Things started in 1981, making this place in the Balkans a destination for millions of pilgrims. In May of this year, Mejugoye was also one of the stops of a month-long “marathon” prayer event, where the believers recite the Rosary together, pleading with God for the end of the new crown epidemic.
(Vatican News Network)On June 24, 1981, in Mejugoye (another translation: Medjugorye), off the Balkans, several young people began to see a luminous figure of a female who they thought was the Virgin Mary. From then on, Mejugoye, a barren land that was still under the rule of the Communist regime, developed her story in the following forty years. The six young people who were still young at that time claimed that the Virgin Mary appeared before others as “after peace.” Their message was roughly an invitation to reconciliation and repentance.
With the passage of time, this backcountry land became more and more known to the world. Millions of pilgrims come here every year. There are surging crowds and long queues of believers in confession and worship of the Eucharist, and stories of repentance are repeated frequently, including well-known figures in the performing arts and sports circles. Therefore, these forty years are full of pilgrimages, messages, repentance, closeness to the sacraments, surprises, and even doubts. It cannot be ignored that many people have started their faith experience in Mejugoye, and the obvious fruit is the change of life, even for people who are far away and alienated.
In order to clarify the Mejugoye incident, Pope Benedict XVI established an International Commission of Inquiry within the Holy See Doctrinal Department in 2010. Under the leadership of Cardinal Rouini, 17 members include cardinals, bishops, and theologians. And experts. After four years of work, the committee submitted a summary report to Pope Francis, but this report was never officially made public.
Regarding the situation of Međugorje, Pope Francis answered questions from reporters on the special plane returning from his visit to Fatima in May 2017, stating that “all manifestations or possible manifestations belong to the private category, not the usual public disclosure of the church. Part of the instruction.” The Pope also pointed out that the work of the investigative committee is divided into three parts. “Regarding the first few appearances of the Virgin in the youth of the God-seeker, the report more or less indicated that it would continue to investigate. Regarding the current possible appearances, the report raised relevant concerns. As for the third part, which is the core point of Cardinal Rouini’s report, it involves “spiritual and pastoral facts: people go there and repent, people meet God and change their lives.” This is “an undeniable fact at the spiritual and pastoral level.”
The Pope has always shown great concern for civil salute. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed Polish Archbishop Hoze as the special inspector of the parish of Međugorje. This post is purely pastoral in nature, and it is in continuity with the mission of Archbishop Hoze entrusted to perform the special envoy of the Holy See of the parish of Mejugoye the previous year. At that time, the Holy See’s press room stated: “The mission of the Pontifical Inspector is to ensure that the Mejugoye parish group and the pilgrims who arrive there receive a stable and continuous company, and respond to their needs with a special kind of care.”
The mark of care continues. The following year, in 2019, Pope Francis decided to authorize the pilgrimage of Međugorje. Before that, pilgrims could only go “privately”, and after the Pope’s authorization, the dioceses and parishes could formally organize pilgrimages.
In addition, the Pope’s concern for pilgrims going to Međugorje is also reflected in his letter to the local Youth Day last year. In his letter, the Pope encouraged young people to “discover a different way of life, which is different from the way of life proposed by the temporary culture.” The Pope told them that being with God is tantamount to giving meaning to life.
Furthermore, in May this year, St. Jacob’s Church in Međugorje was also selected as one of the “Marathon” prayer events. This month-long prayer was held in accordance with the wishes of the Pope, so that the COVID-19 pandemic would end as soon as possible and various activities would resume. 30 places of pilgrimage of the Virgin from all over the world participated and broadcasted by the Vatican media. On May 15th, believers gathered in Međugorje to recite the Rosary, and especially offered prayers for immigrants.
It is worth noting that neither the appointment of Archbishop Hozer nor the decision to authorize the holding of pilgrimages have nothing to do with the doctrinal question of the authenticity of the Apparition of the Virgin. What all this highlights is that Mejugoye has increasingly become a meeting place for Christians: it is a place to meet, a place to live out filial love for the Virgin, and a place to return to the Lord.
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