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Medjugorje Marian apparitions determined REAL in Vatican commission reports - but what happens now?

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What was decided about the remaining apparitions?

In 2010, Pope Benedict established a committee to study the Marian apparitions at Medjugorje.

Since 1981, Marian apparitions have allegedly been appearing in Medjugorje.

Since 1981, Marian apparitions have allegedly been appearing in Medjugorje.

Highlights

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - From June 24 to July 3, 1981, six young seers witnessed seven different appearances from Mary. They were reportedly taken by surprise by the apparition and were under no influence from the Franciscans of the parish. The "physically normal" visionaries resisted coming forward with their experience despite police arrest and death threats.

The visions reportedly continued multiple times in the years later, despite the original visionaries stating they would not.

The commission willed by Pope Benedict was chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.

The commission willed by Pope Benedict was chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. From March 17, 2010 to January 17, 2014, Ruini, along with "former chairman of the CEI, Cardinals Jozef Tomko, Vinko Puljic, Josip Bozanic, Julian Herranz and Angelo Amato, psychologist Tony Anatrella, theologians Pierangelo Sequeri, Franjo Topic, Mihaly Szentmartoni and Nela Gaspar, Mariologist Salvatore Perrella, anthropologist Achim Schutz, canonist David Jaeger, speaker of the causes of the saints Zdzislaw Jozef Kijas, psychologist Mijo Nikic and the official of the Doctrine of the Faith Krzysztof Nykiel," set out to unravel the truth behind the apparitions.


The group was tasked to "collect and examine all the material" about Medjugorje and the alleged apparitions and then present a "detailed report," now known as the Ruini report, with a deciding vote on the "supernatural nature or not" of the said apparitions. The commission was to also present any "pastoral solutions" to the situation at hand.

After meeting 17 times, screening all documents, hearing from all the seers and witnesses, and investigating the village of Herzegovina, they presented their results. This report has now been published on the Vatican Insider.

Regarding the first seven original appearances, 13 voted for a supernatural nature, and only one voted against, with another in a "suspensive" ballot.

Regarding the apparitions following 1981, there were many more doubts and suspended votes.

However, the committee expressed the need to take into consideration the now present interference by the conflict between the Bishop and the Franciscans of the parish, and the fact that the said apparitions were now "pre-announced and programmed individually for each seer" and "continued with repetitive messages."

After coming to a somewhat conclusion in their reports, the committee addressed their pastoral solutions. The original commission endorsed the ban on pilgrimages organized in Medjugorje, based on the fact that the Medjugorje seers "have never been adequately followed on the spiritual side." They also suggested a "transformation of the parish into a pontifical sanctuary."

Despite all of their findings and conclusions, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith led by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller expressed some doubts in the apparition phenomenon and the Runni report itself. In 2016, a "Feria IV," the monthly meeting of Dicastry members, were called upon to discuss Medjugorje and the Ruini report. Those present were given the entire earlier commission's report and were asked to give their opinions, which were to be sent directly to Pope Francis.

Based on the "Feria IV" meeting, Pope Francis decided to send the Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser on a special mission for the Holy See in Medjugorje. While there, Archbishop Hoser was to gather more information on the "pastoral solution" aspect of the investigation.

"About the first apparitions, when (the 'seers') were young, the report more or less says that the investigation needs to continue," the Pope said, according to the English translation of his May 13 interview, posted on the Vatican website.

"Concerning the alleged current apparitions, the report expresses doubts," he said. "Personally, I am more 'mischievous.' I prefer Our Lady to be a mother, our mother, and not a telegraph operator who sends out a message every day at a certain time - this is not the mother of Jesus."


For Pope Francis, the core of the commission's finding seemed to be in the fact that thousands of pilgrims go to Medjugorje and are converted.

"For this, there is no magic wand; this spiritual-pastoral fact cannot be denied."

Although Archbishop Hoser's report is expected sometime during the Summer of 2017, Pope Francis gave no timeline on a clear decision - only stating, "In the end, something will be said."

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