Beginning at Medjugorje (in Bosnia-Herzegovina), six children claim to have received frequent apparitions from the Virgin Mary. The visionaries have moved to other places in the world, but Medjugorje has continued to be a place of pilgrimage from almost every place in the world. The apparitions began in June of 1981 and still continue today (Oct. 2005). Web sites about Medjugorje -- www.medjugorje.hr -- see also www.medjugorje.org

In my humble and pious opinion as a faithful Roman Catholic theologian, the claim that the messages and apparitions to the six visionaries of Medjugorje are private revelation is trustworthy and reliable. A list of reasons and examples follows.

1. Approved by the 'sensus fidelium' (mind of the faithful)

The claims of private revelation to the visionaries of Medjugorje is different from many of the other claims. These apparitions have continued for many years. Very many dioceses and parishes have sent pilgrims to Medjugorje. Very many Bishops and Priests support and approve of these pilgrimages. The 'sensus fidelium,' i.e. the mind of the faithful, has clearly given approval to this apparition.

Throughout the ages, there have been so-called 'private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church. (CCC, n. 67)

The number of faithful Catholics who have visited Medjugorje, and left convinced that the Virgin Mary truly has appeared there is perhaps in the millions. No other apparition of the Virgin Mary in the history of the Church has been so thoroughly approved by the 'sensus fidelium.'

2. No moral or doctrinal errors.

I have read many things about the apparitions at Medjugorje (including the book 'the Visions of the Children' by Janice Connell, and various web site. I have read many of the messages of Medjugorje. Speaking as a Catholic theologian, I find no doctrinal, moral, or theological errors in any of this material.

3. Characteristics of false private revelation are absent.

False private revelations tend to have certain characteristics (see my article and my evaluations of various false private revelations). The messages and apparitions at Medjugorje lack all of these characteristics. There is no sensationalism, no worldly language, no exaltation of the devil, no false doctrines, no distortions of doctrine, no false claims about the future or about the Antichrist, no exaltation of the visionaries. The messages do not give excessive attention to evil or to sin. They do not contain long rambling uninformative diatribes, nor vague and confused predictions. There are no empty exhortations to holiness, nor are odd new titles given to the Virgin Mary. The vocabulary and language are simple and humble, not sensational and worldly.

The messages and apparitions at Medjugorje are very different from the numerous examples of false private revelation, and very similar to apparitions such as Fatima and La Salette and Guadalupe.

4. Pope John Paul II personally had a favorable view of pilgrimages to Medjugorje.

See this page: www.medjugorje.org/pope.htm and also this page: www.medjugorje.org/frjozoletter.htm See also the following quote, (from the first page cited above):

Mons. Maurillo Kreiger, former bishop of Florianopolis (Brazil), visited Medjugorje four times. His first visit was in 1986. He writes as follows: “In 1988, I was with eight other bishops and thirty three priests on spiritual retreat in the Vatican. The Holy Father knew that many of us were going to Medjugorje afterwards. After a private mass with the Pope, before leaving Rome, he said, without having been asked anything, “PRAY FOR ME IN MEDJUGORJE”. On another occasion, I told the Pope “I am going to Medjugorje for the fourth time”. He concentrated his thoughts and said, “MEDJUGORJE, MEDJUGORJE, IT'S THE SPIRITUAL HEART OF THE WORLD”. On the same day I spoke with other Brazilian bishops and the Pope at lunch time and I asked him: “Your holiness, can I tell the visionaries that you send your blessing?” He answered: “YES, YES” and embraced me.

5. There are no clearly false statements about the future.

There appear to be no errors of eschatological theology. In my understanding of Catholic eschatology and of the meaning of some Bible passages for the future of the Church and the world, I can find no false things said about the future at all. False claims about the future and poor eschatological theology is common in false private revelation, and absent in the messages of Medjugorje.

6. The Secrets of Medjugorje

See my article on this subject here (www.catholicplanet.com/articles/tensecrets.htm). I can tell you that these secrets are true and each of them is found within Sacred Scripture.

7. The opposition of the local Bishop is not definitive.

The approval or disapproval of the local Bishop, concerning a claim to private revelation, is not infallible. In fact, even the Holy See does not and cannot rule infallibly on claims of private revelation. Nor has the Holy See ruled against Medjugorje using the fallible temporal authority of the Church.

Take, for example, the false claim of private revelation to Ida Peerdeman of Amsterdam. A number of Bishops in succession gave their disapproval. But another Bishop, more recently gave approval (even though this claim of private revelation is clearly false). One can see from this example that Bishops can be mistaken when evaluating private revelation.

Furthermore, the position of one local Bishop is not binding on all of the faithful worldwide. Pope John Paul II permitted and even encouraged pilgrimages to Medjugorje (see #4 above). Most dioceses in the world, and very many Bishops and parish priests, permit and encourage such pilgrimages. Many Bishops and priests have themselves visited Medjugorje.

Summary

Despite the opposition of a relatively small number of Catholics, and of the local Bishop, the apparitions and messages of Medjugorje have been widely accepted by the faithful. In my humble and pious opinion as a faithful Roman Catholic theologian, the claims of private revelation to the visionaries of Medjugorje are reliable and trustworthy.


by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
Oct. 7, 2005