MEDJUGORJE: WHY YOU CAN BE GLAD YOU CAN'T GO THERE NOW

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It's Sunday. A day of rest, and "a change is as good as a rest" so instead of focussing on the evil of Ardern we turn to the purity of the Blessed Virgin - but regretfully, to demolish one of her titles, which turns out to be something of a post-Vat II aberration.

Many Kiwi Catholics have devotion to "Our Lady of Medjugorje". They've been there. They got the rosaries and have seen the links turn gold. 

But investigation prompted by a reader into this phenomenon, with its thousands of conversions and miracles, shows "the Gospa" to be an invention not just of Vat II thought, but of the devil.

Strange to say, research this arvo into Michael Davies' opinion on Medjugorje was confirmed this evening by "accidentally" reading a book review by another distinguished layman, Dr Peter Kwasniewski, in the latest Remnant. Offered to a friend this morning, the Remnant came home again after Dr Kwasniewski's article - but not its subject - previously overlooked, was spotted. 

Michael Davies' piece was edited and ready to post on this blog when Medjugorje Complete: The Definitive Account of the Visions and Visionaries by Donal Anthony Foley was "accidentally" read over 'im indoors' delicious frittata this evening. It's a hatchet job, but it would seem  that divine intervention is confirming Michael Davies' opinion.

Medjugorje "visionaries" in recent years

First, Michael Davies, reckoned to be the best-known writer in the English-speaking world on the effect of Vatican II on the Catholic Church, especially the Mass:

Since the Second Vatican Council there has been a grave crisis of authority within the Catholic Church. The ordinary faithful have not received the firm and unequivocal teaching and guidance from their ecclesiastical superiors to which they had become accustomed.

Cardinal Ratzinger has noted the extent to which individual bishops have abdicated their authority to national episcopal conferences which, only too often, have been manipulated into propagating the opinions of so-called theological experts of dubious orthodoxy. Parish priests frequently abdicated their authority to parish councils, and Rome itself has sometimes appeared to speak with an uncertain voice.

But certainty is what the faithful seek, and when they do not receive it from the Magisterium they will seek it elsewhere. Some have sought certainty in the charismatic movement which, if examined objectively, renders the Magisterium unnecessary, for what need is there of a teaching authority when each individual Christian can communicate directly with the Holy Ghost? Other Catholics have put their faith in one of the numerous apparitions which are allegedly taking place in many countries. Once again, if heavenly guidance can be communicated directly through the sect which is witnessing the alleged apparitions, then what need is there of a Magisterium?

In the years following the Council a very clear pattern of behavior has emerged among supporters of these apparitions. It is a tendency to make belief in the authenticity of a particular apparition the criterion of orthodoxy. True Catholics believe in the apparitions, and the faith of those who do not is suspect in some way.

Those drawn towards these apparitions tend to be conservative in outlook, the type of Catholic who might have been expected to defend the teaching of the Magisterium. Once such Catholics become “hooked” on an apparition all their efforts tend to be devoted to defending it and propagating it. They have thus been removed effectively from the battlefield for orthodoxy.

There can be no doubt that spurious apparitions are one of Satan’s most effective weapons in his war against the Mystical Body. The problem is, of course, to discern authentic from spurious apparitions. I certainly do not believe that any of the alleged apparitions taking place at present with the possible exception of Akita in Japan, possess a shred of credibility.

I recollect very clearly a decade or so ago that I scandalized some very devout friends by maintaining that the alleged apparitions at Palmar de Troya in Spain were inspired by the devil. I was asked how I could make such a claim in view of the piety manifested there—all night vigils, heroic acts of penance, the Rosary, financial sacrifices of staggering proportions. I knew one devout and highly educated English Catholic who sold everything he had and abandoned his profession to go and live there. Later, when Clemente, the self-styled seer, proclaimed himself to be Pope and “excommunicated” everyone who did not recognize him, this friend and others withdrew from Palmar in horror and admitted that they had been deceived.

But the tragedy is that there are thousands who did not. Their faith had become identified with the authenticity of the Palmar sect. Satan had amputated them from the Mystical Body. 3

How can one reconcile the devotion that I have mentioned with diabolic inspiration? The answer should be self-evident. If a seer claiming to be inspired by Heaven denied the doctrine of the Trinity or advocated free love he would hardly be likely to deceive faithful Catholics. Satan will obviously seek to introduce error and separate the faithful from the Church under a veneer of piety.

Several years ago I was visited by some good friends with a booklet in Croatian about some apparitions allegedly taking place at Medjugorje in Yugoslavia. They wished my wife, who is Croatian, to translate it. When I had been given a resume of the alleged messages I advised my wife not to waste a second of her time translating them as, in my opinion, they did not possess a vestige of credibility.

I am glad to say that these friends now share my opinion. Since that time the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje have attracted more attention and more enthusiasm almost daily, and millions of Catholics now flock there from throughout the world. The initial opposition of the then communist government of Yugoslavia was transformed into an attitude of enthusiastic co-operation once it became clear that pilgrimages to Medjugorje provided an extremely lucrative source of foreign currency.

It is obvious that the bishops and clergy of Yugoslavia have every reason to be predisposed in favor of Medjugorje. If the visions were authentic they would be a tremendous asset to the Church in a country with so many atheists and adherents of non-Catholic religions. Not only would the income from the pilgrimages benefit their poor country, but it would provide badly needed financial help for the Church.

However, as Bishop Zanic explains later, only one of the Yugoslav bishops (Archbishop Franic of Split) has expressed belief in the apparitions, and not one of the hundred diocesan clergy in Hercegovina accepts them as authentic. Only two members of the 15 man Commission which examined the events at Medjugorje, accepted the authenticity of the visions (and they were both Franciscans). The Franciscans themselves are divided on the matter, but some of the most influential among them support the position of Bishop Zanic.

Those who support the authenticity of the alleged apparitions have been quite unable to suggest any credible ulterior motive to explain the rejection of their authenticity by the clergy of every rank in Yugoslavia outside the Franciscan Order. My object in this study is simply to show that there is a case against the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions, a viewpoint which has been kept from most Catholics due to the vast publicity campaign in favor of authenticity conducted in the mainstream Catholic media (which derives considerable financial benefits from Medjugorje advertising).

It is not without significance that the Liberal Catholic journals which have not shown the least interest in the Fatima message are enthusiastic in their support of Medjugorje. I know that it was the view of the late Hamish Fraser that Medjugorje was a means being utilized by Satan to subvert the message of Fatima. 

Before providing documentation to prove the falsity of the alleged apparitions I will give just two examples of the degree of credibility which should be given to the self-styled “seers” of Medjugorje. The “seers” and their Franciscan manipulators have consistently maintained that 4 during their “ecstasies” they are immobile and without communication with the outside world. A French journalist wished to test this claim, and while one “seer”, Vicka, purported to be in ecstasy, he made a stabbing movement towards her eyes with his fingers. Vicka gave a start and threw her head backwards. Fortunately, the entire incident was filmed. The girl left the room and returned a few minutes later with one of her charismatic mentors, an expelled Franciscan. She claimed that at the moment the journalist made the movement she was witnessing an apparition of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her arms, and the Child slipped. “I made a movement to stop Him from falling. That’s all.” There could hardly be a more evident case of outright lying.

It is inconceivable that during an apparition of Our Lady with the Child Jesus, the Child could possibly slip. If, per impossible, this did happen, it is stretching coincidence beyond the bounds of credibility to be asked to believe that it happened at the precise moment the journalist made the movement towards Vicka’ s eyes, and, finally, if she had been speaking the truth she would have moved forwards towards the apparition and not backwards!

The second incident is documented in the 1990 statement by Bishop Zanic which is printed in full in Sections 5-7. It concerns a Franciscan priest, Fr. Ivica Vego, who was dispensed from his vows and expelled from the Franciscan Order by a direct command of Pope John Paul II as a result of his immoral conduct, which involved the seduction of a nun, Sr. Leopolda. When she became pregnant they both left the religious life and began to live together near Medjugorje where their child was born. They now have two children.

But prior to this he refused to accept his expulsion and continued to celebrate Mass, administer the Sacraments, and pass the time with his mistress. Why mention such a distasteful event? The reason is that the “seers” claimed that Our Lady appeared to them on thirteen occasions stating that Fr. Vego was innocent, that he was as entitled to celebrate Mass as any other priest, and that the bishop was harsh! Any reader with a true sense of being a Catholic, a sensus catholicus, will need to read no further to realize the full extent of the mendacity of the self-styled “seers”, a mendacity which cannot be excused simply on the grounds that they have been manipulated by their Franciscan mentors.

What credibility can be given to those who claim that the Mother of God told them repeatedly that an immoral priest, expelled from his order on the instructions of the Holy Father himself, is innocent, and that the Bishop who had taken the only course open to him, was the guilty party! And how does a so-called reputable theologian, such as Fr. Rene Laurentin. who has made a fortune from books on Medjugorje react when confronted with such facts?

Bishop Zanic gives us the answer. He begged the Bishop not to publish details of the incident. Bishop Zanic tells us that this has been Laurentin’s consistent position, to hide the truth and defend falsehood. Despite the fact that the truth about Ivica Vego can no longer be denied, his prayer book is still sold in Medjugorje and beyond in hundreds of thousands of copies! One might add, almost as an afterthought, that if Our Lady had truly appeared at Medjugorje on about 26,000 occasions by the end of 1993, a claim which in itself defies credibility, she did not bother to warn the Croatian people of the coming onslaught, which they would have to undergo from fanatically anti-Catholic Serbia.

Documentation:

1. Medjugorje: The Other Side of the Coin, Geoffrey Lawman, p. 6. 2. 1987 Communique of the Yugoslav Bishops Concerning the Facts of Medjugorje, p. 11. 3. Declaration of the Bishop of Mostar Concerning Medjugorje, July 15, 1987, p. 12. 4. An Extract from the Letter of the Bishop of Mostar to Mariya Davies Thanking Her for Her Translation, p. 14. 5. Visions in Alabama, Excerpted from “Letter from London”, The Remnant, March 31, 1989, p. 15. 6. Marija Pavlovic Contradicts Herself, p. 16. 7. The Truth About Medjugorje—A Statement by Bishop Zanic Published in 1990, p. 17. 8. Irish Bishops’ Conference Statement of June 13, 1990, p. 31. 9. “Bishops ‘leaked’ Ruling on Yugoslav Shrine, p. 31. 10. “Rome Studies New Medjugorje Report”, p. 33. 11. The Medjugorje Industry, p. 33. 12. A New Bishop of Mostar, p. 38. 13. Further Information, p. 39. 6 1.

 https://sspx.org/sites/sspx/files/medjugorje-a-warning-michael-davies.pdf

If that's not enough to convince you, a few sentences from Dr Kwasniewski's review of Medjugorje Complete: The Definitive Account of the Visions and Visionaries by Donal Anthony Foley, should clinch it: 

As my intellectual life opened up through the reading of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, the contrast between their spiritual wisdom and the the often puerile content of popular private revelations did not reflect well on the latter."

"Drawing on the doctrine of classical spiritual authors, Foley argues that the evidence points not to a heavenly origin but to a diabolical one. This key premise provides Foley with a powerful explanatory principle for the subsequent history of disobedience, subterfuge, manipulation, lying, profiteering, and other unsavory conduct on the part of the visionaries ...."

"God occasionally allows him (the devil) to assume the most majestice forms, such as those of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin , or the saints; nevertheless - for God could not otherwise permit it - the disguise, no matter how bold, is never complete, and he always betrays himself in some particular which cannot escape an attentive and prudent observer."

"Messages that openly conflict with Catholic doctrine ....

• the seers were told "they do not have to pray for themselves, because she has rewarded them in a better way: let them pray for others" 
• "Before God all the faiths are identical. God governs them like a king in his kingdom"
• "the Gospa's messages "fit in with the pastoral life of the post-conciliar Church. The Virgin encourages openness and ecumenism" 
• the "Gospa" recommended the reading of Maria Valtorta's The Poem of the Man-God ... - a book John XXIII ordered to be placed on the Index in 1960, and which, in 1985, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger said had "not been condemned lightly."

"The "good fruits" to which so many triumphantly point are, as it happens, mingled with much that is problematic, or bad. ... God can indeed draw forth good from evil, but that does not mean that evil ceases to be evil.

Foley pursues the overarching thesis that the Marian message God intended for modern times is, above all, that of Fatima.  ...

My sole criticism of the book pertains, in fact, to the Fatima chapters. Foley has an understandable desire to believe that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart has been accomplished and that the text of the Third Secret has been published in full."

An early pic of the "visionaries" 

In a fascinating side-step from Medjugorje, Dr Kwasniewski begs to differ on these topics.

I find Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s response on the question of the consecration of Russia more nuanced and more realistic:

Sister Lucia was asked about this act [of John Paul II in 1984, when he consecrated “all mankind” to the Immaculate Heart]. She said: “Heaven accepted it.” But this phrase of Sister Lucia, or other similar phrases, do not mean for me that this act was the most perfect. ...Bishop Schneider believes that even if the text of the Third Secret has been disclosed, it is quite possible that Sister Lucia may have been given an explanation of its content that has not been shared on account of its explosive nature ... The aura of this terrible secret seems to correspond rather to an announcement of some ecclesiastical cataclysm that brings unimaginable destruction. It seems to correspond, in short, to the event of the Second Vatican Council and the tsunami of theological and liturgical deviations that came in its wake.

Sadly, as Foley himself admits, many devotees are so “locked in,” so convinced of the heavenly origin of the visions, that they would consider a book like this one to be a temptation or a form of persecution.

It seems clear to me that this book will most of all benefit those who, having no particular stance, simply want to learn the truth about the affair; those who are pastors of souls and must give spiritual guidance; those who want to see their own strong Marian commitment purified and nourished; and those who study the history, theology, and discernment of visions, apparitions, and revelations. ...

As a scholar, as a Catholic, and as a grateful child of Our Lady, I believe this book gives glory to God and vindicates His most holy Mother.

https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/5561-vindicating-the-mother-of-god-against-false-apparitions