Gianluca Barile, in his blog, Diario di un Vaticanista, reports that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has reached a negative conclusion regarding the authenticity of the reported Marian apparitions at Medjugorje.
Walt has never mentioned the supposed visitations of the Blessed Virgin to half a dozen Bosnian "visionaries" because their claims were rejected way back in 1991 by the bishops of what was then Yugoslavia. However, a special papal commission continued to investigate the matter. The commission's findings were reportedly discussed at a meeting of the CDF held yesterday in Rome. According to Sig. Barile, the CDF agreed with that commission’s conclusion that there is no evidence of supernatural activity at Medjugorje.
The CDF is said to have essentially supported the stance taken by the bishops in 1991. They will reportedly recommend that pastors should not sponsor or support events that presume the reality of the visions claimed by the Medjugorje "seers". However, they will likely urge recognition of Medjugorje as a special "place of prayer", in light of numerous reports of intense spiritual experiences enjoyed by visitors there. Pilgrimages to Medjugorje will not be forbidden, provided that they do not centre on the alleged apparitions.
So this extremely hot potato -- many thousands of Catholics believe in Medjugorje -- will be tossed to Pope Francis, who will make the final judgment on the subject.
Meanwhile, faithful Catholics await the Holy Father's action on the authenticated and approved apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima. As explained in "Fatima Essentials", the general Message of Fatima is not complicated. Its requests are for prayer, reparation, repentance, and sacrifice, and the abandonment of sin.
In each of Her apparitions, Our Lady stressed the importance of praying the Rosary. She asked the seers, and through them all of the faithful, to pray the Rosary every day for peace. Another principal part of the Message of Fatima is devotion to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, which is terribly outraged and offended by the sins of humanity. We are lovingly urged to console Her by making reparation.
Our Lady of Fatima said that if people did not stop offending God, He would punish the world severely by means of war, famine, persecution of the Church, and persecution of the Holy Father. To prevent these chastisements, Our Lady offered a remedy: the Consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the Five First Saturdays. If Her requests were heeded, she told the seers, there would be peace. If not, Russia's errors would spread throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions against the Church, the Holy Father to suffer much, martyrdom of the good and the annihilation of various nations.
But there was more. On 13 July 1917, Our Lady confided a Secret to the three shepherd children who saw Her. This Secret was meant for all Catholics, but was to be revealed later -- in 1960, at the latest -- when (she told Sister Lucy later) it would be better understood. Many Fatima scholars, including the late Father Nicholas Gruner+, believe that the Third Secret, which remains concealed by the Vatican, foretells the loss of faith and great apostasy which the Church now suffers.
The Fatima Message -- the full Message, including the Third Secret -- is the most important warning and call to repentance sent to us from Heaven in the last century. The apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima have been authenticated by the Church and declared worthy of belief. Here is The Third Secret of Fatima is Still Silenced, produced by the Fatima Center.
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