Luke VATICAN CITY, Sept. 19 — Pope Francis has approved Catholic spiritual devotion to the Bosnian town of Medjugorje.The town of Medjugorje is embroiled in a controversy over whether the Virgin Mary appears to locals, the Vatican said Thursday .
The Vatican’s doctrinal office said Francis did not claim the message of the so-called Madonna’s visions to be true. Instead, they said the pope believed spiritual experiences linked to the city brought “positive results” for Catholics.
Thursday’s announcement appeared to end a decades-long Vatican investigation into the alleged visions. The sightings were first reported by six children in 1981. The incident is reminiscent of famous apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France, in the 19th century and Fatima, Portugal, more than 100 years ago.
The Bosnian village has become a major pilgrimage site, attracting millions of people each year and giving them new spiritual experiences.
Francis has previously expressed skepticism about the alleged phenomenon. In 2017, he told reporters that he does not consider the Virgin Mary to be a “telegraph director,” citing a message given by the Virgin Mary to residents of a local town .
The Vatican said the new interpretation does not mean that “so-called supernatural events are declared genuine.”
The text states, “Rather, it simply emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is working fruitfully for the welfare of the believers in this spiritual event in Medjugorje.”
The Vatican says Catholic believers should be “cautious” in interpreting the Virgin Mary’s reported messages, which focus mainly on themes of peace and piety but also warn of coming world disasters.
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, director of the Office of the Doctrine of the Faith, said the Vatican wanted to treat with “high esteem” the “spiritual event” that has attracted the interest of Catholics around the world.
In 2021, Francis appointed Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, a longtime Vatican diplomat, as special envoy to Marian sites. Cavalli described the pilgrimage there as an “atmosphere of God and faith,” Fernandez said.
Thursday’s statement instructed Cavalli to remain in his role as messenger and be responsible for evaluating any potential messages that may come from Mary’s appearance in the future.
The Vatican’s announcement on Thursday follows new rules for assessing possible paranormal phenomena approved by Francis in May. These rules replace norms first promulgated in 1978, under which bishops were required to consult the Vatican when receiving reports of paranormal events.
