Medjugorje - A True Confession

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socalcarmelite:
I think that people can easily get caught up in Apparitions and forget about God and His Holy Church. What I don’t understand is why Unity Publishing is writing articles with incorrect information about people associated with Medjugorje. I know some of these people, and trust me when I say they did NOT engage in such activities. 😦 It seems that those opposed to Medjugorje have lost all focus and so it makes them seem less credible.

Why can’t people who aren’t interested just leave it alone and those who are just live out the messages?! :confused:
Anyone promoting authenticity of the apparitions, or defaming, dissenting against, disobeying, or even simply having contempt of heart, or with words, against the local bishop, is already committing a sin. I was among those blaming the bishop for causing the chaos, when in fact, it was he who was working well within Church boundaries. The very first interview Bishop Zanic had with the “seers” they lied under oath, stating they were tending goats, when they were actually listening to rock & roll tapes and smoking. They were caught in their lie and this is in official interviews. This is not a light matter with regards to authenticity for one who claims to be seeing the Blessed Mother, especially while they “swear to God” before their Bishop that they will answer his questions truthfully. That was a big “Hello” for me.

As Bishop Peric entitled the one document, “The Truth Both Frees us and Binds us”. This is so true. But seeking truth is the hard part. Once you get there, it is binding. Many do not want to see truth because they are too close to the individuals involved or simply want to believe that the apparitions are real, at all costs, rejecting anything that comes their way as contradictory. This includes Vatican documents stating that we cannot trek to Medjugorje if we do so with a belief that they are authenticated. It is the same reason we cannot discuss them as authentic here on this site.

We cannot look only at the good fruits, and ignore the bad. We cannot look only at the positive things, without looking at the theological contradictions that have arisen and well documented at Unity and elsewhere. We simply cannot ignore the flagrant disobedience and lies that have occured and are documented when the “seers” contradict themselves in tapings and transcripts from one interview to the next. And, we cannot ignore that there are now well over 30,000 messages and counting. No other authenticated apparition such as Fatima or Lourdes has had anything more than a handful of messages over a short, finite amount of time.

Stick with me a moment here and lets just dissect it a little more, ok? What specific thing have you read that you don’t believe is true? All links I provided include official documents from the Local Ordinary. I’d like to look further into your concern.

Keep in mind there are a good many Franciscans living and working in Hercegovina who are loyal to the Church and are not dissenting. Their own order booted them. Dissenters don’t only come from the left, they can come from the right and even from the center.

Like I said, it is painful to reconcile with, I know. I lived with these people long term and I wonder if some of my closest friends (sisters) may have parted with the original order, which I believe is still in communion with the Church. I’m still investigating. Several new orders were initiated without the permission of the local bishop in Medjugorje and the surrounding area. This is another bad seed. It is a disobedient action on the part of some religious and priests. He discusses this in his documents as well and he is correct to raise it as a concern. Of course, this has no bearing on the “seers” themselves, it still shows that something there is sparking dissention, enough to draw the attention of the Vatican.

Lets talk specific points and I’m sorry if this offends you. Be assured, I was in denial for a month after learning a few things, then heartbroken as I had to reconcile with facts coming from official documents. Just bring up one in your next post and lets look more closely at it. I just don’t want anyone else to make the same error I did.
 
Lux_et_veritas said:
THIS CAN BE A TOUCHY SUBJECT. PLEASE BE CHARITABLE IN YOUR RESPONSES TO EACH OTHER OR I WILL REQUEST THE THREAD BE CLOSED! THANK YOU FOR COOPERATING.

Trust in the Holy Spirit without obedience and trust in the Local Ordinary is a serious conflict. Several of the Franciscan Priests I had come to know and love have gotten themselves in serious trouble, with some being defrocked. When one of our sisters suddenly disappeard overnight (after hearing she was prego), it was only recently I learned she was impregnated by one of those Franciscans. There are several other examples of infidelity. These are not good fruits. St. Francis must be beside himself at the thought of any Franciscan or Franciscan in formation (such as myself) who would not humble themselves before their Bishop, much less speak out against him on a matter in which he has jurisdiction.

After my confession, I contacted Bishop Peric by email with my apology - an email about as long as this post, and received a reply three days later - a very merciful and understanding acceptance. He said that Bishop Zanic had died in 2000, but would have rejoiced at my email.

Buried beneath the good fruits, are many rotten fruits and those running around badmouthing a Bishop need to seriously evaluate their position.

I
Mea Maxima Culpa!
 
I posted a reply with Dianae’s quote and it has disappeared. But can I say, Bless you Diane and I hope and pray you will post your wonderful testimonial to every single blog or website which tries to counteract the dreadful effects of this false apparition which is causing such division among Catholics worldwide and leading so many away from the true devotion to Our Lady.
 
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Frankie:
I posted a reply with Dianae’s quote and it has disappeared. But can I say, Bless you Diane and I hope and pray you will post your wonderful testimonial to every single blog or website which tries to counteract the dreadful effects of this false apparition which is causing such division among Catholics worldwide and leading so many away from the true devotion to Our Lady.
This was something Bishop Peric said that Bishop Zanic went to his grave pondering: How could so many acts of disobedience, deciept, lying, defamation, gossip and backstabbing all be done in the name of the Queen of Peace.

My mistake was in thinking the Bishop was responsible for the chaos when in fact, it was not. When the “seers” broke from what seemed like some reasonable statements and began to order the local Bishop into accepting not only the apparitions, but suggesting the priests who had been defrocked were good and the bishop was bad…well, let’s get real here. Our Lady would never do that and it is documented among their messages so there is no hiding from it.

Even Rene Laurentin is having a hard time choking that one down.
 
Thankyou so much for this thread!

It has been an answer to one of my prayers.

Josh
 
I feel it necessary to add that should the church ever declare that this is authentic, I may re-evaluate my position, but I will wait for HER to make that declaration on any such issues from now on.

Keep in mind that no declaration may be made until the “apparitions” stop. This means, I’ll probably be dead and buried by that time and there will be well over a million messages.

Hmmmm…

If it is a hoax or seed of the devil, hopefully, the Blessed Mother will somehow help completely expose it sooner. For me, she already has.

Bishop Zanic mentioned in one of his writings - likely in one of the links above that Our Lady gave him the biggest sign of all when she gave no sign at all after promises were made time and again, then broken.

The best prayer is not to pray that it be found authentic, but that the Light of Truth shine brightly enough for all to see, one way or the other. Truth, and nothing but Truth matters. Friends do not matter. Partiality to the site does not matter. Only Truth.

I stand by both Bishops now, solidly.
 
If I may ask a question;

Is it possible that the Church can accept these (the Medjugorje) apparations as being true, as from where I sit, they appear to contradict the message given by Sr. Faustina in the Divine Mercy observances, which were adopted by the Church as being true?

Or perhaps I am confusing the content of M with the Rosa Mystica apparations?

In the DM apparitions, Jesus is Himself the fount of Mercy; but in the M/RM stuff, it is Mary who is holding back the wrath of Jesus. As the Church has adopted the DM message, does that not preclude the adoption of the M/RM messages?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am new 😉

B

Caritas numquam excidit
 
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BJRumph:
If I may ask a question;

Is it possible that the Church can accept these (the Medjugorje) apparations as being true, as from where I sit, they appear to contradict the message given by Sr. Faustina in the Divine Mercy observances, which were adopted by the Church as being true?

Or perhaps I am confusing the content of M with the Rosa Mystica apparations?

In the DM apparitions, Jesus is Himself the fount of Mercy; but in the M/RM stuff, it is Mary who is holding back the wrath of Jesus. As the Church has adopted the DM message, does that not preclude the adoption of the M/RM messages?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am new 😉

B

Caritas numquam excidit
I’m not quite sure about that but the list of theological contradictions is available - at least some of them.

Here, once again from the Unity website out of Fatima - Dogma issues and Medjugorje

unitypublishing.com/Apparitions/BrianD.html

Another great set of information - this from Ecclesia Militans

geocities.com/militantis/medjugorje.html
 
Dear friends

I recently read a few articles from a newsletter produced by Medjugorje…one reads

‘In April 1991 this new commission declared:‘On the basis of the investigation so far it can not be affirmed one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations’ This is still the status of ecclesiastical evaluation. Responding to bishops on the matter, the Holy See simply repeats the aforementioned decision.’

In one other place it states that the children …‘did not solicit older or wise heads for advice on relating the messages. Everything was conducted naturally as a matter of course, without fear of the consequences for their words and actions. They did what they thought they had to do, in the manner of children’…and…‘A statement by one of the children at the time of the first apparition is significant ’ The only ones who do not believe us are the Priests and the people from the government’ Thus they bypassed authorities, those of the Church and those of the State, because their messages came from a higher authority’

I have quoted this from a magazine ‘Dear Children’ laid out in my Church last week for anyone to take who wants one.

The more I read of the entire magazine, I came to think that this is not a true apparition.

It quotes the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary as allegedly saying that they have done well in answering her call, this cannot be if they were disobedient to the Church authorities.

However the Vatican permits pilgrimages to Medjugorje as long as they are not regarded as authentication of events still taking place, which still call for an examination by the Church. Neither has the Church supressed discussion of Medjugorje. Holy See press office Dr Joaquin Navarro-Valls stated ’ You cannot say people cannot go there until it has been proved false. This has not been said, so anyone can go if they want - nothing has changed, nothing new has been said. The problem is if you systematically organise pilgrimages, organise them with the bishop and the Church, you are giving canonical sanction to the facts of Medjugorje. This is different from people going in a group who bring a Priest with them to go to confession.’

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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springbreeze:
Dear friends

The more I read of the entire magazine, I came to think that this is not a true apparition.

It quotes the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary as allegedly saying that they have done well in answering her call, this cannot be if they were disobedient to the Church authorities.

Teresa
Bingo! And disobedience to Church authorities is a very heavy piece of criteria because the devil cannot handle obedience. It is one of many tests any bishop or other authority will impose or use as a measure. Alleged “seers” may not realize that the very thing their bishop tells them to do or not do, may be a test at authenticating. Medjugorje fails miserably on the obedience test.

With regards to declaring it false - I’m not sure i understand if the Church must absolutely wait until the alleged apparitions come to an end because it has already been said that they will continue until the “seers” die. It would be many popes, and over a million messages later before we get an answer and alot of us will have died and gone on to meet our maker. Hopefully, those who showed contempt for the Local Ordinaries, even if only their hearts, will have repented before judgement day comes for them.

If the Church must wait until they all die, I fear for the many who will continue to fall for the trickery “out there”. There are Catholics who are promoting Medjugorje pilgrimages through websites out there and they are acting in disobedience themselves to Vatican officials in so doing. They lure unsuspecting or unknowing Catholics into their trap and some of these sites have even ridiculed the Local Ordinary outright publicly.

I urge anyone engaged in such sites to seriously ponder if the Blessed Mother would sanction or even promote such blatant disobedience towards the Local Bishop, and the Vatican, as has already been attribued to her by the “seers” themselves. If you are a member of such a website or forum, please consider leaving and explaining why you are leaving for their own good.

It might help to chew on this from the link that follows:

**
It can not be over stated that the obedience of a visionary to the local Bishop is more than a mark of authenticity: it is the most critical element for the actual credibility of the visionary himself! Christ told Saint Faustina that her message would be suppressed, for a time, within the Church! She accepted Christ’s will, and submitted her own will to the Church: even though the will of Faustina’s authority directly contradicted the expressed wish of Christ himself! Faustina’s obedience to her superior pleased Christ greatly! Still, her superior had in fact seemingly obstructed the explicit request of Christ himself through her. This devotion was first officially approved to be promulgated only within communist Poland by the Church. The Divine Mercy message itself, however was, restricted for universal promulgation throughout the Catholic Church: just as Christ predicted it would be, - and just as God intended. Poland then not only gave the Church a great Pope, who approved the universal promulgation of this devotion. Poland also was singularly responsible for the total destruction of atheistic political Communism throughout all Christian nations. Do not imagine that God did not know what he was doing through his Church! But his power only bore fruit because the Church as a whole was obedient to the seemingly errant judgment’s of Church officials. "Not by might, not by power - but my spirit - say’s the Lord."

unitypublishing.com/Apparitions/GreatApostasy.htm

If anyone wants proof that the “seers” stated the Blessed Mother spoke out against the Local Bishop just ask and I’ll extract examples from some of the many links I’ve already supplied and paste them here.

**
 
I don’t know if they’re genuine or not, or if they are genuine, who they’re really from- but you don’t have to believe in them to see the good that has come from it. Frankly, I’m not impressed by the messages- it’s stuff I already know, but I’m glad people have come back from there more passionate about their faith.

I listened to a CD of sacred music a few hours ago in my room, and afterwards was more passionate about my faith. I don’t think Mary will be appearing there anytime soon (at least if she does, I hope she does it when I’m awake, so I don’t wake up seeing another person in my room, and freak out).
 
Speaking purely for myself, for I have no way of knowing who else may feel the same way, I will state the following.

The entire Medjugorje story (emphasis on entire), for reasons I will not elaborate on because of the rules of the forums, has forced me to seriously reconsider and cast doubts on any and all Marian apparitions including Fatima and Lourdes.
 
Here is a link that I believe is that way we should look at, not only Medjugorje, but at all private revelations

saint-mike.org/apologetics/qa/Answers/Spiritual_Warfare/s0207090052.htm

It lists 10 things regarding Private revelations. Keeping in mind that all these revelations even those approved by the Church are NOT required for our salvation. They can be great aids but I can still be a good Catholic and not believe in Fatima or Lourdes. Not that I don’t because I love our Blessed Mother. Also keeping in mind that miracles in themselves do not prove whether an apparation is true or not
Code:
   I'll just cut and paste one thing that is very important and let you read the rest.
There is ONLY ONE bottom line to ALL apparitions and it is NOT how many blessings and miracles and good works come from it. It is the definitive judgment of the Church.
I read so often of “miracles” and it bothers me when people rush to a site when something like this happens: A stain that appears like the Virgin Mary on the side of a freeway overpass, the face of Jesus on a tortilla, the face of the Blessed Virgin on a window or on the bark of a tree, etc. etc. People rush to those sites and start placing candles all over the place and get upset because the Church doesnt immediately declare it a miracle.
 
Lux et veritas

AMEN. Thank you for your posting.

You might add the contempt of the “Gospa” for the primacy of the late Pope John Paul II. The “Gospa” told a suspended Franciscan priest , Vego, that he should continue to celebrate Mass and hear confessions, even though his faculties had been removed by the Franciscan General. Who personally approves every suspension from the priesthood? The Holy Father. Who has primacy in the Church, as infallibly declared at Vatican I in the 19th century ? Who has the final say when it comes to Church discipline? The Holy Father. Who said that Vego should defy papal Primacy? The “Gospa” at medjugorje.

If you want to be protestant, hold fast to the Gospa.
As for me, to whom should we go for the words of life? I’ll stick with Peter, thank you.
 
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Mijoy2:
Speaking purely for myself, for I have no way of knowing who else may feel the same way, I will state the following.

The entire Medjugorje story (emphasis on entire), for reasons I will not elaborate on because of the rules of the forums, has forced me to seriously reconsider and cast doubts on any and all Marian apparitions including Fatima and Lourdes.
Why? We know that our Heavenly Father sent angels as messengers in the days before Christ, so why would He now not send the Queen of angels to help guide His people toward His Son & His Church?

Do not doubt Fatima & Lourdes, the Church has approved them. Remember that our Blessed Mother always points us to her son Jesus, there’s no doubt about that.

As far as Medjugorje, I know of several people that have come back to the Church after visiting there back in the 80’s, but I must wait for the Church’s approval of the alleged apparitions before I could say more.
 
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Leeta:
Lux et veritas

AMEN. Thank you for your posting.

You might add the contempt of the “Gospa” for the primacy of the late Pope John Paul II. The “Gospa” told a suspended Franciscan priest , Vego, that he should continue to celebrate Mass and hear confessions, even though his faculties had been removed by the Franciscan General. Who personally approves every suspension from the priesthood? The Holy Father. Who has primacy in the Church, as infallibly declared at Vatican I in the 19th century ? Who has the final say when it comes to Church discipline? The Holy Father. Who said that Vego should defy papal Primacy? The “Gospa” at medjugorje.

If you want to be protestant, hold fast to the Gospa.
As for me, to whom should we go for the words of life? I’ll stick with Peter, thank you.
Excellent point and thanks for providing the details. I was looking for that again and was unable to find it. That was one of the most whackiest messages and totally undermines credibility, imho, aside from all the other blatant disobedience. Can you imagine Our Lady suggesting such a thing?
 
Diane,

I just wanted to let you know that I know that it is not easy to admit when you are wrong. I know that after my own conversion, that was one of the first changes in me too. I had to admit I was actually wrong about some things in my own life.

I used to believe in all apparitions. But over time I learned that the truely authentic ones all said the same things anyway (prayer and conversion). And that I didn’t need to travel to an alleged apparition site, when I could go to our local church and meet Jesus there in the Eucharist. That running after apparatitions was a distraction rather than fortifying my faith.

Perhaps God will use you to bring some balance and truth into the debate about Medjugorje. You are absolutely right about the role of obedience in discernment. And I have found your posts to be charitable.

Mary
 
The Medjugore Deception by E. Michael Jones has a lot of the sordid details. Mr. Jones would probably like to talk to you about your first hand experience. Last I knew he was in South Bend, Indiana.

Again, I thank you for being honest . It is difficult to admit one’s own error. And you are helping save others from leaving the Church which is the ultimate end of following unapproved apparitions. God bless you for your witness!
Poor Bishop Peric was attacked by local Medjugore supporters because he refused to consecrate a new church they had built without his permission. Fortunately, he was only hurt slightly.
But , did you know that anyone who physically attacks a bishop is automatically excommunicated according to Canon law?
 
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Mijoy2:
Speaking purely for myself, for I have no way of knowing who else may feel the same way, I will state the following.

The entire Medjugorje story (emphasis on entire), for reasons I will not elaborate on because of the rules of the forums, has forced me to seriously reconsider and cast doubts on any and all Marian apparitions including Fatima and Lourdes.
Look at Fatima and Lourdes, was there any disobedience ? (NO)------ look a Medjugorje, was /is there disobedience ? (YES)------- thats my marker and the reason I accept Fatima and Lourdes.

If any seer or so called prophet is disobedient to the Local Bishop, then I want nothing to do with it, nada,zilch,finito, and the very reason I wouldn’t go to Medjugorje last week with my best friend and His wife, and our local priest.

I’ve told them my position, but they still travel, I’m not going to stop them, that’s their problem.

You can goto Medjugorje like you can visit another parish, but that is the only reason, and the devil can transform himself into an angel of light, so who knows whats’ going on out there, is it demonic ? I’m starting to believe it is.
 
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Leeta:
Poor Bishop Peric was attacked by local Medjugore supporters because he refused to consecrate a new church they had built without his permission. Fortunately, he was only hurt slightly.
But , did you know that anyone who physically attacks a bishop is automatically excommunicated according to Canon law?
I had read something to that affect. In fact, in E. Michael Jones own words…
But don’t take my word for it. Take the word of the Bishop of Mostar, the man in charge of the diocese where Medjugorje is. I met with Bishop Peric twice this year. Bishop Peric knows that you don’t cross the Medjugorje crowd with impunity. In April of 1995, the bishop was attacked by a mob in his chancery; his pectoral cross was ripped from his person; he was beaten up by the mob and then forced into a car and driven to an illicit chapel run by the Medjugorje Franciscans and held hostage for 10 hours. It was only when the mayor of Mostar showed up with UN troups that the bishop was released.
And what does Bishop Peric have to say about Medjugorje? He says:“There are many disorders there. Thre are Franciscan priests there with no canonical mission; religous communities have been established without the permission of the diocesan bishop, ecclesiastical buildings have been erected without ecclesastical approval, parishes are encouraged to organize official pilgrimages, etc. Medjugorje, considered as a location of presumed apparitions, does not promote peace and unity but creates confusion and division, and not simply in its own diocese. I stated this in October 1994 at the Synod of Bishops and in the presence of the Holy Father, and I repeat it today with the same responsiblity” ( cited in Present, 25 January 1997).
Full article at this site:

culturewars.com/CultureWars/Archives/cw_jan98/med_letter.html

WOW! God Bless the French Bishops for this document on Medjugorgje:

christianorder.com/features/features_2002/features_may02_bonus.html
 
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