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Medjugorje Catholic Pilgrimages -The 25th Anniversary
by
ALOHA
DEAN
Medjugorje or Međugorje
("between the hills") has become well
known in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the world, because of six young people
who claim to have seen visions of the Madonna. Beginning on June 24,
1981, the Blessed Mother appeared to, and later told the visionaries God
sent her to our world to help us convert our hearts and lives back to
Him. Our Lady's call is one of Peace, Love, Faith, Conversion, Prayer,
and Fasting. We are each challenged to answer Our Lady's call to change
our lives, and hearts back to God. The following articles, interviews,
and testimonies provide a well rounded, and accurate account and
perspective of one of the greatest events in modern history.
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Medjugorje is a Croatian Parish consisting of 5 villages (i.e the
villages of Medjugorje, Bijakovici, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci) in
the Herzegovina municipality of Citluk, today part of the
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
in the former Yugoslavia.
On June 24th, 1981, at about 6 pm, two young people - Ivanka Ivankovic
and Mirjana Dragicevic, were out walking on a hill known as Crnica just
outside of town, in the hamlet of Bijakovici. They later reported they'd
gone to look for their sheep and bring them in for the night. They said
they saw a young woman with a child in her arms who beckoned them to
come nearer. Surprised and scared, they did not approach her.
On the second day, believing the woman they'd seen might be the Virgin
Mary, the girls returned to the hill, bringing their friend Vicka
Ivankovic along. According to the official story, they ran barefoot up
the hill over rocks and thorns, not keeping to the path. Ivanka said the
lady was there, and the three girls threw themselves to their knees in
prayer. Vicka left after a few minutes, because she wanted to bring her
friends Marija Pavlovic and Jakov Colo to see the lady. Another young
person who reports daily visions is Ivan Dragicevic. (According to some
accounts, two other children, Milka Pavlovic and Ivan Ivankovic, were
present on the first day of apparitions, but did not come back on the
second day, and never again reported a vision.)
In the early days of the apparitions, it was alleged the Virgin Mary,
called "Gospa" in Croatian, promised the six visionaries ten “secrets”
which contain information on future events. These ten secrets, which
will affect the Church and the world, were written on a special
parchment listing the timing and description of each event. Mirjana
keeps the parchment in her home. To date, three visionaries, Mirjana,
Ivanka, and Jakov have received all ten messages, while Ivan, Marija and
Vicka have received nine. The six visionaries would eventually each know
all ten secrets, but none has fully disclosed them except to announce
that they include chastisements for the world and that they will begin
during the lifetimes of the visionaries. The seventh secret is a
punishment for humanity that has been diminished because of the response
to Our Lady’s requests for prayers, fasting and conversion.
The third of the secrets involves a visible and permanent sign that is
described as beautiful and indestructible and not of this world, which
will be left on Apparition Mountain, the site of her first appearance.
One of the messages of the "Gospa" says: "This sign will be given for
the atheists. You faithful already have signs and you have become the
sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before
you convert: convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. When
the sign comes, it will be too late. As a mother I caution you because I
love you. The secrets exist. My children! Nothing is known of these now,
but when they are known, it will be too late. Return to prayer, nothing
is more important than this. I would like it if the Lord allowed me to
reveal some of the secrets to you, but that which He is doing for you is
already a Grace which is almost too much."
It is said that historically, the region of Bosnia, and Herzegovina for
that matter, has seen centuries of rivalry and animosity between some
quarters in the Franciscan Order, which runs the parish of Medjugorje,
and that of the diocesan hierarchy (not run by a religious order),
including the seat of the Bishop of Mostar which has jurisdiction over
Medjugorje [6]. According to Catholic authors E. Michael Davies and
Michael Jones, it is possible that the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje
were used by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Croat Franciscan Order to
challenge the authority of the diocese.
In October 1997, Ratko Peric, the Bishop of Mostar, issued his official
opinion that the alleged apparitions had been proven to be "not
supernatural". Because the Church usually leaves it up to the local
clergy to decide whether apparitions are valid, this statement on the
part of Bishop Peric has the effect of a declaration that the claimed
apparitions cannot be considered valid by the Roman Catholic Church.
A Declaration of ex-Yugoslavia bishops' conference on Medjugorje in 1991
affirms that: "The bishops, from the very beginning, have been following
the events of Medjugorje through the Bishop of the diocese [Mostar], the
Bishop's Commission and the Commission of the Bishops Conference of
Yugoslavia on Medjugorje. On the basis of the investigations so far it
cannot be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and
revelations".
The Vatican CDF issued a letter forbidding official pilgrimages to the
site, but allowing visits "on the condition that they not be considered
a validation of events in progress and which still call for examination
by the Church." Bishop Peric followed this up with more statements
clarifying that traveling to Medjugorje was allowed, but that official
pilgrimages were forbidden, and personal visits should not be undertaken
in order to prove the authenticity of the alleged visions and messages.
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