The envoy was reportedly scheduled to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of February.
Special Envoy of Pope Francis for Međugorje, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, will arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March, announced on Tuesday the Catholic News Agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina (KTA), reports N1 on March 1, 2017.
Earlier, the arrival of Archbishop Hoser was expected to take place on 27 February, but now it is clear that his visit has been delayed for a month. “After a misunderstanding with the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga, His Excellency Monsignor Henryk Hoser, special envoy of the Holy See for the parish of Međugorje, did not arrive in Sarajevo on 27 February 2017. His visit is scheduled for 27 March 2017”, announced the KTA.
Archbishop Hoser has been named by Pope Francis as an envoy for the pastoral care of Međugorje in order to consider the needs of the faithful who visit this parish. According to available information, his appointment is not directly related to the issue of possible recognition of Međugorje as a Marian shrine. The Pope will make that decision based on the findings which have been previously made by a special commission.
Based on the collected information about the pastoral situation in this area, particularly with regard to the needs of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, Hoser should propose possible pastoral initiatives for the future. Therefore, Hoser’s task will be strictly pastoral.
Head of the Vatican press office Greg Burke said recently that the special envoy would not go into the issue of Marian apparitions, because that is a doctrinal issue that is within the competence of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Asked when the Vatican could state its position regarding the apparitions, Burke said that the Commission’s dossier was still being analyzed. He stressed that the appointment of the envoy was “for Međugorje, and not against Međugorje”.
The envoy is expected to conclude his mission by this summer.
In recent days, Bishop of Mostar Ratko Perić spoke about his views on the Međugorje phenomenon and said that there were no apparitions. “Considering everything that this diocesan chancery has so far researched and studied, including the first seven days of alleged apparitions, we can say: there have been no apparitions of Our Lady in Međugorje”, said Perić, whose bishopric includes Međugorje.
