Friday, March 26, 2010

Medjugorje... Evil Hoax or Salvation of the Church?


The Catholic Church has set up an official commission to investigate Medjugorje. The commission is headed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the presidency of Cardinal Camillo Ruini.

This is a huge step in the controversy that is Medjugorje. The apparitions began on 24 June 1981 to six children, and has been ongoing ever since (some of the visionaries no longer see Our Lady, while others see her less often, and a few still see her regularly). 30 million vistitors have come since the apparitions began (many without approval from the local see), and now with the new commission many more are expected to flock there. You can view one of the official websites of Medjugorje here.

The reason this has become such a big issue is, I think, first attributed to our shrinking society. If something happens in Medjugorje, it can be instantly tweeted, blogged, IMed, texted, or posted all over the world. Many people never have a chance to visit apparitions as they are happening because by the time people hear about them, they're over.
Another issue with Medjugorje is that you have three groups of people: Devotionalists, Nutralists, and Skeptics. The Devotionalists are fundamentalists when it comes to Medjugorje, and cite the many great things that come from there (which can't be denied). Nutralists just don't want to get caught up in the mess. Usually they have some kind of opinion (as small as it might be), but they don't want to believe in the apparitions in case they are wrong, and don't want to out-and-out decry it in case it's true (I fall into the Nutralist camp). Finally the skeptics are those that flat-out think that it can't be true, and that it's a hoax created by the local Franciscans.

Many people are looking to Medjugorje for a "salvation" for the Church (a bannar to unite under, so to speak). The problem is that the Church is trying to steady the ship, recover the traditionalists, cool the charismatics, quell the liberals, and correct the modernists. Dissident Catholics over the apparitions of Medjugorje, besides proving the apparitions to be false beacuse they encourge disobediance to the Church, might further weaken the Church as it is trying to make amends for sexual abuse in Europe. On the other hand, a positive conclusion to the commission would give many Catholics everywhere a renewed vigor.

To further muddy the waters, there are talks from the Vatican that a new diocese will be formed around Medjugorje. If this is true, then it seems like early confirmation to the validity of the apparitions there (with how many people are visiting the site annually, a new diocese would be needed to handle it).

What I want to know from you is:

1. How long do you think it will take the CDF to make a decision in regards to Medjugorje?

2. What do you think the Church's decision will be?

3. What will you do if the Church's decision goes against your what you believe is going on in Medjugorje?

3 comments:

  1. BBC reports on Medjgorje, on Wednesday, 18th August 2010: http://medju.tv/video/305/BBC+Newsnight+Report+on+Medjugorje

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  2. @Medju.tv:
    Thank you for the link. It's a nice, clear look at Medjugorje.
    Again, I don't support or deny Medjugorje. I think that people must be obediant to the Holy See when it makes its final decision.

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  3. vesna primorac January 15,2014 I Think Holly See is certain Our Lady apparitions are true,real.Holy Sea quided by The Holy Spirit (as from the dawn of christianity to this day) will call Medjugorje " place of prayers and devotion " until apparitions stop.When God leaves a visible sign we will all know and there won't be a need for approval.All will be pilgrims to Medjugorje.Holy see knows that!!

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