Catholic Fire

Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo Pope Francis’ ruling on Medjugorje can be expected this year, says Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo, a member of the investigative Commission. The Commission has shared its opinion on whether to give Medjugorje shrine status or not, and people are still free to visit. Granting Medjugorje shrine status or not is a part of the recommendations that the Vatican Commmission on Medjugorje handed over to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on January 17, Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo tells the Croatian news portal Dnevnik. Cardinal Puljic, a member of the international investigative Commission since it was formed in 2010, further tells that a verdict from Pope Francis on the case of Medjugorje can be expected later this year. “The Commission has submitted the results of our work to CDF, what we worked on for four years as an international Commission. These results the Congregation will consider and make a proposal to the Pope...

A special Vatican investigative commission has concluded its study of the reported Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, and supported its findings to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Vatican confirmed on January 18 that the commission, chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, had held its final meeting the previous day. The commission, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in March 2010, had been asked to weigh the authenticity of the reports that the Virgin Mary has been appearing regularly to several “seers” since 1981. The commission’s report, which had been eagerly awaited for months, will now be studied by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which in turn is expected to make recommendations to Pope Francis. The “Medjugorje phenomenon” has posed a difficult problem for Church leaders. While thousands of people visited the little town in Herzegovina and reported extraordinary supernatural experiences, local bishops have discouraged belief in the report...