Medjugorje, Catholic Replies Q&A

[Denise]

Question. A friend of mine said that the recent Vatican statement on Medjugorje did not really discourage belief in the reported Marian apparitions there, but just told Catholics to wait for the official Vatican pronouncement by a commission set up in 2010. Wasn’t the statement stronger than that? — M.H.D., New York.

Answer. Yes, it was, although some accounts watered down the contents of the letter sent on October 21st by Apostolic Nuncio Carlo Viganò to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In his letter, Archbishop Viganò said that the Church’s official position on Medjugorje remains the 1991 declaration of 19 bishops of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, who said that “on the basis of the research that has been done, it is not possible to state that there were apparitions or supernatural revelations” in Medjugorje.
The nuncio said that “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.” Some accounts of the Vatican statement left out this rather important sentence.

The purpose of his letter, said Viganò, was to inform the American bishops that “one of the so-called visionaries of Medjugorje, Mr. Ivan Dragicevic, is scheduled to appear at certain parishes around the country, during which time he will make presentations regarding the phenomenon of Medjugorje. It is anticipated, moreover, that Mr. Dragicevic will be receiving ‘apparitions’ during these scheduled appearances. . . . In order, therefore, to avoid scandal and confusion, Archbishop [Gerhard] Müller [of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith] asks that the Bishops be informed of this matter as soon as possible.”

Following release of the letter, it was reported that Ivan Dragicevic had canceled some public appearances in the United States.

[MarieT]

sadly the medj deception is still circulating

one of our piety stall volunteers mentioned he had taken a pilgrimmage there <<shock horror>>

when i explained to hm that medj isnt a catholic approved phenomena, he was quite taken aback

another instance when i found medj booklets at church table front enterance, near the pickup of church bulletin and other pamphlets / news ...i gathered them all and knocked on sacristy door to see priest b4 mass.... to ask our priest if he knew of these ....he was taken aback and said parishioners sometimes leave reading material without his knowledge and directed me to throw them in the bin.......phew...i did

[Johnna]

At least your priest knew the truth of it. I don't think all do. Or if they do they are then disobedient. I haven't seen things about that apparition at my parish. I'd be just as upset as you if I did though.