Pope finally launches crackdown on world's largest illicit Catholic shrine [Medjugorje] and suspends 'dubious' priest

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The Pope has begun a crackdown on the world’s largest illicit Catholic shrine – by suspending the priest at the centre of claims that the Virgin Mary has appeared more than 40,000 times.

Benedict XVI has authorised ‘severe cautionary and disciplinary measures’ against Father Tomislav Vlasic, the former ‘spiritual director’ to six children who said Our Lady was appearing to them at Medjugorje in Bosnia.

Full article:

dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1052230/Pope-finally-launches-crackdown-worlds-largest-illicit-Catholic-shrine-suspends-dubious-priest.html
 
It appears the headline of this article is a bit off the mark when it claims the Pope is cracking down on Medjugorie as a shrine. The Article only talks about the suspension of the preist. I would also be very interested in reading the statement by then Cardinal Ratzinger about prohibiting any pilgrimages to this “Illicit” shrine.

Hmmm! very interesting!
 
Great! Another scandal. Yes, the title was a misleading. On the bright side, it shows that our Holy Father is willing use a firm hand when needed. As much as I shake my head at this evil priest, I am mighty proud of Papa.

On a side note, by their fruits, we now now them. That should go on the tombstone of the Medjugorje apparitions.
 
yes, it sounds like people were living rather well. i guess it is good that they have been watching this for so many years.

if there is something unscrupulous happening, we shouldn’t let it continue.

i just wonder why it has taken so long. this is something i don’t know too much about.
 
prodigal-sun said:
It appears the headline of this article is a bit off the mark when it claims the Pope is cracking down on Medjugorie as a shrine. The Article only talks about the suspension of the preist. I would also be very interested in reading the statement by then Cardinal Ratzinger about prohibiting any pilgrimages to this “Illicit” shrine.
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It’s my understanding that the Vatican usually relies on the local bishop to make the call regarding authenticity and “crack down” if needed, and that four successive bishops of Medjugorie have condemned what is going on there.

The problem is that most people are not aware of this (or don’t care), plus they are spurred on by an entrenched pilgrimage industry that out of $elf-interest promotes Medjugorie.

From the article:

Earlier this year, Italian Bishop Andrea Gemma denounced the Medjugorje claims as the ‘work of the Demon’ and predicted that ‘soon the Vatican will intervene with something explosive to unmask once and for all who is behind this deceit’.

The phenomenon began on 25 June 1981 when six children – Mirjana Dragićević, Marija Pavlović, Vicka Ivanković, Ivan Dragićević, Ivanka Ivanković and Jakov Colo – told a priest they had seen the Virgin on a hillside near their town.

Three Church commissions failed to find evidence to support their claims and the bishops of the former Yugoslavia finally declared that ‘it cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations’.

In 1985 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict – banned pilgrimages to the site, but this has been widely ignored.
 
if it was banned in 1985, why has it taken until 2008 for another statement to be published.

did they take action against the priest?

and those that had the visions? it sounds like they were living well.

the pilgrimmages by the faithful probably did help the economy of the area.

they definitely don’t want to encourage something like this.
 
Lepanto said:
It’s my understanding that the Vatican usually relies on the local bishop to make the call regarding authenticity and “crack down” if needed, and that four successive bishops of Medjugorie have condemned what is going on there.

The problem is that most people are not aware of this (or don’t care), plus they are spurred on by an entrenched pilgrimage industry that out of $elf-interest promotes Medjugorie.

From the article:

Earlier this year, Italian Bishop Andrea Gemma denounced the Medjugorje claims as the ‘work of the Demon’ and predicted that ‘soon the Vatican will intervene with something explosive to unmask once and for all who is behind this deceit’.

The phenomenon began on 25 June 1981 when six children – Mirjana Dragićević, Marija Pavlović, Vicka Ivanković, Ivan Dragićević, Ivanka Ivanković and Jakov Colo – told a priest they had seen the Virgin on a hillside near their town.

Three Church commissions failed to find evidence to support their claims and the bishops of the former Yugoslavia finally declared that ‘it cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations’.

In 1985 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict – banned pilgrimages to the site, but this has been widely ignored.
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Yes I read this claim in the article but I have not found any sources for this claim, can you please provide a statement. I ask this because there are a lot different views and claims out there from both camps. It is my understanding that the Vatican took the dicernment of Medjugorje out of the hands of the Bishop of Mostar, and placed it in the hands of a commission and now they(the Vatican) are in control of the process themselves. I will try to find the article on this.
It is very interesting that if Cardinal Ratzinger banned pilgrimages why the church has not clamped down on this site by now. From other stuff I have read it appears that both Pope John Paul II & Benedict XI have not condemed the site.

see: crownofstars.blogspot.com/

It will be interesting to see what becomes of this with the Priest being disciplined.

Peace!
 
JimR-OCDS said:
I’ve been a skeptic of Medjegorje for many years, especially after I read St. John of the Cross’s process for determining whether a person is actually having visions from heaven or not. I believe the Church still uses St. John’s process.

I can’t find St. John’s teaching on it on line, but the article from
the Bishop, is very much in line with it.

medjugorjedocuments.blogspot.com/2008/09/truth-both-frees-us-and-binds-us-by.html

Jim
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Hi Jim, I believe it goes like this:

"When dispatched to investigate a reported apparition, he walked cheerfully up to the woman and said, “Are you the lady to whom the Holy Spirit is appearing?” When she answered “Yes!,” he bid her good day and reported to the bishop that the woman was either a fraud or delusional.

In cases where there are true apparitions the person seeing them does not know who it is and will describe her as a “lady”.
 
prodigal-sun said:
40.png
Lepanto:
from the article

In 1985 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict – banned pilgrimages to the site, but this has been widely ignored.
Click to expand...
40.png
prodigal:
It is very interesting that if Cardinal Ratzinger banned pilgrimages why the church has not clamped down on this site by now. From other stuff I have read it appears that both Pope John Paul II & Benedict XI have not condemed the site.

Peace!
Click to expand...
Prodigal,

you were reading my mind
Click to expand...
 
prodigal-sun said:
Yes I read this claim in the article but I have not found any sources for this claim, can you please provide a statement. I ask this because there are a lot different views and claims out there from both camps. It is my understanding that the Vatican took the dicernment of Medjugorje out of the hands of the Bishop of Mostar, and placed it in the hands of a commission and now they(the Vatican) are in control of the process themselves.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of this with the Priest being disciplined.

Peace!
Click to expand...
You can read the account from the Bishop of Mostar from this link to the Bishop Peric’s official website:
cbismo.com/index.php?mod=vijest&vijest=101
 
It is to be expected that any genuine apparitions of Our Lady, or any real miraculous events of any kind, will be vilified. The devil always tries to throw mud at any true report of miracles, or any real work of the Holy Spirit.

Thus the fact that such criticisms and accusations are made, does not in itself mean the Medjugorje apparitions are false. (Of course, neither does it prove they’re true.)
 
zab said:
You can read the words of the late Bishop Zanic,
The Truth About Medjugorje
Click to expand...
And thats it in a nutshell - since 1990 the FACTS have been out but so many ignorant people choose to ignore the facts.

And we have good old Michael Brown willfully ignoring this info and heading his stupid pilgrimages over there. I pray for the end to his SPIRIT DAILY site as well.
 
When the person that promotes medjugorje is immoral and a liar it certainly speaks volumes…This sort of activity was going on during the so called apparitions…fathering a child with a nun and trying to get her to lie about it are not fruits of the Holy Spirit…they are fruits of a demon spirit…and they had a nice income from it too…Bernadette never accepted anything for herself neither did Sr Lucy
 
Reepicheep said:
It is to be expected that any genuine apparitions of Our Lady, or any real miraculous events of any kind, will be vilified. The devil always tries to throw mud at any true report of miracles, or any real work of the Holy Spirit.
Click to expand...
That doesn’t excuse one from trying to learn the truth about the “alledged” miracles and apparitions. To refuse to listen to what the chuch has to say through the bishop who overlooks these events is an indication that one seeks his own will and not that of God.
 
prodigal-sun said:
From other stuff I have read it appears that both Pope John Paul II & Benedict XI have not condemed the site.
Click to expand...
Back when JPII visited Yugoslavia in 1997, he did not stop to pray at Medjugorje. There may be many reasons why he didn’t stop there, but for him to skip a stopover is widely interpreted as his tacit disapproval or suspicions of the claimed apparitions.

It’s possible that the Vatican didn’t need to condemn Medjugorje – the local bishops already had done so.
 
Michael_C said:
Hi Jim, I believe it goes like this:

"When dispatched to investigate a reported apparition, he walked cheerfully up to the woman and said, “Are you the lady to whom the Holy Spirit is appearing?” When she answered “Yes!,” he bid her good day and reported to the bishop that the woman was either a fraud or delusional.

In cases where there are true apparitions the person seeing them does not know who it is and will describe her as a “lady”.
Click to expand...
No, the person St. John was asked to question on her alleged apparitions was a nun.

However, he wrote why he found her testimony to be false.

One of the reasons I recall was that when a person receives a vision from heaven, their life is transformed to holiness, where humility is very strong. The nun apparently was exhibiting much pride in the attention she was receiving as a result of her claims.

When I read back on St. Bernadette and the children of Fatima, great humility was very prominent in their lives.

Jim
 
Lepanto said:
Back when JPII visited Yugoslavia in 1997, he did not stop to pray at Medjugorje. There may be many reasons why he didn’t stop there, but for him to skip a stopover is widely interpreted as his tacit disapproval or suspicions of the claimed apparitions.

It’s possible that the Vatican didn’t need to condemn Medjugorje – the local bishops already had done so.
Click to expand...
Or of course another reason would be that the Holy Father did not want to show his implicit acceptance of the site while it is still under scrutiny. This of course does not impy condemnation of the site. To my knowledge the site is not condemed and the Vatican allows for private pilgrimages even by priests & Bishops.

As far as the condemnation of the site by the Bishop of Mostar I have recently learned that the discernment of this site is not within his pervue(his own admission) It was taken from his hands and placed in the hands of a commission which has since been disolved and is know in the hands of the Vatican. I’ve been looking for these Articles today but am also busy at work. I will try to post them ASAP!
I’m waiting for an official declaration from the Vatican for my heart will grasiously follow thier lead.

Peace
 
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