In 1995, just a year out of high school, I went on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was an edifying trip overall. At the time, I was swept up in the Marian “apparition fever” of the 1990s.

As time went by, I became more ambivalent about the alleged apparitions there. I realized my faith did not depend on alleged private revelations – which Catholics aren’t obligated to believe anyway – although I’ve always believed in Church-approved apparitions. Also over the years, I came to know devout Catholics who were/are favorable toward Medjugorje, as well as devout Catholics who were/are unfavorable toward Medjugorje. God bless them all.

At any rate, the Vatican recently made a decision about the shrine.

According to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (click here to read the decision in its entirety):

The time has come to conclude a long and complex history that has surrounded the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. It is a history in which bishops, theologians, commissions, and analysts have expressed a series of divergent opinions.

The conclusions expressed in this Note are presented in the context of what was established in the new Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, 17 May 2024; henceforth, ‘Norms’). Consequently, the perspective of this analysis is quite different from that which was used in earlier studies.

It is important to clarify from the outset that the conclusions of this Note do not imply a judgment about the moral life of the alleged visionaries. Additionally, when recognizing an action of the Spirit for the good of the People of God ‘in the midst of’ a spiritual experience, present from its beginnings until now, we should remember that the charismatic gifts (gratiae gratis datae) that may be connected to that experience do not necessarily require those involved to have moral perfection….

The positive fruits are most evident in the promotion of a healthy practice of a life of faith, in accordance with the tradition of the Church. In the context of Medjugorje, this applies both to those who had been previously distant from the faith as well as to those who had practiced the faith only superficially. The uniqueness of the place lies in the large number of such fruits: abundant conversions, a frequent return to the sacraments (particularly, the Eucharist and Reconciliation), many vocations to priestly, religious, and married life, a deepening of the life of faith, a more intense practice of prayer, many reconciliations between spouses, and the renewal of marriage and family life. It should be noted that such experiences occur above all in the context of pilgrimages to the places associated with the original events rather than in meetings with the ‘visionaries’ to be present for the alleged apparitions.

Many people have discovered their vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life in the context of the ‘Medjugorje phenomenon.’ The stories of these people are quite different, yet they converge in the same spiritual experience of feeling called to follow Jesus in this way. Some individuals went to Medjugorje to discover God’s will in their lives, others went just out of curiosity, and still others went with no faith at all. Several people reported receiving the grace of a vocation, with a strong desire to give themselves entirely to God while they were on the mountain where the alleged apparitions occurred; others experienced this call while they were in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

For many people, life changed after they accepted the spirituality of Medjugorje (messages, prayer, fasting, adoration, Holy Mass, confession, etc.) in their daily lives, leading them to pursue a call to the priesthood or religious life. Some feel they received in Medjugorje the decisive confirmation of a vocation that had been maturing already for a long time. There are also many cases where individuals discovered a particular vocation that, while occurring outside Medjugorje itself, nevertheless took place within groups inspired by its spirituality or by reading books related to this experience.

Moreover, there is no shortage of genuine conversions of people who had been far from God and the Church and who moved from a life marked by sin to adopt radical existential changes oriented toward the Gospel. Numerous healings have also been reported in connection with Medjugorje.

So many others have discovered the beauty of being Christians through Medjugorje. For many, it became a place chosen by God to renew their faith; thus, some experience it as a new starting point for their spiritual journey. In many cases, people were able to overcome a spiritual crisis thanks to Medjugorje. Others report a desire awakened in the context of Medjugorje to give themselves deeply to the service of God in obedience to the Church, or to give themselves with greater commitment to the life of faith in their home parish. Meanwhile, in many nations worldwide, a great number of Marian devotional and prayer groups have emerged that are inspired by the spiritual experience of Medjugorje. Works of charity have also arisen in connection with various communities and associations, particularly those that care for orphans, drug addicts, alcoholics, children facing various difficulties, and people with disabilities.

Particularly notable is the presence of many young people, young couples, and adults who rediscover the Christian faith in Medjugorje through Our Lady, with an experience that directs them to Christ in the Church. A witness to the strong presence of young people in Medjugorje is the annual Youth Festival.

Beyond these particular fruits, Medjugorje is perceived as a space of great peace, recollection, and a piety that is sincere, deep, and easily shared.

In conclusion, the positive fruits linked to this spiritual experience are evident and, over time, they have become distinct from the experience of the alleged visionaries, who are no longer seen as the central mediators of the ‘Medjugorje phenomenon.’ In the midst of this phenomenon, the Holy Spirit is carrying out many beautiful and positive things….

Through the Nihil obstat about a spiritual event, the faithful ‘are authorized to give it their adherence in a prudent manner’ (Norms, art. 22, §1; cf. Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, par. 14). While this does not imply a declaration of the supernatural character of the phenomenon in question (cf. Norms, art. 22, §2)—and recalling that the faithful are not obliged to believe in it—the Nihil obstat indicates that the faithful can receive a positive encouragement for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal, and it authorizes public acts of devotion. Such a determination is possible insofar as many positive fruits have been noted in the midst of a spiritual experience, while negative and dangerous effects have not spread among the People of God.

Evaluating the abundant and widespread fruits, which are so beautiful and positive, does not imply that the alleged supernatural events are declared authentic. Instead, it only highlights that the Holy Spirit is acting fruitfully for the good of the faithful ‘in the midst’ of this spiritual phenomenon of Medjugorje. For this reason, all are invited to appreciate and share the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal (cf. Norms, par. 17)….

In any case, may the people who go to Medjugorje be strongly advised that pilgrimages are not made to meet with alleged visionaries but to have an encounter with Mary, the Queen of Peace, and—faithful to her love for her Son—to encounter Christ and listen to him through meditation on the Word, by participation in the Eucharist, and in Eucharistic Adoration, as happens in so many shrines spread all over the world in which the Virgin Mary is venerated with the most varied titles.

Interestingly, the Vatican’s note does not name the alleged seers/visionaries: Ivan Dragičević, Ivanka Ivanković, Jakov Čolo, Marija Pavlović, Mirjana Dragičević, and Vicka Ivanković. Not that I care at this point, as I neither defend nor promote Medjugorje like I did years ago. Still, I have to acknowledge that Medjugorje did indeed play a role in my faith life way back when. And I continue to strive to cooperate with God’s grace during my earthly pilgrimage.

Please pray for me. Thank you!

Related links:

“Vatican approves ‘nihil obstat’ declaration for Medjugorje”

Father Charlie Becker