We should by no means worry!

A debate has sprung up about the Marian shrine of Medjugorje, opposing those who defend the authenticity of the Marian apparitions taking place there and those who dispute it.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, appointed as Special Envoy of the Holy See to Medjugorje, presented to Aleteia readers the scope of his mission, after a recent letter from the local bishop called into question the authenticity of the apparitions. Indeed, many faithful are wondering whether or not their pilgrimage to Medjugorje was to no avail.

Archbishop Hoser: " We should by no means worry! The Church has not yet spoken on the authenticity of the apparitions. We should calmly wait for the final position. This is by no means the first situation when the Church is slow to take a decision, especially given that the form of the Marian apparitions in Medjugorje significantly differs from that of earlier well-known apparitions.

Besides, this issue will not change anything in the teaching of the Church concerning Marian veneration. If Marian devotion has flourished in Medjugorje, if such multitudes arrive there, it is therefore a place where veneration will continue…

The Holy Father is aware of this...”

Aleteia