The Vatican Investigates Sightings of the Virgin Mary

The Vatican has announced on Wednesday that they are currently investigating the sightings of the Virgin Mary that took place in 1981. Apparititions of the Virgin Mother have been reported at the Medjugorje shrine in southern Bosnia and were witnessed by six children on a regular basis.

For those of you who do not recall this particular incident, let me refresh your memories. On June 24,1981, children Ivanka Ivanković, Mirjana Dragičević, Ivan Dragičević, Ivan Ivanković, Milka Pavlović and Vicka Ivanković collectively known as the Medjugorje came forth to announce that they had witnessed theVirgin Mary with baby Jesus on the "Hill of Appari­tions." The next day, the apparition appeared before them again. Milka Pavlović and Ivan Ivanković did not see the Virgin Mother, but two other children, Marija Pavlović and Jakov Čolo, did see Her.


On the third day, June 26th 1981, all of the children again saw Her on the "Hill of Apparitions". Afterwards, the Virgin Mary appeared later that same day to Marija Pavlović. In her vision of the Virgin Mary, she is described as standing in front of a large cross. TheVirgin Mother pointed to it with Her hands and spoke onto the child with great sadness:


"PEACE, PEACE, PEACE, AND ONLY PEACE! PEACE MUST BEGIN TO REIGN BETWEEN GOD AND MAN AND BETWEEN MEN".


On that spot on what is now known as the Hill of Apparitions, a large wooden cross was erected to commemorate these visions.
The Virgin Mary is said to still apear before these seers. To this day, Marija, Vicka and Ivan still have daily apparitions. Mirjana, Ivanka and Jakov only see Her once a year.


Since 1981, the authenticity of the Medjugorje sightings have been disputed and the shrine is not formally approved by the Vatican or the local diocese.
Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini who was a top adviser to the late Pope John Paul II is leading an International inquiry comission. This commission will study the incident and report their findings to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

At the conclusion of this inquiry, it is possible that the Medjugorje apparition may join the ranks of Fatima in Portugal and Lourdes in France.

The lack of official recognition hasn't stopped the believers from visiting the village. In fact, more than 30 million people have made their pilgramage to the Medjugorje shrine since 1981. Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, who visited over the New Years holiday, sparked controversy since official church pilgrimages to Medjugorje are barred.

Cardinal Schoenborn emphasized that he visited the shrine in a private capacity. But does however admit that he celebrated Mass there, met with the visionaries, and granted several interviews afterward in which he called for Medjugorje pilgrims to receive the pastoral care — both physical and spiritual — that they would need there.
He also called the shrine a tree that "bore many fruits," in terms of vocations, conversions and rediscovery of faith.

His comments prompted the local Bishop of Mostar, Monsignor Ratko Peric, to write him a letter Jan. 2nd 2010, sharply criticizing his visit and stressing that his presence there was by no means a formal recognition of the apparitions. The local church has cast doubt on the claims, in part because one of the visionaries says the apparitions have continued monthly for over a quarter century.

Schoenborn met with the Pope on Jan. 15 2010 and wrote to Bishop Peric, "if you have the impression that my pilgrimage to Medjugorje did a disservice to peace. Rest assured this was not my intention."


Schoenborn is close to Pope Benedict XVI, and the decision to launch an official investigation into Medjugorje could be read as the pontiff's response to suggestions by the Vienna archbishop.

The current Vatican No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, wrote in 1996 that official pilgrimages to Medjugorje weren't to be organized at parish or diocesan levels since bishops from the former Yugoslavia had affirmed in 1991 that there was no way to confirm that "supernatural apparitions and revelations" had taken place.