
MESSAGES AND PILGRIMAGES
If you would like to read the messages that Mary is giving the world through Medjugorje on the 2nd and 25th of each month, go to www.medjugorjemiracles.com. The messages are also posted on the Queen of Peace Media Facebook page: www.facebook.com/QueenofPeaceMedia.
Click “Like” to receive them.
For information on pilgrimages to Medjugorje, hosted by the visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo, contact:
Trinity Pilgrimages
Jim Benzow, Managing Director
8742 E. Via Taz Norte
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
(480) 443-3912
(602) 319-5289
trinitypilgrimage@cox.net
www.trinitypilgrimage.com
OTHER BOOKS
BY THE AUTHOR
Available in Print, E-book & Audio Book formats
through Queen of Peace Media.
Go to www.queenofpeacemedia.com/catholic-bookstore
MARY’S MANTLE CONSECRATION
A SPIRITUAL RETREAT FOR HEAVEN’S HELP
Endorsed by
Bishop Myron J. Cotta
(See www.queenofpeacemedia.com/marys-mantle for the book trailer and to order)
“I wholeheartedly recommend this consecration to Mary for any intention, no matter how desperate.”
—Fr. Samuel West
Pastor, Sonora, Ca
“There are moments in daily life and in the Church when we feel challenged, don’t know where to turn, and are searching for answers. Now more than ever we need a miracle. Christine Watkins leads us through a beautiful 46-day preparation for Marian consecration that focuses on daily praying of the Rosary, a little fasting, and meditating on various virtues and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, leading to a transformation in our lives and in the people on the journey with us.”
—Fr. Sean O. Sheridan, TOR
President and Professor of Theology,
Franciscan University of Steubenville
A BEST SELLER!
FULL OF GRACE
MIRACULOUS STORIES OF HEALING AND CONVERSION THROUGH MARY’S INTERCESSION
“Christine Watkins’s beautiful and touching collection of conversion stories are direct, honest, heart-rending, and miraculous.”
—Wayne Weible
Author of Medjugorje: The Message
(See www.queenofpeacemedia.com/full-of-grace
for the book trailer and to order)
In Christine Watkins tells her dramatic story of miraculous healing and conversion to Catholicism, along with the stories of five others, including a homeless drug addict, a stripper, and a modern-da
y hero.
Following each story is a message that Mary has given to the world. And for those eager to probe the deeper, reflective waters of discipleship - either alone or within a prayer group - a Scripture passage, prayerful reflection questions, and a spiritual exercise at the end of each chapter offer an opportunity to enliven our faith.
TRANSFIGURED
PATRICIA SANDOVAL’S ESCAPE
FROM DRUGS, HOMELESSNESS, AND THE
BACK DOORS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Endorsed by
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone & Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ
Also available in Spanish! TRANSFIGURADA
(See www.queenofpeacemedia.com/transfigured
for the book trailer, the companion DVD, and to order)
“Are you ready to read one of the most powerful conversion stories ever written? Seriously, are you? It’s a bold and shocking claim, I admit. But the story you are about to have the pleasure of reading is so intense and brutally candid that I wouldn’t be surprised if it brings you to tears multiple times and opens the door to an experience of mercy and healing. This story is made for the big screen, and I pray it makes it there someday. It’s that incredible. . . What you are about to read is as raw, real, and riveting as a story can get. I couldn’t put this book down!”
—Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC
Author of No Turning Back
THE WARNING
TESTIMONIES AND PROPHECIES OF
THE ILLUMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Includes the riveting story of Marino Restrepo,
hailed as the St. Paul of our century
(See www.queenofpeacemedia.com/the-warning
for the book trailer and to order)
Authentic accounts of saints and mystics of the Church who have spoken of a day when we will all see our souls in the light of truth, and fascinating stories of those who have already experienced it for themselves.