On Thursday, there will be a press conference at the Vatican regarding the shrine of Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina), a place of alleged Marian apparitions since the 1980s, which has received particular attention from the Holy See over the last decade.
Since May, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has followed new norms for investigating supernatural phenomena.
This has led to a number of declarations on various sites: Trevignano Romano, Amsterdam, Calabria, and others.
Now Rome will speak about the “spiritual experience” of the famous Medjugorje shrine, which attracts over a million pilgrims every year.
The Vatican launched a commission of inquiry in 2010, under Benedict XVI; then Pope Francis appointed an “apostolic visitor” in 2018 to oversee devotions and pilgrimages at this site, where apparitions have not been formally recognized by the Holy See.
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, will therefore speak on this phenomenon tied to six “visionaries” -- who were children at the time of the first apparitions in 1981 -- in the light of the new norms.
The norms offer a six-level scale for ruling, ranging from “nihil obstat” -- a green light for devotion -- to "not of a supernatural character" - corresponding to a red light.
Cardinal Fernández already referred to Medjugorje four months ago when presenting the norms.
"Thanks to these norms, we believe it will be easier to move forward and reach [...] a prudent conclusion," said Cardinal Fernández at the time.
"Assuming there is a nihil obstat [recognition that this devotion presents no risk, ed. note], perhaps we will have to clarify that certain details are not to be taken seriously," the prefect further said. "If I remember correctly, the Madonna over there was giving orders, about the time, the place, what the bishop should do ... this needs to be clarified," he added, admitting that he was not yet familiar with the case.
