Is Medjugorje an approved apparition site?

Answer 1

Medjugorje has not been condemned and has not been approved. It is still in the discernment stage. Many conversions and graces have been given from Our Lady of Peace in Medjugorje and that is a very good sign of being authentic. (December 2007)

Pope John Paul said he believed and wanted to go to Medjugorje but was unable as it still doesn't have official church approval. Most approvals of apparition sites occur AFTER all their apparitions cease. We will have to wait until all visionaries there have all 10 secrets and see if there is time to decide its authenticity! == The Catholic Church officially distanced Itself from Medjugorje years ago. The original bishop initially gave credence to the seers but was quick to repeal his support. His successor judged likewise that the apparitions were not real.

It must be admitted that conversions have come from the intense pilgrimages and activities surrounding Medjugorje. The atmosphere there is overwhelming with religious fervor and is highly influenced by the charismatics. There are, however, reasons why Medjugorje is highly dubious.

Firstly, there have been tens of thousands of apparitions without any proper process. In all previous and approved apparitions the Virgin Mary has been quick to deliver a message, ask the seer to contact the local ordinary (bishop) and then perform a public miracle in order to verify that the message should be observed and respected by the Church. Here there is no core message from the Virgin, the local ordinary has rejected the seer and no public miracle of note has been performed.

The Virgin Mary described by the seers has uttered heresy, alleged commenting that all religions are equally valid and fully reciting the Rosary, a thing she has never done before as reported by previous verified seers: saying "pray for us sinners" is not required by Mary since she was conceived without sin, and hence is a denial of her Immaculate conception.

The holiness of the seer is also a thing to watch for. Usually seers, so impressed by their experience, enter religion or soon die or are afflicted with some sorrow or pain and they live out their lives in the pursuit of heroic virtue. The Medjugorje seers have become rich from their position, none have entered religion and none have gone on to live lives of heroic virtue. Probably most disturbing is that their original spiritual director, Father Vlasic, has been forced to retire to a monastery after many confirmed cases of sexual misconduct as well as charges of heresy and schism. He even has a child with a nun. In the liberal environment of the Post-Vatican II Church you really have to be fargone to be charged with heresy and schism.

In June, 2008, the Vatican announced it will finally send a commission to address the Medjugorje apparitions. The investigation could take years. In the meantime, the local ordinary continues to decry the visions and the seers and hence Catholics are not encouraged to go there. The local Bosnian clergy is in open rebellion to the bishop in this matter, threatening a schism. This is why it is has become expedient for the Vatican to finally act. In normal process, the local ordinary's judgment would be received by the Vatican as the final word.