His Excellency Ratko Peric, bishop of Mostar (in which Medjugorje is located) has asked that no pilgrimages be made to the site of the alleged apparitions. When Vienna's Christoph Cardinal Schonborn made a "personal visit" to the region, Bishop Peric issued a rebuke. There does seem to be a spate of dissident bishops barging into other bishops' dioceses these days!
You can see more details, as well as the complete text of Bishop Peric's statement at this Catholic News Agency link. I will point out some salient points. First, it is within the purview of the local ordinary to rule on the validity of an alleged apparition. That has not yet happened in this case; thus it was presumptuous of the cardinal to speak of the apparition as valid. Second, the apparition seems to be siding with several dissident Franciscans of the area who have been disciplined/suspended by both the bishop and their superiors; can anyone really imagine the Blessed Mother sticking her finger in the eye of her Son's bishops?
Here's a third point, one of which I was not aware until now. I know that some of the rebel Franciscans have seized control of some of the parishes there. I did not know that they invited an "old Catholic" (schismatic) "archbisop" to "confirm" hundreds of young people there. Does any fruit smell rotten?
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the Sacraments. We have the teaching Magisterium. Why chase after these things? We know what we must do to live as serious Catholics. Do we want to go to a place of sublime holiness? You cannot do better than going to your nearest Catholic Church, with the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
You are correct that we cannot do better than go to Church and partake in communion. That is also the message of Medjugorje. It is not rotten fruit that thousands of unbelievers have been brought into the Catholic church through Medjugorje. If I had not gone on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in October 2007, I would not have attended Mass several times a week since then nor would I have joined the Catholic church last Easter. I am but one of thousands. Woukd the Bishop have prefered that I not have found my way home to Catholicism and converted?
ReplyDeleteTimothy, thank you for commenting. I actually reply in the posting above, as it is rather lengthy.
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