While allowing for “prudent adherence” to the messages, the Vatican has recently taken steps to tighten control over the alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), writes Mikael Corre in La Croix International (September 20). On September 19, the Holy See issued a decree that does not formally recognize the supernatural nature of the visions but permits devotion to these claims. The Medjugorje phenomenon began on June 24, 1981, when six children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. Three of them still report daily visits. Despite the lack of official recognition and dissension within the local church, the site has attracted worldwide devotion. This decision by the Vatican represents an attempt to find a middle ground in dealing with the Medjugorje phenomenon and with apparitions in general. The church’s approach reflects the delicate balance between recognizing genuine spiritual experiences and maintaining theological and ecclesiastical discipline. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, announced that future messages from the presumed visionaries would need to be reviewed by a papal delegate, Bishop Aldo Cavalli, before publication. These messages will be accompanied by a note stating that the faithful are free to believe or not.
Source: 206 Tours, https://www.206tours.com/cms/tour1/
A document titled, “The Queen of Peace: Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje,” has been published, acknowledging the positive spiritual experiences of millions of pilgrims (“abundant conversions,” increased sacramental practice, and numerous vocations associated with Medjugorje), while urging caution regarding certain aspects of the messages. The note criticizes messages with apocalyptic tendencies, contradictions, or those linked to the interests of the visionaries. The Dicastery emphasizes that while they consider the essential experiences at Medjugorje to be “profoundly Catholic,” this doesn’t imply a judgment on the moral lives of the visionaries or confirm the supernatural origin of the apparitions. Pope Francis approved pilgrimages to Medjugorje in May 2019, recognizing the positive spiritual fruits while maintaining caution about the alleged apparitions themselves. The recent Vatican document emphasizes that these positive experiences are primarily associated with pilgrimages to the site rather than encounters with the visionaries. The Vatican’s actions align with new norms adopted in May 2024 for evaluating supernatural phenomena. Procedures based on specific criteria provide the basis for a decision on a scale of six possible conclusions. Except in those rare cases when the pope himself would solemnly recognize an event as supernatural, the Roman Catholic Church does not make a final conclusion. The highest positive level (the one granted to Medjugorje) on the scale of discernment of supernatural phenomena is a decree of “nihil obstat” (literally: “nothing stands in the way”), the lowest one, “declaratio de non supernaturalitate” (not supernatural). Recent decisions have been issued on several other, less widely known apparitions.
(Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, “Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje”: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20240919_nota-esperienza-medjugorje_en.html)
