The Medjugorje Phenomenon:⁢ A Timeline⁣ of Events

Based​ on the statements of the Commission to Study the Međugorje Events and the Bishops concerned, this ‌news network publishes excerpts ⁤from a long speech by Monsignor ‌Matteo,‍ Secretary General of the⁣ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to reconstruct ⁢the timeline of these events.

The Beginnings ​of the Apparitions

The‍ apparitions in​ Medjugorje ‌concern events that began on June 24, 1981, at the parish of‍ St. James in Medjugorje. The parish ⁣is administered by Franciscans and belongs to the Diocese⁤ of Mostar-Duvno in the province of Herzegovina, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly Yugoslavia).

In the evening⁢ of that day, two girls, Ivanka Ivanković and Mirjana Dragičević, went to Podbrdo at⁢ the foot of‌ Crnica Mountain area. Suddenly, Ivanka saw the Virgin‌ (Mirjana did not appear). The two girls continued walking towards the village. On the same day, at around 6 p.m., six young people saw the Virgin Mary holding a baby in the same place.‍ In addition ⁣to Ivanka ​and Miljana, Vicka Ivanković, Ivan Dragičević, Ivan Ivanković, Milka Pavlovi, Marija Pavlović, and⁤ Jakov Čolo were also present.

Initial⁤ Investigations and‍ Doubts

On July 21 of the same ​year, Bishop Pavao Žanić of‍ the Mostar-Duvno diocese met with ⁤six “witnesses” who reported to him their⁤ recent experiences. The bishop was convinced that ⁤”these children were not lying”. He reiterated this conviction a few ⁢days later during the sacrament ⁤of Confirmation in ⁢the parish of Međugorje. However, on November 19, 1983, Bishop Pavao Žanić submitted a confidential report on the apparitions to the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, expressing his “very strong doubts” about them.

Church Authorities’ Involvement

On October 12‍ of ⁤the following year, ⁢the ‍Yugoslav Bishops’ Conference issued a statement on the Medjugorje incident, emphasizing the authority ⁤of the church authorities in evaluating apparitions and prohibiting official​ pilgrimages in ​Medjugorje.

On May 19, 1986, the diocesan ​committee‍ responsible for evaluating the apparitions in⁢ Međugorje issued a⁢ ruling: “Non constat de supernaturalitate” ⁢(Cannot confirm the supernatural nature of the apparitions),‍ with 11 members in favor and ‌4 members against.

International ‌Commission and Further Investigations

A turning point⁤ came ‍on January 14, 2008, when Benedict XVI decided to set up ‍an international ‌commission ‌to evaluate ⁣the supernatural phenomena in Međugorje. The commission was chaired by⁤ Cardinal Camillo Ruini. In⁣ January 2014, after about six⁣ years of work, the ⁢international commission gave its opinion.⁢ However, the ⁣conclusions of ⁤the commission were not made public, as ‌was explicitly requested by the Congregation for ⁢the Doctrine ‍of ⁣the Faith at the time.

In the following years, the Congregation ⁣for the Doctrine of ​the Faith‍ further investigated the entire process of the Međugorje affair and sought the opinions ​of two experts who came to a conclusion that was very different from that of the Ruini Commission.

Pope Francis’⁤ Involvement and Current Status

In December 2015, after‌ receiving ‌all the documents, Pope Francis decided to personally​ take over the case concerning‍ Međugorje.

Subsequently, ​on February 11, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Henryk Hoser‍ as the Apostolic Nuncio ‌to⁢ go to Medjugorje​ to review the pastoral situation there. On⁣ January 14, 2019, ​the Pope published a directive stating that “pilgrimages to‌ Medjugorje may be organized, but care must be taken not‍ to interpret them as an endorsement of the authenticity of the event.”

it is worth mentioning that on December 27, 2021, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Aldo Cavalli⁤ as the new Apostolic Extraordinary Visitor of the parish⁣ of ‍Međugorje for an ⁣indefinite ⁣term appointed by the Holy See. Bishop Cavalli succeeded Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who died in Warsaw ‍on August ⁤13 of the same year.