| Međugorje | |
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  Međugorje
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| Coordinates: 43°11′41″N 17°40′48″E / 43.19472°N 17.68°E | |
| Country |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Entity | Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Canton | Herzegovina-Neretva |
| Municipality | Čitluk |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Međugorje (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈmɛdʑuɡɔːrjɛ]) is a town located in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Herzegovina region around 25 km southwest of Mostar and close to the border of Croatia. Today the town is best known due to reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary which appeared to six Croats since 24 June 1981[1], and is now visited by thousands of pilgrims from around the entire world as an important Marian shrine.
The name Međugorje literally means an area "between mountains". At an altitude of 200 metres above sea level, it has a mild Mediterranean climate. The town consists of an ethnically-homogeneous Croat population of over 4000, and the Roman Catholic Parish (local administrative and religious area) consists of five neighbouring villages (Međugorje, Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci).
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Our Lady of Međugorje
"Our Lady of Međugorje" is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she is appearing since June 24, 1981 to six Herzegovinian Croat children in Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the time in Yugoslavia).[2]
Međugorje has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites for Catholics (and people of other faiths) in the world, with thousands visiting each year. It has been estimated that 30 million pilgrims have come to Međugorje since the apparitions began in 1981. Many have reported phenomena including the sun spinning in the sky or changing colors, and figures such as hearts and crosses around the sun. Several healings have been medically documented, such as the miraculous healing of Rita Klaus from multiple sclerosis.[3]
The messages of Our Lady of Međugorje have a very strong following among Catholics worldwide. The Holy See has never officially either approved or disapproved of the messages of Međugorje [4], although both critical and supportive documents about the messages have been published by various Catholic figures.
The Roman Catholic Church has declared that it cannot be affirmed that the reported apparitions are supernatural in character. In a letter by Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on March 23, 1996, it was reaffirming that official "pilgrimages to Medjugorje, understood as a place of authentic Marian apparitions, are not permitted to be organized either on the parish or on the diocesan level, because that would be in contradiction to what the Bishops of former Yugoslavia affirmed in their fore mentioned Declaration." However, individual Catholics are allowed to travel to Međugorje and are entitled to spiritual care there.[5]
On June 4, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI had blessed publicly a statue of Our Lady of Međugorje in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City.[6]
On September 29, 2009, the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, Ratko Perić, stated in a homily: "Brothers and sisters, let us not act as if these 'apparitions' were recognized and worthy of faith. If, as Catholics, devoted sons and daughters of the Church, we want to live according to the norms and the teaching of the Church, glorifying the Holy Trinity, venerating Blessed Mary ... and professing all the Church has established in the creed, we do not turn to certain alternative 'apparitions' or 'messages' to which the Church has not attributed any supernatural character".
See also
- Marian apparitions
- Visions of Jesus and Mary
- Roman Catholic Marian churches
- Shrines to the Virgin Mary
References
- ^ Medjugorje.org – Overview of Medjugorje
- ^ A short history of Our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje
- ^ http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje/signs-and-miracles/540-testimonies-of-physical-healings.html
- ^ Medjugorje Messages
- ^ Declaration of the Ex-Yugoslavia Bishops' Conference on Medjugorje
- ^ Le apparizioni di Medjugorje e la Santa Sede: la Gospa nel Vaticano
External links
- Parish of Medjugorje (English)
- Medjugorje.com (English)
- Messages of Our Lady of Međugorje (English)
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