Vatican gives green light for devotion at place where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared

In a detailed analysis after almost 15 years of investigation, the Vatican Office for the Doctrine of the Faith has neither declared that the reported apparitions in Medjugorje were authentic nor that they were of supernatural origin.

Concerns have also been raised about contradictions in some of the “messages” that the alleged visionaries claim to have received over the years.

But in accordance with the new Vatican criteria that came into force this year, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith decided that the “spiritual fruits” arising from the experience of Medjugorje more than justified allowing the faithful to organize pilgrimages there and to practice public acts of devotion.

The decision essentially dispels the original doubts of the region’s former diocesan bishops about the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje.

And it ignores current concerns about the economic interests that have made Medjugorje a thriving destination for religious tourists.

But with the approval of Pope Francis, the Magisterium concluded that “the abundant and widespread fruits, so beautiful and positive,” justified its decision.

This shows, it is said, “that the Holy Spirit works fruitfully for the good of believers in the midst of this spiritual phenomenon.”

In 1981, six children and young people reported having had visions of the Madonna on a hill in the village of Medjugorje in the wine region of southern Bosnia.

Some of the original “seers” have claimed that the visions have occurred regularly since then, even daily, and that Mary is sending them messages.

As a result, Medjugorje became a major European pilgrimage destination for Christian believers, attracting millions of people over the years.

Last year alone, 1.7 million hosts were distributed there during Masses, according to statistics on the shrine’s website, which provide a rough estimate of the number of Catholics present there.

However, unlike the better-known and more established Catholic shrines in Fatima, Portugal, or Lourdes, France, the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje were never declared authentic by the Vatican.

And over the years, the region’s diocesan bishops and some Vatican officials expressed doubts about the reliability and motives of the “seers,” fearing that their reports of repeated visions might be based on economic interests.

Even Francis expressed doubts about her messages in 2017, saying: “I prefer that Our Lady be a mother, our mother, and not a telegraph operator who sends a message every day at a certain time,” he said at a press conference broadcast by plane.

Religious tourism has become an important part of the local economy, and there is an entire industry specializing in pilgrims: hotels, private accommodation, family farms, and even sports facilities and campsites.

Their growth has contributed to the financial well-being of surrounding communities after the Bosnian War devastated the economy in the 1990s.

In its assessment, the Vatican’s Doctrine Office recalled that in May of this year it announced that it was no longer entrusted with authenticating alleged apparitions and other allegedly supernatural phenomena that have fascinated Catholics for centuries, such as statues that supposedly cry blood or stigmata that spontaneously erupt on the hands and feet.

The new criteria provide for six main outcomes. The most favorable outcome is that the Church gives a non-binding green light on the doctrine of the faith, a so-called “nihil obstat.” This means that there is nothing about the event that contradicts the faith and therefore Catholics can express their devotion to it.

With the approval of Francis, the Vatican granted Medjugorje this “Nihil obstat” on Thursday.

In its analysis, the Vatican lists the numerous spiritual benefits associated with pilgrimages to this site, including people’s decision to become priests or nuns, the reconciliation of couples after marital problems, healings after prayers, and new charitable works in caring for orphans and drug addicts.

It did not provide any examples of negative experiences related to Medjugorje, nor did it mention the concerns of previous diocesan bishops of Mostar who had declared the apparitions to be false.

Nor was it mentioned that the priest most closely associated with Medjugorje and the six “visionaries” was dismissed from the priesthood by the Vatican in 2009 because, among other things, he had spread false teachings.

The Vatican seemed to want to distance the site from the people behind the alleged apparitions, stressing that these benefits did not occur as a result of meetings with the alleged seers, but rather “as part of pilgrimages to the places associated with the original events.”

And the 17-page document spent nearly four pages listing concerns about some of the thousands of individual messages the alleged visionaries had received, including cases where the message contradicted aspects of Catholic teaching.

The decision will undoubtedly have an impact on Medjugorje, which is located in the municipality of Citluk, one of the smallest municipalities in Bosnia with about 18,000 inhabitants, but which is economically well off.

The community has stated that tourism is the key to its development, thanks in large part to Medjugorje, which hosts various festivals and gatherings each year, organized by Christian humanitarian organizations that use the site as a center of attraction.

City officials say 2024 could be a record year because Christian pilgrims tend to avoid Israel because of the war and choose Medjugorje instead.

“Medjugorje means a lot, all economic sectors rely on Medjugorje,” said Ante Kozina, head of the tourism association. “It is an engine of growth for the entire community.”