Tens of thousands of believers visited Medjugorje on the anniversary of the apparitions.
Tens of thousands of believers gathered in Medjugorje on Sunday, marking the 36th anniversary of alleged apparitions of Virgin Mary. The credibility of apparitions is being investigated by the Catholic Church, reports Novi List on June 26, 2017.
Pilgrims from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, many of whom arrived on foot from nearby towns, but also from Austria, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United States and other countries, participated in masses and other events and came to the location of the first apparitions at Podbrdo.
A holy mass was celebrated at 11.00 pm by Karlo Lovrić, a parish priest from Medjugorje, who pointed out that many spiritual and physical healings have been recorded this year, which credibly testifies to Virgin Mary’s presence. “That is why we believe Virgin Mary has visited this area, which has been soaked with the blood of martyrs through the centuries, just like she did in Fatima, Lourdes or Guadalupe. She always appears as a mother who leads believers to Jesus Christ,” said Lovrić. He pointed out that messages sent by Virgin Mary should not be rejected, as they are a reminder of the daily life of the faithful. “Messages are just a reminder of what has been forgotten. These words remind us of the sanctity of marriage, family home, prayer, Sunday mass, confession, reconciliation with God and people”, he added.
During the day, masses were served in around 20 world languages, and the central mass was led in the evening by Damir Pavić.
Just before the anniversary of the Medjugorje phenomenon, a traditional march of peace from Ljubuški to Medjugorje was held. It was launched in 1992 by Hubert Liebherr from Germany. Disturbed by the unrest in the region at the time, he and several friends of Medjugorje from abroad started that march for peace, believing that prayers could stop the war.
On 24 June 1981, six children said that saw a woman in Medjugorje who had sent them a message. They escaped because they were scared, but they came back the next day and again allegedly saw Virgin Mary. They claim she has been sending messages to them ever since.
The Holy See has established a special committee for the study of the Medjugorje phenomenon, which submitted its report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the final judgment will be given by Pope Francis. He has repeatedly expressed his doubts about the daily apparitions of Virgin Mary, but the media has reported that the investigative committee believes the apparitions during the first seven days were credible.
This spring, Pope Francis appointed a special envoy for Medjugorje, Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who is tasked with taking measures for the pastoral care of the faithful. Archbishop Hoser gave positive messages about the Medjugorje phenomenon.
