Friday, November 20, 2009

Cardinal Vinko Puljic denies claims of Vatican commission for Medjugorje

.- Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Sarajevo and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina denied press reports yesterday which claim that the Vatican is creating a commission to investigate the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje.

The cardinal, who is visiting Rome to attend the plenary session of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, of which he is a member, said that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is neither preparing a document nor establishing a special commission to study the Medjugorje apparitions.

Cardinal Puljic said that the official position of the bishops of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the one expressed by the then Bishops’ Conference of Yugoslavia in April 1991.

That statement not only expressed the episcopate’s support to then-Bishop Pavao Zanic of Mostar – where the town of Medjugorje is located - but explicitly said that, “based on previous research, it cannot be affirmed that these events concerning apparitions and revelations are of supernatural nature.”

“The doctrinal issue of the Medjugorje phenomenon is resolved, but its pastoral significance must still be taken into account,” the cardinal continued.

“The Medjugorje phenomenon is not only gathering faithful from Bosnia, but from all over the world, and in places where people gather to pray, God gives his blessing. Therefore, we should carefully examine all sides of this phenomenon,” he added.

Nevertheless, he reiterated, “for the moment, everything is under the jurisdiction of the local bishops.”

“Still, at any given moment, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith could establish an International Commission in order to study the case of Medjugorje,” the cardinal remarked.

Speaking at the 2004 assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Puljic complained that the reported apparitions of Medjugorje were “becoming a source of division in the Church.” In 2006, the cardinal was involved in setting up a commission concluding that the alleged Marian apparitions were not supernatural.

Bosnian Cardinal denies claims of Vatican commission for Medjugorje

1 comment:

  1. In an interview with ZENIT, the Cardinal had this to say about Medjugorje (auto translated from Italian to English):
    "It's a reality that the phenomenon of Medjugorje continues to attract thousands of pilgrims", recognizes Cardinal Puljic. "Praying is not a sin", the Cardinal said with a smile. "There are many good observations that have generated even conversions and vocations to the priesthood or religious. There are fruits of prayer where men pray with faith, God gives the fruits of his grace. "
    "Praying in Marian shrines", explained Cardinal Puljić, "is part of the identity of our Catholic faithful. In the course of events issues of history, our people have been found in various sanctuaries in the region to seek comfort, light, hope, and Madonna is a mark for our faith. "
    The entire interview can be found at http://zenit.org/article-20415?l=italian

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