Can I profess that I believe Medjugorje is not authentic?

[Lux_et_veritas]

Much has been said that one cannot visit Medjugorje on the basis that there are authentic apparitions going on there. However, is there anything that states that I should not side with a local ordinary who has stated his own reasonings as to why he feels it is not of divine supernatural origin?

I’m not suggesting that others have to take my position, but have been trying to get people to at least look at the other factors such as disobedience and outright, very public defamation of the local ordinary on the part of the “seers” as explained in the bishop’s own documentation. In some circles (not here), I’m being hammered by those who say I am just as wrong as those who support authentiticy in what they call my condemnation of Medjugorje.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

The local ordinary is the ordinary authority over apparitions alleged to occur within his diocese. Citing his negative opinion of an alleged apparition is a prudent measure, and supporting his authority over the issue is a very Catholic approach to this kind of matter. What is not a Catholic approach – indeed it smacks of the Protestant approach of private judgment – is for those who like a particular apparition to dismiss the local ordinary’s authority on the basis of their own opinion that the apparitions are authentic.