The Vatican has approved the “emergent spirituality” of Medjugorje in recent pronouncements. The Apostolic Visitor appointed by Pope Francis talks about why
By Christine Mugridge*
Map with tourist sites in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In Nazareth, the young “pre-teen” was caught by surprise during her time of prayer through the greeting of the heavenly messenger, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you!… The Holy Spirit will come to you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the Holy Child developing inside you will be called the Son of God. …” (Luke 1:26-38).
While awaiting her response it is said by mystics and poets alike that the angels held their breath. This is how the salvation of the world began. By the action of the Holy Spirit, through the “FIAT” of the Virgin of Nazareth, Christ became Incarnate God.
Cardinal Victor Fernández, Prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, speaks to the ongoing action of the Holy Spirit in the May 17, 2024 document “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena”: “God is present and active in our history. The Holy Spirit, who flows from the heart of the risen Christ, works in the Church with divine freedom and offers us many valuable gifts that aid us on the path of life and encourage our spiritual growth in fidelity to the Gospel. This action of the Holy Spirit can also reach our hearts through certain supernatural occurrences, such as apparitions or visions of Christ or the Blessed Virgin, and other phenomena.”
One great gift of the Holy Spirit present in the world today is the phenomenon known as “Medjugorje.”
It is this same Holy Spirit to whom we look as baptized children of God to see how He is renewing the face of the earth (Ps. 104:30). Renewal and new life often spring from surprisingly humble beginnings. In 1981 there could be no place quite as humble as Medjugorje, where it was reported, on June 24, that two teenage girls, just taking a walk, were surprised by a “young, most beautiful woman standing on a hill.” The young woman was seen “holding an infant in her arms and smiling.”
At that time one might have wondered, “Can anything good come out of Medjugorje?” According to the Holy See, the answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes!” And the recent pronouncement on Medjugorje in September 2024 from the Vatican is confirmation.
Pilgrimages Strongly Encouraged
Msgr. Aldo Cavalli meeting with members of the Inside the Vatican pilgrimage to Medjugore in September 2024
It is not our focus here to review the rather contentious debate on the supernatural origin of the apparitions themselves. It is enough for us to see that a Vatican commission, under the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI, pronounced in 2010 the first seven “apparitions” to be of supernatural origin. This pronouncement is solid.
Our attention is on the recent public release of the Vatican declaration of “Nihil Obstat” in a September 19, 2024 “Note” regarding the spirituality of Medjugorje and subsequent encouraging of pilgrimages. As defined in the May 2024 “Norms” document, Nihil Obstat is the highest term of approval in the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena which the Church may pronounce, short of papal approval.
According to the “Norms,” Nihil Obstat does not refer to any judgment about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself; it asserts rather that there are “many signs of the action of the Holy Spirit [that] are acknowledged ‘in the midst’ of a given spiritual experience, and no aspects that are particularly critical or risky have been detected, at least so far. For this reason, the Diocesan Bishop is encouraged to appreciate the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal, and even to promote its spread, including possibly through pilgrimages to a sacred site.”
During his pontificate, St. Pope John Paul II met with the alleged seers (6 youth) several times at the Vatican and reported to one, “If I was not Holy Father, I would have gone myself to Medjugorje a long time ago.”
A Bucolic Region Marked by Devotion and Martyrdom
The Shrine of Our Lady of Mejugorje, the main
destination for pilgrimages
It is mid-September, nearing harvest time in the Balkans. We find ourselves only a few hours from the heady beaches of Maharsk, driving inland to a small village located “between the hills” in the nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. And we are not alone. A staggering 45 million have made this trip before us. We’ve traversed from the coast through craggy mountain passes, connected in part to the Mosor and Biokovo Ranges; through different valleys laced with inky blue ribbons of meandering rivers offering more beautiful scenery. Vibrant green leaves on ancient grape vines and giant European Beech trees are giving hints of hues golden and brown.
Although quite picturesque, the bucolic scenery thinly veils centuries of anguish. This region only recently (in the last 40 years) came into its own type of first-world status, but on a deeper level, it is a location on the planet that has been embroiled in geo-political conflict and religious wars for over a millennium.
Within this mix of beauty, faith, poverty and violence, by the grace of God, we can also witness the storied presence of the Franciscan Order (O.F.M., Order of Friars Minor), and the heroic figure of “il poverello” – the Franciscan Friar or ‘uncle’ (as they were often called during the times when summary execution of Catholic priests was not unheard of). Here the Order of St. Francis and the socio-cultural impact that these men of the cloth have had, and continue to have, cannot be underestimated.
The Franciscans remained steadfast in the region during times of war, with the motto “Franciscans do not run.” And to the people of Bosnia-Hercegovina, no matter what their faith, their spiritual uncles became guardians of these families caught up in bloody conflicts regional and national. The Franciscans defended the people and especially the Catholic faith with their lives. (See the testimony given by the Franciscan Martyrs of Siroki Brijeg.) Regardless of trials there is one remaining constant: the people here are deeply aligned with their Catholic beliefs, they love the Blessed Mother and it is the Franciscans who defend their faith.
One of the smaller shrines
located on the walking trail near the apparition site
Listening to the Spirit Who Works in the Faithful People of God
We turn our attention now to the Franciscan parish of St. James, one of their parishes which up until 1980 was run in relative obscurity.
In 2016 Pope Francis received additional findings from the International Commission; these were not made public. In 2018, Francis officially assigned the first Apostolic Visitor, Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser, to the pastoral care of the now-burgeoning pilgrimage site. Pope Francis announced in May 2019 that bishops and priests were free to lead pilgrimages to Medjugorje. In 2021, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Aldo Cavalli as the second Apostolic Visitor to the Parish of St. James, Medjugorje. The position of Apostolic Visitor is to be exercised indefinitely, at the discretion of the Holy See.
The Vatican has assigned Archbishop Cavalli to take care of the spiritual life of the pilgrims and parishioners, and also to maintain discernment of and approval for public release of any future alleged messages from Our Lady, Queen of Peace. The Holy See is following the new “Norms” and watching carefully all that is happening per those guidelines. Of particular interest is the abundant fruit and the overall meaning of the alleged messages.
An Emergent Spirituality from the Mother of God
At the Press Conference for the presentation of the November 2024 “Note,” titled “The Queen of Peace,” the DDF Prefect, Fernández, stated that, “The majority of the [Medjugorje] messages include good content that can stimulate the faithful to conversion, to growth in the encounter with Christ, to be builders of peace in the world. That is, they repropose, with other words closer to the simple language of our peoples, the encouragement and exhortations that come from the Gospel.”
From their painstakingly meticulous study the Dicastery found that a spirituality is emergent from the messages in their entirety; one that focuses on peace, a constant invitation to prayer (prayer with the heart, incorporating fasting, conversion, adoration, Sacred Scripture reading, frequent attendance at Holy Mass) alongside fraternal love and personal witness. Christocentric and worthy of attention, the messages are seen by the Vatican as positive exhortations in the light of the whole spiritual experience. “We are called upon to be …attentive to what the whole of the Medjugorje manifestations reminds us about the teachings of the Gospel. …[W]hat is being evaluated is rather the present spiritual phenomenon, the present fruits, the work that the Holy Spirit does at this time ‘in the midst of’ this phenomenon and not ‘because of’ this phenomenon.”
The Holy Spirit at Work
Pope Francis receives Msgr. Aldo Cavalli, Apostolic Nuncio, in an audience May 15, 2021, in the Vatican. Msgr. Cavalli was named Apostolic Visitor of a special character to the Parish of Medjugorje on November 27, 2021(Vatican Media Romano Siciliani)
Walking in a light mist toward us at the close of the evening “prayer program,” the figure of Archbishop Aldo Cavalli could almost be missed. The Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje likes to go unnoticed. At 78 he is a spry, rather self-deprecating figure with a disarming smile; a fatherly presence with a gentle laugh. The Archbishop moves easily among locals and pilgrims hailing from all corners of the world, with all the charm of a typical Italian vicar from the alpine region of Lombardy (his place of birth). Gifted with humility, he speaks of himself simply as “a son of Mary.” He is a man of solid faith, with an old-school, no-nonsense pastoral approach. His “handling” of the phenomenon now known simply as “Medjugorje” is equally refreshing; straight-up Catholicism served without embellishment.
I had the distinct joy of sitting down with the archbishop, and asked him the following questions:
Christine Mugridge: As we embark on a new year, we ask: What is Medjugorje in 2025?
ARCHBISHOP CAVALLI: Medjugorje above all is a place of grace. It is a question of a need for us to collaborate and a question of capacity and willingness to cooperate with the grace. The grace is here before we arrive. We have to see the grace in the first place and then to see where grace places us. We reflect, ‘In which path, upon which pathway does the grace place each of us?’ It is the grace of God in this place that directs our path. Here we move with the grace. This is very important!…We must not try to move the grace in our own manner. Otherwise, Medjugorje becomes a place of tourism.
Why do pilgrims come here?
Medjugorje is a place of prayer. Here… we are nothing. (The people do not come to meet the visionaries, nor to see big buildings. Here there is nothing extraordinary to see; nothing special about the architecture, etc.) Here people come (and they keep coming)… Here they come to pray! When it rains, it rains. When the sun is shining, we have 45 degrees [Celsius] out in the sun. No one complains about that to me. (Laughing) Instead the pilgrims come here to pray: to pray, to pray, to pray. The pilgrims are increasing…We don’t worry about publicity (smiling again) … It is enough that the people return back home to share of their experiences. They are our “sponsors.”
What is the impression of Pope Francis?
“The Pope asked me recently, “What about Medjugorje?” I said, “Listen, we pray. We pray. We pray.” He was very happy. Very happy, yes! Pope Francis wanted the Nihil Obstat. Clearly. He wanted that. The Dicastery did the necessary, well-presented research. The document presented was very thorough. The majority of research was on all of the messages. The majority of these messages are found by the Committee to be very good; very credible. The Committee studied every one. It is an incredible work that the Dicastery for the Faith did. They gave the Holy Father a well-presented document. Very good! Also, Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict… each wanted this.
What about the “Fruits of Medjugorje”?
“There are people who are ‘for’ Medjugorje and those who are ‘against’ Medjugorje. And this is an ongoing debate with the documentation as part of this debate. But, the fruits of Medjugorje are incredible, incredible! Me too (laughs), I am a fruit of Medjugorje.
Here we have hundreds of vocations. These people have told me, “Now I want to go to the seminary to prepare myself to become a priest.” Some young women say, “Now I go to the convent.” Generally a cloistered convent. “Because I want to live there for God with all my life.” Why here this change? Because here this place is a place of change through grace with the Virgin Mary. It is a place of profound change – not exterior change. In this profound interior change there is/are realized sometimes a call to the vocation of the priesthood. Here there is a change that leads to people wanting to consecrate themselves to the Church of Jesus…
Many people have personal spiritual experiences here and there are reported healings of impossible medical illnesses; of children and adults. These are personal signs for them… People pray. They go to the Sacrament of Confession. They convert. They have hope. They find peace…They return home with this hope and peace with the intention to change their lives.
Are there significant moments for you here?
Our Adoration is done with music in a delicate manner and… with silence. Silence, silence, silence. One person singing well, with one guitar: this is enough music ministry for 10,000 people. But [it must be] one person singing well. This past summer, there were here 50,000 young people for the Youth Festival. It was very hot in the sun; but they attended Adoration in silence. This is faith. The value of that moment is incredible, because in such moments Jesus speaks. Jesus ‘sees’ them; Jesus looks at them [in the silence].
There are new pastoral initiatives here in Medjugorje such as Medjugorje’s Cenacolo community for troubled youth, and with the Irish people known as “Travelers”…
These people come here…we try to organize a pastoral initiative for them… Look, God likes to do many good things and at the beginning [these things look as if they are]… nothing. Cenacolo: nothing. From nothing… with one person who had one/a charism… a grace to do that, they began… Little by little it becomes a very important institution in the world! Like here. Like Nazareth. Nazareth was nothing. Never did the Bible speak about Nazareth. Never, never, never! Why did God choose Nazareth? GRACE. Why choose Mother Elvira [Foundress of Cenacolo]? GRACE. Why choose this place? To become a place of GRACE.
What is the task ahead?
Through the Nihil Obstat the central message is “to go, go, go!” to Medjugorje. Go to experience the spirituality, the spiritual life there; to now better understand the spiritual experience one lives when on pilgrimage and to carry this forward to our homes, to our families, at work and in our parishes. The task ahead is to be here and to pray and … to leave as Missionaries of Peace and Love of God.
The spirituality of Medjugorje, in spite of the controversy, remains also a spirituality of joy. The spirituality of Medjugorje is joyful, festive, and includes an invitation to live the joy of following Christ, giving thanks even for the small, beautiful things in life:
“I want to introduce you continually to the joy of life. I desire that each of you may discover the joy and love that can be found only in God and that only God can give” (Message, May 25, 1989).
“With great joy, I bring you the King of Peace, that he may bless you with his blessing” (Message, December 25, 2007).
The holy season of Christmastide concludes with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2. We thank God for the gift of the Infant Savior, radiant and pure. We thank God for the FIAT of that faithful young woman in the Temple, presenting the Child for the high priest to bless as Simeon gave glory to God. Let us also rejoice for this time of New Advent in the Church – a time where that same woman, the Mother of God and Queen of Peace, has appeared once again, presenting the Prince of Peace anew while gently calling us to believe and hope in, to trust and love and to adore Our Lord with her.
Msgr. Cavalli meeting with pilgrims at Medjugore
*Dr. Christine Mugridge is the founder of the non-profit organization, Sacred Arts Communication, a Catholic Apostolate for sharing Faith and Catholic Culture. Christine is the author/editor of “God’s Call to Women: Twelve Spiritual Memoirs”
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