Medjugorje - What does the Church Say?

(Taken from "Medjugorje - What does the Church Say" - by Sr. Emmanuel and Denis Nolan - 1998)

Pg. 7

August 21, 1996 Vatican City - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, spokesman "You cannot say people cannot go there (Medjugorje) until it has been proven false. This has not been said, so anyone can go if they want"

When Catholic faithful go anywhere, they are entitled to spiritual care, so the church does not forbid priests to accompany lay-organized trips to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Navarro-Valls insisted 'nothing has changed' regarding the Vatican's position on Medj…

'Has the church or the Vatican said no (to Catholics visiting Medj)?

No!' (CNS News Release, Aug. 21, 1996 )"

Ibid. Pg. 20

" 'Medj. represents the event of the century!', Cardinal Colasuono, Apostolic Nuncio, Italy

Ibid. pg. 28

" 'When it is a question of prophetic revelations, the Pope is the sole judge!' Pope Leo X , 5th Lateran Council "

Cardinals, Bishops, etc.

Ibid. - pg. 4

In September, 1991 Cardinal Ratzinger declared that "no definitive position had been taken by the church as yet. We are open. The commission proceeds with its work. One must continue to wait and pray"

Ibid. pg. 3

"According to the number of consecrated hosts distributed each day, Medj. is one of the foremost places of pilgrimage in the world. By 1991 Medj. had received more than 18 million pilgrims. Parish records state that over 50,000 priests, including more than a hundred bishops, have visited the place, many with the Pope's encouragement."

Pope's comments on Medjugorje

Ibid. - pg. 24

"In his address at the 1994 National Conference at Notre Dame Bishop Hnilica

quoted the Holy Father's words to a group of Americans on their way to Medj.:

Our Lady of Medjugorje will save America!' "

Ibid. pg. 26

"And among the great figures in the Church the Holy Father has many times expressed his faith in Medj. Cardinal Tomasek has made public the Holy Father's remarks in his presence,’ If he were not Pope he would like to go to Medj. to help at the work with the pilgrims.' The Holy Father has invited numerous priests and bishops to go there. He has received several of the Medj. visionaries, among them Mirjana Dragicevic. Upon her first visit to Rome he spoke for 20 minutes with her in private. The visionary states that she will reveal nothing about this conversation for the time being, apart from these words of the Holy Father:' If I were not the Pope, I would be in Medj. already.' Here are some of the things the Holy Father has said, easily verifiable from the Pope himself or the witness cited:

"To Bishop Hnilica on August 1, 1989:'Today the world has lost the supernatural. Many people sought it and found it in Medjugorje. through prayer, fasting and through confession,' and in March, 1984,'Medj. is the fulfillment and continuation of Fatima."

Ibid. pg. 7

"On May 14, 1989, Bishop Sylvester Treinen ( USA ) testified before 7,000 people at the University of Notre Dame that during his 'ad lumina' visit earlier that year he had spoken privately with the Holy Father. He told him, ‘ I’ve just come from Medj., there are wonderful things going on there!' The Pope replied, ‘Yes, it is good for pilgrims to go to Medj. and do penance. It is good!' "

Ibid. pg. 8

" 'The Pope spoke very favorably about the happenings at Medj….To say nothing is happening there is to deny the living, prayerful witness of hundreds of thousands who have gone there.' Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer"

Ibid. Pg. 21

" 'Medj. is a great center of spirituality!' " Pope John Paul II   2/24/90

Ibid. pg. 27

" 'Tell Medjugorje I am with you. Protect Medjugorje!' Pope John Paul II to Fr. Jozo. ( June 17, 1992 ).

In response to a question asked by the Archbishop of Asuncion, La Paz, Bolivia - February 1995 (the Pope said), "Authorize Everything that regards Medjugorje"