杏MAP导航

By Salvatore Cernuzio

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave a wide-ranging presentation at a press conference on Thursday, 19 September. 

From the messages at Medjugorje being accepted as 鈥渆difying texts鈥� that can instil a 鈥渂eautiful spiritual experience鈥�, even if there is 鈥渘o certainty that they are from Our Lady鈥�; to the 鈥済reat respect鈥� shown by the three most recent 杏MAP导航s towards 鈥渢he widespread devotion鈥� at Medjugorje. From the innumerable works of charity that have arisen around this spiritual experience, including the many conversions, confessions, fruits of good; to the 鈥減roblems鈥� and the internal debates (there are even those who have gone so far as to define the phenomenon as 鈥榙emonic鈥�).

Cardinal Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, touched on history and current events and even shared some personal experiences during the press conference for the presentation of the Note on 鈥淭he Queen of Peace鈥�, held on Thursday, 19 September, in a packed Holy See Press Office.

In the Note, the Argentinean Cardinal retraced the process, listing the lights and shadows of a reality through which 鈥淕od, in His mysterious designs, even in the midst of human imperfections, has found a way to make a river of goodness and beauty flow鈥�. 

Problems and challenges

The Cardinal recalled the important 鈥減roblems鈥� that occurred 鈥渋n small percentages (five or six dioceses)鈥� in the world, which present challenges in 鈥渟peaking of only positive effects鈥� in Medjugorje, and indicated 鈥渢he darkest and saddest point鈥� marked by the long 鈥渃onflict鈥� between the rebellious Franciscans and the Bishops.  With great clarity, he also mentioned the controversy surrounding Fr Tomislav Vlasic, famous for being considered the 鈥榮piritual father鈥� of the six visionaries, who was dismissed from the clerical state in 2009 for various crimes.

The gaze of three 杏MAP导航s

The Cardinal also presented the Medjugorje phenomenon from the viewpoint of the last three 杏MAP导航s: John Paul II, who had shown an 鈥渋ntense wish鈥� to visit the place; Benedict XVI who, as Prefect of the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1985, had expressed a 鈥渃lear thought鈥� on the separation of the declaration of the possible 鈥渟upernatural character鈥� of the phenomenon from its spiritual fruits. 

And lastly, 杏MAP导航 Francis, who during his return flight from Fatima in 2017, had spoken about the 鈥渧ery good鈥� report of the Ruini Commission, stating, 鈥淭he real core of the Ruini report鈥� is 鈥渢he spiritual fact, the pastoral fact, the people go there and are converted, the people who meet God, who change their lives鈥�.

鈥淲hat stands out with the three 杏MAP导航s鈥�, Cardinal Fernández emphasised, 鈥渋s an attitude of great respect in the face of such widespread devotion among the people of God鈥�, which translates into 鈥渁n analysis of the positive spiritual phenomenon鈥� and not 鈥渋nto a conclusion on the supernatural origin or otherwise of the phenomenon鈥�. 

In fact, 杏MAP导航 Francis, the Cardinal said, reiterated in a recent meeting that the nihil obstat  is absolutely sufficient and that there is no need to go further with a declaration on the supernatural nature. In other words, he continued, it is sufficient 鈥渢o say to the faithful: you can pray there, pilgrimages can be made, and these messages can be read without danger鈥�.

Messages of the 鈥楪ospa'

On the subject of the messages of the 鈥楪ospa鈥�  [i.e., Lady], the Cardinal Prefect explained that some of them contain 鈥減hrases that are not exactly St Thomas Aquinas-like鈥�. However, Cardinal Fernández clarified that these messages should not be read as 鈥渁 magisterial text鈥�, but one must grasp 鈥渢he profound thinking鈥� even behind some 鈥渋mperfection of words鈥�.

The peace proposal

The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith added that 鈥渨e now accept these messages not as private revelations, because we do not have a certainty that they are Our Lady鈥檚 messages, but we accept them only as edifying texts that can encourage a true and beautiful spiritual experience鈥�. 

The messages, Cardinal Fernández recommended, 鈥渕ust be evaluated as a whole鈥�, because it is only in the overall view that 鈥済reat exhortations鈥� appear, starting with peace 鈥渋n the ecumenical and interreligious context of Bosnia Herzegovina鈥�, torn apart by a war in the past.

The risks

However, the Cardinal Prefect noted several 鈥渨eak points鈥� in these messages, starting with the 鈥渇requency鈥� or the insistence on the need to listen to them. 鈥淭his is confusing, it creates the danger of creating an over-dependence on apparitions and messages鈥�, he said.

Future messages

Cardinal Fernández also addressed the question of future messages. 鈥淚f there are any鈥�, he said, 鈥渢hey must be evaluated and approved for possible publication, and until they are analysed, the faithful are not advised to consider them as edifying texts鈥�.

Prudence 鈥渋s always necessary鈥�, with the knowledge that Our Lady 鈥渄oes not command that something be communicated necessarily or immediately; she does not use us as puppets or inanimate instruments; she always leaves room for our discernment鈥�. She is not, in short, a postwoman he said, recalling the words of 杏MAP导航 Francis.

Devotion among the people

The Prefect of the Dicastery went on to highlight the worldwide spread of devotion to the Queen of Peace, as well as the "many prayer groups with Marian devotion," the charitable work for orphans, for those struggling with drug dependence, and for people with disabilities.

This is "a popular phenomenon," he said. 鈥淲hat draws people is the Queen of Peace and the presence of her image in the most diverse places."

Image of Our Lady in every town

Cardinal Fernández confided that he too has found the image of Our Lady even in the smallest country villages.

Even in his own native Argentina, he recounted, when he was a parish priest he proposed to the faithful to build shrines with a Marian image in various neighbourhoods. "The first one they proposed to me was that of the Queen of Peace. Only one sister said: 鈥楤ut is it authorised?鈥� And the Bishop replied: 鈥楤ut what harm can that image do?鈥�'鈥�

Contact with visionaries "not advisable"

As for contact with the visionaries, the Cardinal explained that 鈥渋t is not forbidden but neither is it advisable鈥�, even for their own sake. 鈥淭he spirit of Medjugorje is not to search for the visionaries but to pray to the Queen of Peace鈥�, he said. Cardinal Fernández reported  that he had sent a short letter 鈥渨ith some suggestions and words鈥�, which should remain confidential.

Contributions of other speakers

Joining Cardinal Fernández at the speakers鈥� table were Monsignor Armando Matteo, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication, Andrea Tornielli. Monsignor Matteo emphasised that the Note is the 鈥渇ruit鈥� of an 鈥渆xtensive process of discernment鈥� that began in May with the publication of the Norms on alleged supernatural phenomena.

Andrea Tornielli drew on a personal pilgrimage experience, and highlighted some 鈥渋nteresting statistical data鈥�, such as the number of people who received Communion in the parish and places linked to the apparitions: over 47,413,740 between 1985 and 2024; and the number of priests who concelebrated in Medjugorje between December 1986 and June 2024: 1,060,799.

These numbers, he said, represent the devotion of the faithful who flock to the Bosnian village every year, drawn by Eucharistic Adoration, meditation, and Confession, which he called, the most heartfelt sacrament in Medjugorje.