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In another plea to stop devotion to the "Madonna
of Medjugorje" Bishop Peric states emphatically that these alleged apparitions are false- neither "supernatural
or Marian". - 2006
The Full Text of Article
Medjugorje and the Church
A Comparison
The following are some samples of the teachings of "Our Lady of Medjugorje" compared with the infallible teachings of the
Holy Catholic Church.
| What the Church Says |
What Medjugorje Says |
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Ex Cathedra: "There is but one universal Church of the faithful outside of which no one at all can be saved." Pope
Innocent III, Fourth Lateran Council, 1215 A. D.
Ex Cathedra: "The most Holy Roman Catholic Church firmly believes, professes, and preaches that none of those existing
outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal;
but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are
joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity
can profit by the sacraments of the church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts,
their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving
be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within
the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church." Pope Eugene IV, the Bull Cantate Domino, 1441 A.D.
Ex Cathedra: "We declare, say, and define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human
creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff." ( Pope Boniface VIII, the Bull Unam Sanctam, 1302 A.D. |
"God presides over all religions as a king controls his subjects, through his priests and ministers. ( Svetozar Krljevic
O.F.M., The Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje, Franciscan Herald Press, 1984)
Seer Ivanka Ivankovic: "The Madonna always stresses that there is but one God and that people have enforced unnatural separation.
One cannot truly believe, be a true Christian, if he does not respect other religions as well." ( The Apparitions of
Our Lady of Medjugorje, Franciscan Herald Press, 1984)
Seer Ivanka Ivankovic: "The Madonna said that religions are separated in the earth, but the people of all religions are
accepted by her Son." The Apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje, Franciscan Herald Press, 1984)
Question: "Is the Blessed Mother calling all people to be Catholic?
Seer Vicka Ivankovic: "No. The Blessed Mother says all religions are dear to her and her Son." (Janice T. Connell,
The Visions of the Children, The Apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Medjugorje, St. Martin's Press, August
1992)
Locutionist Jelena Vasilij: "The Blessed Mother has said: 'Tell everyone that it is you who are divided on earth. The Moslems
and the Orthodox for the same reason as Catholics, are equal before my Son and me.'" |
| "Outside this body, the Holy Ghost does not give life to anyone... Those outside the Church do not possess
the Holy Ghost. The Catholic Church alone is the Body of Christ... and if a man be separated from the Body of Christ
he is not one of His members, nor is he fed by His Spirit." Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) |
The Gospa: " It is not equally efficacious to belong to or pray in any church or community, because the Holy
Spirit grants his power differently among the churches and ministers." |
The Official Position of the Church
Warning: Many of the followers of Medjugorje have been falsely claiming that the Pope and prominent Church
leaders and teachers, such as Mother Angelica are giving approval to the alleged Apparitions at Medjugorje. The official position
of the Church is as follows:
From the Holy See
The Holy Father has said that no priests must organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje, nor be leaders of such.
Statement from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Mostar
On May 16, 1997, Don Ante Luburic, Chancellor of the Diocese of Mostar, stated that, "Medjugorje has become a place of
Religious disorder, disobedience, and anti-ecclesiastical activity."
The Full Text of the Chancellor's Statement
Declaration of the Bishop of Mostar Concerning Medjugorje, July 15, 1987
My heart goes out to the Bishop of Mostar. He is suffering terribly under the attacks and false accusations of
the Medjugorje followers. Moreover, his authority is continually challenges by the disobedience of clergy in league with Medjugorje
and the continued disobedient promotion of the heretical veiws of the Medjugorje followers.
Given by Bishop Mgr. Pavao Zanic
Ever since the news appeared concerning the unusual events in this diocese, the Bishop's Office followed the reports carefully,
and collected everything that could serve in the search for truth. The Bishop allowed the seers and religious involved full
freedom, and even defended them from political and press attacks. We taped all the conversations, collected chronicles and
diaries, letters and documents. The Commission of our professors of theology and physicians studied all this for three years.
The three year work of the Commission concluded as follows: two members voted in favor of the truth and supernatural nature
of the apparitions. One member abstained from voting. One accepted that something had happened at the beginning. Eleven voted
that there had been no apparitions non constat de supernaturalitate.
A Statement from Bishop Mgr. Ratko Peric, the Successor to Mgr. Zanic
Given during an interview with Fidelity Magazine in the February 1994 Issue.
What bishop wouldn't be delighted that the Virgin Mary should be appearing in his diocese? Especially Mgr. Zanic, a very
Marian bishop. Who as a priest and later as a bishop made eleven pilgrimages to various Marian shrines all over Europe: Lourdes,
Fatima, Syracuse, etc. And then for the Gospa [Our Lady] to have mercy on him and begin to "appear" in his own backyard
as if to bring an end to all his wanderings all over Portugal.
But after a few months, when he heard the small fibs and large lies, insincerities, inexactitudes, and all sorts of fabricated
stories from those who claimed that the Gospa was appearing to them, he became totally convinced that it was not a
matter of supernatural apparitions of the Gospa. Then he started to bring out the truth and to expose the falsehoods.
The greatest satisfaction of his ten years of hard work was when the bishops of Yugoslavia at their spring meeting on April
10, 1991 dutifully declared: "On the basis of studies it cannot be affirmed that supernatural apparitions and revelations
are occuring." This is an exceptionally clear ecclesiastical ruling, and is a rebuttal of the claims of all those who
claim to have seen the Gospa everywhere and at any time since 1981.
The verdict of the Bishop's Conference is for me an authoritative instruction, responsive and binding unless another kind
of verdict is brought. But until now there has been no other [ecclesiastical] judgment...If, after serious, solid, and professional
investigation, our Bishops' Conference had the courage to declare the Medjugorje's apparitions are not supernatural, in spite
of massive stories and convictions to the contrary, then it is a sign that the Church, even in the 20th century "upholds the
truth and keeps it safe (I Timothy 3:15). I affirm this unequivocally.
Reference Material
Michael Davies, Medjugorje, A Warning, Remnant Press, 2539 Morrison Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55117
Brother James, S.D.B, Critique: Medugorje and Brother Thomas, Doubter in Medjugorje, SS Peter and Paul Church,
650 Filbert Street, San Francisco, California 94133.
Dr. I. Siviric, OFM, The Hidden Side of Medjugorje, Editions Psilog, CP 300, Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec,
Canada, JOC 1M0
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