Vatican Approves Devotion to Medjugorje, Citing “Spiritual Fruits”
The Vatican has given its official blessing to pilgrimages and acts of devotion at Medjugorje, a southern Bosnian village where children have reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary for over four decades, The Associated Press reports.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, after nearly 15 years of study, has acknowledged the “positive spiritual fruits” stemming from the Medjugorje experience, despite not declaring the apparitions authentic or supernatural.
The decision overturns years of skepticism from local bishops and Vatican experts regarding the veracity of the alleged apparitions. It also ignores concerns about the economic interests that have transformed Medjugorje into a thriving religious tourism destination.
While the Vatican acknowledges concerns about inconsistencies in some of the “messages” received by the alleged visionaries, it emphasizes the “beautiful and positive” outcomes of the phenomenon.
“The Holy Spirit is acting fruitfully for the good of the faithful in the midst of this spiritual phenomenon,” the doctrine office stated in its decision, citing the millions of pilgrims who have visited the site over the years.
The first reported apparitions occurred in 1981 when six children claimed to see visions of the Madonna on a hill in Medjugorje. These “seers” have since reported regular, even daily, apparitions and have claimed to receive messages from Mary.
The decision comes as a significant development in the history of Medjugorje, a site that has long been a subject of controversy and debate within the Catholic Church.
