Pope Francis allows devotion to Medjugorje, while claiming it's 'not authentic?'
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Pope Francis allows devotion to Medjugorje, where Virgin Mary said to appear

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The Bosnian village has become a major pilgrimage site, attracting hundreds of thousands each year and giving many people what they say is a renewed sense of spirituality


RTE.ie| 19 Sep 2024 10:58

Pope Francis has approved a Catholic spiritual devotion centred in Medjugorje, a town in Bosnia that has been steeped in controversy over whether the Virgin Mary appears to local people, the Vatican has said.

The Vatican's doctrinal office said that the Pope was not declaring that messages given by the alleged apparition were authentic.

Rather, it said the pontiff was recognising there were "positive fruits" for Catholics in the spiritual experience tied to the town.

The statement appears to conclude decades of Vatican investigations into the alleged visitations, which were first reported by six children in 1981, in a scenario reminiscent of famous apparitions in the French town of Lourdes in the 19th century and more than 100 years ago in Fatima in Portugal.

The Bosnian village has become a major pilgrimage site, attracting hundreds of thousands each year and giving many people what they say is a renewed sense of spirituality.

Pope Francis had previously expressed doubt about the alleged phenomenon. Referencing messages said to have been given by the Virgin Mary to local townspeople, he told reporters in 2017 that he did not think Mary was "the head of a telegraph office".

The Vatican said its new note "does not imply that the alleged supernatural events are declared authentic".

"Instead, it only highlights that the Holy Spirit is acting fruitfully for the good of the faithful 'in the midst' of this spiritual phenomenon of Medjugorje," said the text.

The Vatican said Catholic faithful "must be attentive and cautious" in interpreting the alleged messages from Mary, which largely focus on themes of peace and piety, but also have warned of alleged coming world catastrophes.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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#2
The Gospa of Medjugorje: Message of Deception? (John Vennari)


"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre
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