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Our Lady of Medjugorje
LocationMedjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Witness
  • Mirjana Dragićević
  • Ivanka Ivanković
  • Marija Pavlović
  • Jakov Colo
  • Vicka Ivanković
  • Ivan Dragićević
TypeMarian apparition
ApprovalPending decision by the Holy See
ShrineMedjugorje

Our Lady of Medjugorje (Croatian: Međugorska Gospa), also called Queen of Peace (Croatian: Kraljica mira) and Mother of the Redeemer (Croatian: Majka Otkupiteljica), is the title given to the alleged visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary which allegedly appeared in 1981 to six Herzegovinian teenagers in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the time in SFR Yugoslavia).

The only official position of the Catholic Church regarding the alleged apparitions is the Declaration of the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia from 1991, which states that on the basis of previous examinations, it is impossible to establish that they are supernatural apparitions or revelations. However, the pilgrimages were allowed. The local bishops have been negative towards the alleged apparitions, while they were promoted by some members of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina.

Between 1982 and 1986, the local diocese formed two commissions for the investigations of the alleged apparitions, with both investigations ruling that the apparitions aren't supernatural. Between 2010 and 2014, the Vatican formed its own commission, which proposed that the initial seven apparitions are supernatural, but all others since July 1981 should be further investigated. However, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith received the results of the latter commission negatively.

In 2018, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser apostolic visitor to Medjugorje for pastoral purposes and allowed the official organisation of pilgrimages to Medjugorje in 2019, without recognising the authenticity of the alleged apparitions.

The opponents of the alleged apparitions point out that the messages of Our Lady are not with the accordance with the Church teaching and Catholic Mariology, and are often false, contradictory or prophecies haven't taken place as promised. On the other hand, the supporters emphasise alleged miraculous healings and pastoral fruits in form of conversions, confessions, and mass attendance.

Background

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See also: Herzegovina Case

The Medjugorje apparitions took place at a time when relations between the diocesan clergy and the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina were severely strained due to the redistribution of parishes. In the mid-1970s, some of the Franciscan parishes were handed to the diocesan clergy, with fierce opposition from the Franciscans. The Franciscans decided to establish an organization of priests and laypeople called Peace and Goodness (Mir i dobro). The association developed into a local movement that supported the local church autonomy and opposed the decisions of the diocese in Herzegovina, providing support to the Franciscan self-rule. The Vatican strongly supported the local bishop, Pavao Žanić.[1]

In 1975, the Pope issued a decree Romanis Pontificibus, according to which the Franciscans were to leave most of the parishes they controlled and retreat to the monasteries. Bishop Pavao tried to force the decree, while the Franciscans opposed him, trying to gain support at home and abroad. The Church leaders tried to avoid the conflict, so they acted cautiously.[1]

History

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On 24 June 1981, two teenagers, Mirjana Dragićević and Ivanka Ivanković went to a nearby Podbrdo Hill in Medjugorje to smoke cigarettes in hiding. There, they claimed they saw an apparition, for which they thought was Mary, mother of Jesus. In a latter conversation with Bishop Pavao Žanić, Mirjana tried to convince the bishop they were looking for the missing sheep, a claim the seers continued to advocate.[2]

Nevertheless, Bishop took a stand for the seers and the local Franciscans against the communist authorities who tried to prosecute them. He informed the Pope about the events in September 1981. The whole of that time, the Bishop remained cautious towards the apparitions, without any final conclusion. He became skeptical towards the apparitions after the apparition accused him of the disorder in Herzegovina that existed between the Franciscans and the diocesan clergy and defended the two Franciscans who refused to leave their parishes as requested by the Papal decree Romanis Pontificibus.[3]

Bishop Pavao formed two commissions for the examination of the apparitions. The first commission was active from 1982 to 1984, and its investigation was expanded by the second commission which examined the events from 1984 to 1986.[4] The commission asked Vlašić to hand over the Chronicle, which Vlašić did, but only with a long delay and after modifying the Chronicle.[5]

The negative conclusions of the commissions were delivered to Rome, from which it was expected to agree with the conclusions and to give a negative judgment of the apparitions, however, the Rome requested another investigation to be made by the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia, which was done between 1987 and 1990.[4]

The Conclusion of the Conference of Bishops, published in Zadar on 10 April 1991 was the apparitions "non constat de supernaturalitate", that is that on the basis of previous examinations, it is impossible to establish that these are supernatural apparitions or revelations. However, the Conference left the possibility of the pilgrimage.[6]

A 2009 paper by Rev. Brother Daniel Maria Klimek, T.O.R., details the intricate connection between the Medjugorje apparitions and the writings of the Italian mystic Maria Valtorta.[7]

Chronicle of Apparitions and Vicka's diaries

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Fr. Vlašić became a spiritual guide of the seers and was conducting the Chronicle of Apparitions (Kronika ukazanja).[8] The Chronicle covers the period from 11 August 1981 to 15 October 1983. The chronicle is written to give the impression of immediacy, using terms such as “same scene as yesterday” or “tonight” and “tonight”. However, Nikola Bulat, member of the commission that examined the apparitions, concluded that the Chronicle wasn't written daily as it seems.[9] Under the number dates, events that occurred later were recorded.[10] The intro of the Chronicle was written only on 25 February 1982, so Bulat concludes that it is possible that Vlašić started writing the Chronicle only then, eight months after the apparitions or during the October 1981 at its best.[11]

The commission also received Vicka's three out of four diaries. The first diary was written by Vicka's sister Ana and it encompasses the period from 24 June 1981 to 6 September 1981.[12] Some of the problematic aspects the commission found with the diary is that Vicka never saw it nor wrote it, and it contained the information Vicka claimed to have never told to her sister.[13]

The second diary was largely copied from Vlašić's Chronicle, and it encompasses the period from 12 October 1981 to 14 December 1981. The 18 October 1981 was written twice, with different content. It contains two handwritings, non of which is Vicka's. Vicka told the commission that this diary was also written by her sister.[14]

Vicka's third diary is the only one written by Vicka. It includes the period between 6 February 1982 to 25 March 1982. It isn't reliable as the dates in it do not correspond to the days of the week, while only the first eight days are correctly written. For example, on the day of Ash Wednesday, it says it was Good Friday. It also contains songs and quotes unrelated to the apparitions. It has poor grammar and content.[15]

The question of the Vicka's fourth diary remains unresolved. Vicka claimed in a letter to Bishop Pavao that she has been writing it since the beginning of the apparition, and the second time she claimed that she never had it.[16] Similarly, Fr. Vlašić claimed that the fourth diary exists, and then later sweared on the Cross that he never held it in his hands.[17]

Controversial apparitions and messages

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There are several apparitions and messages from the alleged Madonna, that caused controversy. These visions and messages were recorded by Vicka's diaries.

Herzegovina Case

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While Friar Tomislav Vlašić was still a chaplain in Medjugorje, and Friars Ivica Vego and Ivan Prusina, who refused to obey the Papal decree Romanis Pontificibus and leave the parishes, were chaplains in the parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Mostar, Vicka allegedly received messages from the Maddona from 19 December 1981 until 29 September 1982, and recorded them in her diary.[18]

On 21 September Fr. Ivan Prusina, along with other Franciscans, with the help of the crowd, violently expelled diocesan priests from the parish. Because of his disobedience, Fr. Ivan Prusina had his priestly jurisdiction revoked by Bishop Pavao Žanić on 9 October 1980. Honorius Pontoglio, the General Vicar of the Order of Friars Minor expelled Fr. Ivan Prusina from the Order on 29 January 1982.[19]

The Madonna allegedly told Vicka that Fr. Ivan Prusina and Fr. Ivica Vego "are not guilty of anything" in the matter.[20][21] On 15 January 1982, the bishop invited the alleged seers to his residence to ask them were there any messages from the Madonna on the issue, and they replied that there are not. However, on 3 April 1982, the seers came to the bishop to tell him that the Madonna scolded them for not telling the truth and that she requests that the two friars remain in Mostar and continue to celebrate masses and hear confessions. Tomislav Vlašić took responsibility for the lies of the seers telling the bishop he instructed them not to tell the truth because the bishop might dispute the authenticity of the apparitions.[19]

On 21 June 1983, one of the seers, Ivan Dragičević, sent a threatening message from the Maddona to the bishop, in which she requests the bishop's conversion regarding her apparitions, otherwise, he would be "judged by me [the Madonna] and my son Jesus".[19][22] On 6 February 1985, Ivan Dragičević sent somewhat more tolerant message from the Madonna, with her stating that if he doesn't believe in her apparitions, at least he shouldn't persecute her priests who believe in her messages and promote them".[19][23]

Fr. Ivan Prusina and Fr. Ivica Vego appealed to the Franciscan Order and the Congregation for Clergy, who ignored their appeal considering their decisions to be final. However, the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial court of the Holy See, on 27 March 1993 concluded that they had a right on appeal and saw this as a violation of the procedure and declared the dismissal to be null and void;[24] the same followed for Fr. Ivica Vego as well.[25] The Franciscan Province of Herzegovina tried to present this as a sign of victory against the bishop, however, the bishop's revocation of Fr. Ivan Prusina's priestly jurisdiction remained in force,[24] and the Apostolic Signature never reviewed the matter itself, only the procedural defects.[25] However, only later it became known that Fr. Ivica Vego had made a nun Leopolda pregnant, whom he eventually married and lives with her near Medjugorje.[26]

Archbishop of Split-Makarska Frane Franić, who supported the alleged apparitions from the beginning, tried to persuade Vicka to retract the messages about the two friars, so the authenticity of the apparitions could be defended more easily.[19] However, both Vicka and Ivan continued to claim that the messages regarding the two friars are from the Maddona, like any other.[21]

The messages included the accusations against Bishop Pavao Žanić and encouragement for the two friars not to leave the parish.[27] It was then when Bishop Pavao took his final negative stance on the alleged apparitions.[28]

Busniess disputes

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Vicka Ivanković used her apparitions two mediate in business disputes. The two shareholders of a hotel, whom Kutleša names as A.A. and B.B., on one side, had certain issues with the third shareholder, referred to as C.C., so they asked Vicka for help. Vicka allegedly consulted the Maddona.[29]

I asked about you and heard what was going on with C.C. and she understood everything he wanted. I asked Our Lady about you. It's like this. Regarding C.C., he should be warned not to do so because he is not aware of what he is doing. She said that he would not last long and that he too would be put to an end because he does not believe in anything and does not follow God's order and that is why nothing can happen to him with a blessing. And let me tell you, don't talk about anything because he won't accept God's words. You don’t have to talk to him because it’s a big blow to him, only he won't admit it. And give up his wife because she wants to drive you to great evil and she wants to persuade him (ie her husband) to drive you out of there more easily. You stick to yours and don't give in and he will be finished.[30]

Yet, in another dispute, at the beginning of 1995, problems arose over construction of hotel in Medjugorje, called "Pastoralni centar Međugorje".[31] A family from Netherlads recieved a call for financial aid from a local family to build the hotel, whom Kutleša reffers to as N.N.[32] Prior to that, the N.N. family asked Vicka to consult the Maddona for advice on when to start the construction several times. In April 1995, the Maddona told them: "It's not the right time yet, when the times comes, I'll let you know."[33] When they requested the advice the second time, the Madonna allegedly responded the same. The third time Vicka told them that the Madonna approved the start of the construction.[34]

The Dutch family sought a confrimation from Vicka's spiritual director Friar Slavko Barbarić, whether Vicka told the N.N. family to start the construction. However, before he was able to respond, Vicka, noticing the stall in money landing replied to them.[35]

"I have already written to you once via my friends N. N. and his family, so I am contacting you again because you may not have understood me well, and at the same time I am a little surprised that you are looking for someone else's messages through Our Lady.

When Our Lady approves and emphasises the beginning of work on the construction of the facility, then I do not know why you suspect and ask for some subsequent message and approval from ordinary people.

Our Lady - Mother of God's permission was given through me for the construction of the building, so if you believe in Medjugorje and the apparition of Our Lady, I do not know why all the doubts. I sincerely wish you a happy start to construction and joint cooperation.[36]

Friar Slavko, unaware of Vicka's response, replied to the letter he received on 28 March 1995, and informed the Dutch family that Vcika "did not consult the Mother of God on the issue". The next day, the Dutch family asked him how is possible that Vicka is saying them one thing, and to him the other. Fr. Slavko finnaly tried to sort the issue by sending them another letter on 3 April 1995.

My question was: Why did she then tell me that she did not ask her (Our Lady), why did she lie to me? I spoke to Vic in front of her parents and she had little fear of her father to confirm the answer because her father was already angry at the insistence of the N.N. family. She has now also apologized in writing to me and says she never thought it was that important. She writes: It has happened now, and it will never happen again! ... To understand Vicka's situation, I will say something else in relation to the letter you received from Vicka and faxed it to me. When I read the letter, I was sure the text did not belong to Vicki. Then I asked her. And it was like this: She was getting ready for a trip to Rome and she had little time. Mr. N. N. and his son wrote the text and asked Vicka to sign the text with her own hand. In a hurry she signed the text with her own hand. Vicki has only the last sentence. Vicka therefore almost cried and apologized several times, because she knows what consequences this case of 'lies' can have, because you also wondered how ‘credible’ Medjugorje is.[37]

Investigations

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Bishop Pavao Žanić's commissions: 1982–1986

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Bishop Pavao Žanić established the first two commissions for the investigation of the alleged apparitions

Bishop Pavao Žanić established the first two commissions for the investigation of the apparitions. The first commission was active from 1982 to 1984, and had four members. The investigation was expanded with the establishment of the second commission that had fifteen members and examined the events from 1984 to 1986. The second commission included nine professors from various theological faculties and two psychiatrists.[38] The second commission examined Fr. Tomislav Vlašić's Chrinicles and Vicka's diaries. The Chronicles and diaries were found incredible, with records kept irregularly, entered subsequently, and some parts of Vicka's diaries were forged.[39]

The negative conclusions of the commissions were delivered to Rome, from which it was expected to agree with the conclusions and to give a negative judgment of the apparitions, however, the Rome requested another investigation to be made by the Conference of Bishops of Yugoslavia. The Conclusion of the Conference of Bishops, published in Zadar on 10 April 1991 was the apparitions "non constat de supernaturalitate", that is that on the basis of previous examinations, it is impossible to establish that these are supernatural apparitions or revelations. However, the Conference left the possibility of the pilgrimage.[4]

The Ruini Commission: 2010–2014

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Cardinal Camillo Ruini headed the commission established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010

Pope Benedict XVI established a new commission headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini with other fourteen members on 17 March 2010. The commission was active until 17 January 2014. Other prominent members of the commission included Cardinals Jozef Tomko, Vinko Puljić, Josip Bozanić, Julián Herranz and Angelo Amato, psychologists, theologians, mariologists and canonists. The task of the commission was to "collect and examine all the material", and publish a "detailed report" based on its findings.[40]

The Ruini Commission made a distinction between the first appearances from 24 June 1981 until 3 July 1981, with 13 votes in favor of those apparitions being of "supernatural" origin, one vote against, and an expert with a suspensive vote. Regarding the rest of the apparitions, from July 1981 onwards, the Commission found them to be influenced by heavy interference caused by the conflict between the Franciscans and the diocese over the redistribution of parishes. The Commission deemed later visions to be "pre-announced and programmed", and they continued despite the seers stating they would end.[40]

Regarding the pastoral fruits of Medjugorje, the Commission voted in two phases. In the first phase, they disregarded the behavior of the seers and voted six in favor of the positive outcome (including three experts), seven stating they are mixed (including three experts) with most being positive, and other three experts stating the fruits are a mix of positive and negative. In the second phase, taking into consideration the behavior of the seers, twelve members (including four experts) stated they cannot express their opinion, and other two members voted against the supernatural origin of the phenomenon.[40]

The report was recieved with negative oppinions in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, expressing doubts regarding the apparitions.[40] Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, who headed the Congregation at the time, said in April 2017 regarding Medjugorje, that "pastoral questions" cannot be separated "from questions of the authenticity of apparitions".[41]

Position of the Church

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Main article: Catholic Church response to the Medjugorje apparitions

The only official stance taken by the Church is the Declaration of the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia in Zadar, from 10 April 1991, in which it is said that the alleged apparitions "non constat de supernaturalitate", that is that on the basis of previous examinations, it is impossible to establish that these are supernatural apparitions or revelations. The Delcaration allowed the pilgrames.[4]

The local bishops denied the apparitions. Bishop Pavao Žanić took a negative stance towards the apparitions after seeing some false statements from the alleged seers and Madonna accusing him of causing disorder in the Herzegovina Case, a dispute over the redistribution of parishes between the Franciscans and the diocesan clergy, and taking the side of the two disobident Franciscans.[3] In a sermon in Medjugorje from 1987, Bishop Pavao expressed his dissatisfaction with the apparitions happening at any location, including cars and buses,[42] exclaiming "Madonna, what are they doing to you?".[43]

Pope

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Even though the supporters of the apparitions claimed that Pope John Paul II and Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith were sympathetic towards the apparitions, Ratzinger refuted these claims in July 1998, stating: "I can only say that the statements about Medjugorje attributed to the Holy Father and me are mere fabrications! (frei erfunden)".[44][45]

In an interview in May 2017, Pope Francis commented on the findings of the commission headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini saying that the report said of the initial apparitions that they "need to continue being studied" and expressed doubts in the later apparitions. He also expressed his own suspicion towards the apparitions saying he prefers "the Madonna as Mother, our Mother, and not a woman who’s the head of an office".[46]

Authorization of Pilgrimage

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However on May 12, 2019, the Vatican officially authorized pilgrimages to Medjugorje.[47] The first Vatican-sanctioned pilgrimage took place for five days in August 2019.[48] During the pilgrimage, approximately 60,000 young Catholics from 97 different countries took part in the celebration of a youth festival.[48] Fourteen archbishops and bishops and about 700 Catholic priests joined the festival as well.[48]

Reported miracles

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Many phenomena have been reported at Medjugorje, such as the sun spinning, dancing in the sky, turning colours, or being surrounded by objects such as hearts or crosses. Eye damage from looking at the sun in Medjugorje has been reported.[49] And some have reported miraculous cures.[50] The tall cement cross erected on Mount Križevac (which means "Cross Mountain") has reportedly disappeared and reappeared or else glowed as if lit with lights, although there is no electricity on the mountain.[51] Not everyone reports seeing the same miracles at the same time. Numerous supposedly miraculous healings have also been reported.[50]

Critics consider the apparitions to be a hoax, and have stated that the reports of mysterious lights on the hill could easily be explained by illusions produced by atmospheric conditions, or fires that were lit by local youths.[52]

Raymond Eve, a professor of sociology, in the Skeptical Inquirer has written:

I acknowledge that the teenagers' initial encounters with the Virgin may well have been caused by personal factors. For example, Ivanka, who was the first to perceive a visitation, had just lost her natural mother. The perception of apparitional experiences spread rapidly among her intimate peer group. ...The region's tension and anxiety likely exacerbated this contagion process and the need to believe among the youthful protagonists.[53]

Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell has noted that there are a number of reasons for doubting the authenticity of the apparitions such as contradictions in the stories. For example, on the first sighting, the teenagers claimed they had visited Podbrdo Hill to smoke. They later retracted this, claiming they had gone to the hill to pick flowers. According to Nickell there is also a problem of the "embarrassingly illiterate" nature of the messages.[52]

Description of Mary

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Commonly devoted statue of the Virgin of Medjugorje.

Franciscan Fr. Janko Bubalo questioned the seers and asked them to describe Virgin Mary's appearance. They claim that Our Lady appears to be 18 to 20 years old, slender and around 165 centimetres (5 ft 5 in) tall. Her face is long and oval. She has black hair. Her eyes are blue with delicate eyelashes and thin black eyebrows. She has a little nose and rosy cheeks. She has reddish thin lips and her smile is more like some indescribable gentleness. It's visible as if somehow under her skin.

Her simple dress is bluish-grey and falls freely all the way down to the little whitish cloud on which she is standing. Her veil is pure white and covers her head and shoulders. It also reaches down to the little cloud. She has a crown of twelve golden stars on her head.

Finally he asked, "Is Our Lady really beautiful, as you have said?" Their answer was, "Well, really we haven't told you anything about that. Her beauty cannot be described. It is not our kind of beauty. It is something ethereal, something heavenly, something that we'll only see in Paradise and then only to a certain degree."[54] Seer Mirjana, in her autobiography, says that when they asked Gospa, "How is it possible that you are so beautiful?" Our Lady gently smiled. "I am beautiful because I love," she said. "If you want to be beautiful, then love."[55]

Biographies of the alleged seers

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Vicka Ivanković

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Vicka Ivanković is the oldest of the alleged seers, born on September 3, 1964, in Bijakovići, a village near Međugorje. She was 16 at the time of the alleged apparitions. She claims to have had daily apparitions, and on occasions two, three, four or five times a day. According to her claims, the apparition told her her biography from January 1983 to April 1985.[56]

One of the major controversies of the Međugorje phenomenon was her diary about the apparitions, which went public with or without her consent. She claimed that the copying of her diaries occurred without her knowledge or consent.[56]

She lives in Međugorje and is married to Marijo Mijatović as of 2002.[57]

Mirjana Dragičević

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Mirjana Dragičević was born on March 18, 1965, in Sarajevo. She was 15 at the time of the alleged apparitions. She lived in Sarajevo for a long time, where she has also finished her education. She claims to have had regular apparitions between June 24, 1981, and December 25, 1982. She claims that she became depressed and prayed for the apparition to see her again. According to her claims, Gospa left her "a gift" that she could see her on her birthday. As Međugorje became more and more popular, Dragičević later said that as of August 2, 1987, the apparition would appear every 2nd day of every month. As of 2 January 1997, Dragičević knew the exact hour of the apparition (10 to 11 AM).[57]

She claims that the apparition told her ten secrets, which are intended "for humanity in general, for the world, then for Međugorje, Yugoslavia, and some other areas". Dragičević also said that every seer has a special mission. She was ordained for those "who do not know the love of God", Vicka Ivanković and Jakov Čolo for the sick, Ivan Dragičević for the young and the priests, Marija Pavlović for the souls in Purgatory, and Ivanka Ivanković for families.[58]

Dragičević is married to Marko Soldo since 1989 and they have two children. They live in Međugorje.[59]

Marija Pavlović

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Marija Pavlović

Marija Pavlović was born on April 1, 1965, in Bijakovići near Međugorje. She was 15 at the time of the alleged apparitions. She finished secondary school in Mostar. She became a seer since the second day of the alleged apparitions on June 25, 1981.[60]

She was once asked why she didn't become a nun, to which she replied: "Through all those years I thought I'm gonna be a nun. I started visiting a monastery; my desire to go there was very strong. But the abbess told me: "Marija, if you tend to join, you can, but if Bishop decides that you cannot talk about Međugorje, you must listen to him." In that moment, I started to think that my calling is perhaps that I witness to what I saw and felt, and that I will seek my sainthood outside the monastery."[60] She also claims to have daily apparitions and that she keeps nine secrets from Gospa. She claims that Gospa sends her monthly messages for the world. These messages were at first made public by fra Tomislav Vlašić, then after him by fra Slavko Barbarić.[61]

Later, in February 1988, she joined fra Tomislav Vlašić,[62] a New Age promoter,[63] and his group of 15 young men and women in the community "Queen of Peace, where totally yours – Through Mary to Jesus" in Parma, Italy. Together they participated in spiritual exercises for five months. She left the group in July 1988. Vlašić was an ex-friar since 1987 who with his German assistant Agnes Heupel founded a mystic community. Heupel also claimed to receive messages from Gospa. Vlašić claimed that through Pavlović's testimony the community was a work of Gospa herself, and that Pavloviće had delivered him an answer in March 1987 to his question to Gospa about the community, which, among other things, stated: "This is God's plan" and that "Gospa leads the group through father Tomislav and Agnes, through which she sends her messages for the community".[64] In July 1988, Pavlović denied any messages from Gospa regarding the community.[65]

She married an Italian, Paolo Lunneti, in Milano in 1993. They live in a mansion in Monza.[66]

Ivan Dragičević

[edit]

Ivan Dragičević was born in Mostar on May 25, 1965. He was 15 at the time of the alleged apparitions. After graduating from elementary school, he enrolled at a secondary school in Čitluk, but failed to pass the first class. In August 1981 he applied to the seminary of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, where he was already known for the alleged apparitions. He was sent to a seminary in Visoko. In the seminary, he also claimed to have daily apparitions. Again he failed to pass the first class and was sent to the gymnasium in Dubrovnik, where it was thought he would pass the class more easily. Thus, in autumn 1982, he was transferred from the Franciscan seminary to the humanist gymnasium in Dubrovnik. He was unsuccessful there as well and left the school altogether in January 1983.[67]

While in the Franciscan seminary, he claimed that Gospa came to an image of Jesus and said: "Angel, this is your Father", which was never taught by any Christian denomination. He also claimed, like Vicka Dragičević, that Gospa told him her biography from December 1982 to May 1983.[68]

Dragičević married Laureen Murphy, a former Miss Massachusetts, in 1994. They have three children and live in Boston.[68]

Ivanka Ivanković

[edit]

Ivanka Ivanković was born in Bijakovići on June 21, 1966. At the time of the alleged apparitions, she was 14. She, like Ivan Dragičević and Vicka Dragičević, claims that Gospa told her biography between January and May 1983. She claims to have had regular apparitions until May 7, 1985, and that since then the apparitions occurr only once a year. She was, as she claims, given the tenth secret by Gospa.[69]

She is married to Rajko Elez with whom she has three children. They live in Međugorje.[69]

Jakov Čolo

[edit]

Jakov Čolo was born in Bijakovići on March 6, 1971. He was 10 at the time of the alleged apparitions. He claimed to have had daily apparitions from June 25, 1981, to September 12, 1998. As of then, he claims that he has one apparition a year on Christmas day. He claims that Gospa told him the tenth secret.[70]

He married Anna-Lisa Barozzi, an Italian, in 1993. They have three children and live in Međugorje.[70]

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Perica 2002, p. 118.
  2. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 41–42: "'We went looking for sheep and suddenly ...' (the chaplain in the parish warned me that they were going to smoke, they hid it from their parents).
    'Wait, Mirjana, you are under oath. Did you go looking Sheep?'
    She put her hand over her mouth, ‘sorry, we went to smoke’. [...] On the tapes she later recorded I saw that and she kept saying that a miracle happened on the clock and she kept talking about how they went looking for the sheep."
  3. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 42.
  4. ^ a b c d Kutleša 2001, pp. 43–44.
  5. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 26–29: "That the Chronicle was revised can be seen from the excerpt from January 3, 1982. In the Chronicle submitted to Msgr. Žanić has two original leaflets about two chaplains: one was written by Vicka, the other by Mirjana. The same excerpts are brought by Fr. Grafenauer and he claims that they were copied from Tomislav's Chronicle. However, Vicki's original piece of paper, which is in the Chronicle, submitted to Msgr. Žanić, does not agree at all with the excerpt given by Grafenauer and which - according to Grafenauer's explicit statement - would have been copied from the Chronicle written by Fr. Tomislav Vlašić"
  6. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 44.
  7. ^ ""The Gospels According to Christ? Combining the Study of the Historical Jesus with Modern Mysticism", Daniel Klimek". Glossolalia.sites.yale.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  8. ^ Bulat 2006, p. 20.
  9. ^ Bulat 2006, p. 23.
  10. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 24–25: "A similar record was made on January 20: 'Five children had a vision of the Mother of God this evening as well.' The visionaries also asked the question: 'What will Fr. Ivica Vego and Fr. Ivan Prusina do now that they have been expelled?' These are two disobedient chaplains who were suspended, ie they were forbidden to perform priestly duties and were dismissed from the Order of the OFM. Our Lady replied: 'They are not guilty. The bishop was hasty in his decision. Let them stay.' This fact interests us here only because the two mentioned chaplains were dismissed from the Order only on 29 January 1982. The act of dismissal from the OFM Order of the two mentioned chaplains was recorded in the Chronicle 9 days before they were dismissed. This clearly tells us that the wording: 'Five children and this evening ...', ie 20 January is not correct, because it did not happen that evening nor could it have been written that evening when the chaplains were fired 9 days later."
  11. ^ Bulat 2006, p. 26.
  12. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 34–35.
  13. ^ Bulat 2006, p. 35: "It is interesting what Vicka said in a conversation with Fr. Janko Bubalo when he asked her about the "sign":
    Janko: - In a notebook (which they call yours) it says that Our Lady had a smile on 26 October 1981, she said she was somehow surprised that you didn't ask her for a sign anymore, but that she will surely leave it to you, that you are not afraid of anything...
    Vicka: - That's good. But I don't think it was her first promise that she would really leave a sign to us.
    Janko: - This is true because, in a small notebook, which was recorded by your sister Ana (it is the manuscript of the First Diary), it was recorded three times that Our Lady told you at the end of August that she would leave her sign 'soon', and here, it dragged on...
    Vicka: - I don't know that. I never read that notebook, and I never told Ana that. Someone else must have said that
    Janko: - I think Jakov and Ivanka told her that..."
  14. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 40–48.
  15. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 48–50.
  16. ^ Bulat 2006, pp. 61–62: "In the first place comes the recognition of Vicka herself. In the diaries we spoken of above (First, Second and Third) there is not a single excerpt brought by Fr. Grafenauer to Msgr. Žanić. When Bishop Žanić reproduced Fr. Grafenauer's excerpts and distributed them to some bishops, he received a letter from the seer Vicka Ivanković, dated 7 May 1983, in which she wrote:
    'These days, I learned that they are multiplying excerpts from my diary, which I write exclusively for myself from the very beginning of the apparition of Bl. Virgin Mary on Crnica in the parish of Medjugorje. [...]] I hereby inform my Father Bishop that the public is aware that anything that spreads and multiplies in any way as the text of my diary is a severe indiscretion and violation of my basic rights to a private diary.' [...]
    That such a diary existed, Vicka confirmed in an interview with three members of the Commission (Dogan, Samac and the undersigned) on 11 October 1984 in Mostar. Then I showed Vicka a copy of her letter to the bishop dated 7 May 1983, read it aloud, and finally asked her,
    "It says here that you have been writing a diary since the beginning of the apparition."
    Vicka: "I am!"
    Bulat: "And that Diary exists?
    Vicka: "It exists!" (Let's not forget that this is a Diary containing "Our Lady's messages" to the chaplains) (...)
    Bulat: "Do you really own that Diary as a whole?"
    Vicka: "Yes!" [...]
    Dogan: "Did Father Vlašić see that Diary?"
    Vicka: "Which one? He saw everything. The same Diary, he saw everything, only he did not see the biography (Our Lady's biography). I give all the diaries to everyone. Whoever wants can look at them. But I don't have any hidden Diary!"
  17. ^ Bulat 2006, p. 64-65: Msgr. Žanić, convinced that the excerpts brought to him by Fr. Grafenauer from Vicka's Diary, asked Fr. Tomislav Vlašić on 9 February 1983 why they hid the Diary from the bishop and why they did not publish the messages that "Our Lady" said about the chaplains.
    Vlašić replied: "Well, you publish it!" "He did not say that the excerpts brought by Fr. Grafenauer were not from the Diary or that the Diary did not exist," Bishop Žanić notes.
    However, when the bishop, after several unsuccessful written requests, went to Medjugorje in person on 16 November 1983 to request the Chronicle and the diary, Father Vlašić claimed that the diary did not exist "and that he could swear on the cross that he had never had it in his hands". On 14 December 1983, Fr. Tomislav Vlašić spoke again with the bishop in Mostar about the "hidden" diary: on that occasion, he swore on the cross that he did not have in his hand the diary spoken of by the bishop."
  18. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 75.
  19. ^ a b c d e Zovkić 1993, p. 83.
  20. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 77.
  21. ^ a b Zovkić 1993, p. 84.
  22. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 89: "I'm sending him a penultimate warning. If he is not converted or corrected, he will be judged by me and my son Jesus. If he does not accomplish what I am telling him it means he has not found the path of my son Jesus.
  23. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 91–92: "Father, do not persecute my priests, messengers of God's word if you do not already believe in my coming and my messengers through whom I give messages and lead them to life. Dear Father, listen to my words and take a stand. Start working!"
  24. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 81.
  25. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 64.
  26. ^ Žanić.
  27. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 75–78.
  28. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 80.
  29. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 94–95.
  30. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 94–95: "Ja sam pitala zavas i čula sam šta se dešava sa C.C. i sve razumila šta on hoće. Ja sam pitala dragu Gospu za vas. ’Ovako’. Za C.C. treba ga opomeniti da to nečini jer on nije svjestan šta radi. Rekla je da on neće dugo i da će se injemu stati ukraj, jer on niušto nevjeruje i neiđe Božjim redom i zato mu ništa nemože biti sa blagosovom. I još da kažem nemojte vi ništa govoriti niočeme jer on neće da prihvaća Božje rječi. Vi nemorate sanjim pričati jer to je za njega veliki udarac samo on to neće da prizna. A njegove se žene okanite jer hoće da vas dotjera do velikog zla i ona ga (tj. muža) počinje podgovarati tako da vas lakše istra odatle. Vi se držite svoga i nemojte popuštati a sta će se injemu ukraj."
  31. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 96.
  32. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 97.
  33. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 97: "Kći te obitelji opisala je 16. ožujka 1995. na tri stranice taj Pastoralni centar Međugorje. Tu spominje kako su prvi put pitali Gospu 'prošle godine u aprilu, ja mislim da je to bio kraj aprila i odgovor je glasio: 'Još nije pravo vrijeme kada bude pravi trenutak ja ću vam kazati.'"
  34. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 97: "Zatim kći nastavlja: 'Moj otac kaže da je pitao još jednom i odgovor je bio otprilike isti. I treći put 2. decembra 1994. dođe Vicka mom ocu i kaže ja sam sinoć 1. dec. pitala Gospu za vas, to stoji na jednom papiru. Točno 'Ja sam sinoć pitala Gospu za vas i ona kaže da možete polako početi sa gradnjom. Puno pozdrava i ja molim za vas Vicka'"
  35. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 97–98.
  36. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 98: "Već jednom sam vam pisala preko mojih prijatelja N. N. i njegove obitelji pa vam se ponovno javljam jer me možda niste dobro razumjeli, a ujedno sam na neki način i malo začuđena da preko Gospinih Majke Božje poruka tražite i nečije druge.
    Kada Gospa Majka Božja odobrava i naglašava početak radova na izgradnji objekta onda neznam čemu vaša sumlja i traženje nekakvi naknadni poruka i odobrenje od obični ljudi.
    Gospa Majka - Božja je preko mene dala odobrenje za izgradnju objekta pa ako vjerujete u Međugorje i ukaznja Gospe Majke Božje neznam čemu sumlja. Ja vam od srca želim sretan početak gradnje i zajedničke suradnje.
  37. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 99: "Moje je pitanje bilo: Zašto mi je ona onda rekla da nju (Gospu) nije pitala, zašto mi je lagala? Ja sam s Vickom pred njezinim roditeljima govorio i ona je imala malo straha pred ocem da potvrdi odgovor, jer se otac već bio razljutio zbog insistiranja obitelji N.N. Ona se sada također pismeno kod mene ispričala i kaže da ona nije nikada mislila da je to tako važno. Ona piše: Sada se dogodilo, i neće se više nikada dogoditi!... Da biste razumjeli Vickinu situaciju, još ću nešto reći u odnosu na pismo koje ste primili od Vicke i meni faksirali. Kad sam ja pismo pročitao, bio sam siguran da tekst ne pripada Vicki. Potom sam je pitao. I to je bilo ovako: Ona se spremala na put u Rim i imala je malo vremena. Gospodin N. N. i njegov sin napisali su tekst i zamolili Vicku da ona tekst svojom rukom potpiše. U brzini ona je tekst svojom rukom potpisala. Vicki pripada samo posljednja rečenica. Vicka je stoga gotovo zaplakala i više se puta ispričala, jer ona zna koje posljedice ovaj slučaj 'laži' može imati, jer Vi ste se također zapitali kako je Međugorje 'vjerodostojno'"
  38. ^ Kutleša 2001, pp. 44–47.
  39. ^ Zovkić 1993, p. 77.
  40. ^ a b c d Tornielli.
  41. ^ eKai.
  42. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 49.
  43. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 93.
  44. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 283.
  45. ^ Nacional.
  46. ^ Harris.
  47. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vaticanapproval was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  48. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference firstpilgrimage was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  49. ^ Glen C. Cangelosi, David A. Newsome. (January 1988). "Solar Retinopathy in Persons on Religious Pilgrimage". American Journal of Ophthalmology. 105 (1): 95–97. doi:10.1016/0002-9394(88)90133-x. PMID 3337203.
  50. ^ a b "Testimonies of Physical Healings". Medjugorje.com. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  51. ^ "Miracle at Medjugorje – Visit To Medjugorje". Medjugorje.org. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  52. ^ a b Nickell, Joe. (1993). Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions & Healing Cures. Prometheus Books. pp. 190-194. ISBN 1-57392-680-9
  53. ^ "Politicizing the Virgin Mary: The Instance of the Madonna of Medjugorje". Csicop.org. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  54. ^ "Description of Our Lady of Medjugorje". Medjugorjeusa.org. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
  55. ^ Bubalo, Father Janko (1991). A Thousand Encounters With The Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje; The Seer Vicka Speaks of Her Experiences. Friends of Medjugorje.
  56. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 21.
  57. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 23.
  58. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 25.
  59. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 26.
  60. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 28.
  61. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 30–31.
  62. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 29.
  63. ^ Niles 2017.
  64. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 28–29.
  65. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 29–30.
  66. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 31.
  67. ^ Kutleša 2001, p. 33.
  68. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 34.
  69. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 36.
  70. ^ a b Kutleša 2001, p. 37.

References

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Books

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  • Bulat, Nikla (2006). Istina će nas osloboditi [The Truth will set us free] (in Croatian). Mostar: Biskupski ordinarijat Mostar.
  • Kutleša, Dražen (2001). Ogledalo pravde [Mirror of Justice] (in Croatian). Mostar: Biskupski ordinarijat Mostar.
  • Perica, Vjekoslav (2002). Balkan Idols: Religion and Nationalism in Yugoslav States. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Journals

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  • Zovkić, Mato (1993). "Problematični elementi u fenomenu Međugorja" [The problematic elements in the Medjugorje phenomenon]. Bogoslovska Smotra (in Croatian). 63 (1–2): 76–87.

News articles

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Web-sites

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Our Lady of Medjugorje.


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