Medjugorje Page - An Introduction

1. WHAT IS THE STORY OF MEDJUGORJE ?

Medjugorje is a small village in Bosnia - Hercegovina, in what used to be Yugoslavia. In 1981, on the feast of John the Baptist, a group of young people saw a young lady appearing on a hillside. They were frightened, and ran home. The lady appeared to them again, and so began the apparitions which have continued to this day.

2. HOW DO THESE APPARITIONS COMPARE WITH PREVIOUS APPARITIONS AT LOURDES AND FATIMA ?

There are a number of strong similarities with both these and other accepted series of apparitions (eg at Akita in Japan). As in Lourdes we have been asked to pray, and there have been a number of cures, although they have not been as rigourously examined as in Lourdes. There have been sightings of inexplicable happenings, like the miracle of the sun at Fatima in 1917. However, the greatest similarities are in the pleas for us to pray, fast and turn to God.

There are also a number of differences which make the apparitions at Medjugorje quite different. Never before have there been so many apparitions, nor for so long a period. The apparitions occur on almost a daily basis, and this is now the twenty fifth year that this has been happening.

3. ARE THERE ANY MESSAGES, REQUESTS, ETC. FOR MANKIND ?

They all form one message - of an urgent need of change and spiritual renewal, to return to God as the centre of our lives, and to try by this renewal to bring all to God. They are detailed in a number of specific requests.

a) Acceptance of God as the most important element in our lives; to renounce sin and to aim to serve God as well as we should. To this end we are recommended to go to Confession at least once a month.

b) Faith in God, and total trust in His Will for us. This implies that we are totally committed to the acceptance of God's plan for us without reservation, so that He can work through us.

c) Prayer. All of us are asked to pray more and better - this means not only praying more often, but with more meaning, from the heart. Family prayer is stressed, and the prayers suggested as a start should be the Creed, and seven Our Father's, Hail Mary's and Glory Be's. The Rosary is also mentioned, and we are asked to say the WHOLE Rosary if we can - ie 15 Mysteries. This is especially asked from priests.

d) We are also asked to read the Scriptures (especially Matthew Ch. 6, v.24 - 34) each Thursday, to remind us of God's care for us, and the importance of the Eucharist is also stressed.

e) Fasting. We are invited to fast at least once a week. The form which has been recommended to the visionaries is read and water. (The visionaries and many others in the village fast like this on Wednesday and Friday each week) There are ways in which we may fast, perhaps to a lesser degree.

f) Peace. The Peace of Christ within us can then reach out to others we meet.

WHAT IS THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE CHURCH REGARDING THESE APPARITIONS ?

For a number of reasons the Church is always cautious about claims of apparitions - there have been false claims in the past, and the Church is always careful not to commit itself to confirming the truth of any apparitions until a great deal of research and time has elapsed - it took 13 years for the apparitions at Fatima to be confirmed, after they had ceased.

Generally, unless the Church sees a reason for not allowing it, people, including priests, are allowed to go and pray at these places, the only condition being that they will accept the final decision of the Church when it comes. This excludes official pilgrimages, led by priests or bishops.

This is the present situation at Medjugorje; there are many who believe that these apparitions are of the Queen of Peace, and there is a Bishops Commission looking at all aspects of these apparitions, but they have not come to any conclusions yet, and are unlikely to do so until the apparitions stop.