Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Vatican to Take Over Administration of Medjugorje?

Latest on the false apparition site of Medjugorje

Pope Francis is expected to name a special administrator for Međugorje ....

By Vedran Pavlic, 03 Jul 2016
Pope Francis will reportedly soon appoint a special administrator of the Holy See for Međugorje. The unofficial information has not yet been confirmed, but it is assumed that the Vatican could take over in the next few months. It is assumed that this would mean that Međugorje would get a status of a shrine which would be managed by the pope’s administrator, while the parish of Međugorje and pastoral activities would remain in the hands of the Franciscans of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, reports Večernji List on July 3, 2016.

It would seem that the decision would be a win-win situation for everybody. Herzegovinian friars would lose a part of their autonomy in decision-making, but they will no longer have to deal with the local bishop because the Vatican would take over all responsibilities. Međugorje would become “extraterritorial” in a way, which would mean the end of 35 years of problems in relations between local bishops and the Međugorje phenomenon. On the other hand, the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno Ratko Perić can also be satisfied, because the authority of the Vatican would guarantee that there would be no deviations in Međugorje.
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Georg Muller, recently issued a ban to the visionaries to host meetings with the faithful throughout the world, including at Međugorje. The visionaries accepted the decision, but no one could prohibit the faithful to gather at the Apparition Hill.
A lot has changed in Međugorje in all these years, including the local economy which has profited from the number of pilgrims coming there. “All this annoys and bothers people so internet websites write negatively about Međugorje”, said a local resident. Until four to five years ago, Međugorje was dominated by small hotels which could accommodate 50 to 60 pilgrims. However, with the arrival of about a million and a half pilgrims a year, investors appeared who have built large hotels that can accommodate about 200 people, which encouraged many rental owners to expand their capacities as well. However, many of the hotels are empty. “Foreigners came with money, and our people took out loans, and now many are drowning in debt. Apparently, banks have already taken over some smaller hotels”, said a local inhabitant.

Fr. Malachi Martin: Medjugorje is a Hoax