Medjugorje in Light
of Theology
Source: http://www.medjugorje.org/orec.htm
1. Private Revelation and Medjugorje
The term "private" revelations has already for
a long time become customary in theology. In contrast to it
is public revelation. However, public revelation would be
the one given in the Bible, and private the one given apart
from the Bible. Accordingly, it would be more justifiable
to speak of biblical and extra-biblical revelation. Assigning
a greater honor and significance to the biblical than to the
other has no real reason whatsoever. Because if they are both
true, if they both come from God, according to their origin
they are both divine and equally valuable. Both the one and
the other God intends for people and wants them to accept
both of them. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him
to speak at all. If there may be some justifiable difference
between them, it can never be in the sense that one is obligatory
and the other is not. They are both obligatory. For every
one that has been reached by them and for the one who has
attained sufficient reasons and moral security regarding their
authenticity, both of them oblige equally.
Revelation contained in the Bible is called "the canon,"
that is, the rule of faith. The authenticity of every other
revelation is in some way measured according to it. First
of all, everything that might be contrary to that revelation
would be unauthentic or false. Accordingly, the biblical revelation
provides the guarantee of certainty, and that in a negative
way, the contrary revelation is false. Moreover, the authenticity
of biblical revelation is guaranteed by the church's magisterium
to which the Holy Spirit is given by Christ in order to preserve
that revelation faithfully and to interpret it infallibly.
For the extra-biblical revelation the magisterium does not
have that authority directly, but indirectly. That means that,
if it would establish that a extra-biblical revelation is
contrary to the biblical, it would be certain that it is not
at all authentically divine. Because, "for even if we
or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel not
in accord with the one we delivered to you, let a curse be
upon him!" (Gal 1:8). On the other hand, if the Church's
magisterium would in any way even affirm a extra-biblical
revelation, one would not be obliged just by that to accept
it as authentic. If one has his own reasons, he must accept
it with fide divina. But if one does not have his own reasons,
he can either reject it or doubt it. In that case, a person
is not obliged fide catholica. The history of the Church witnesses
that it has always had extra-biblical revelations. According
to their structure and form, they are equal to biblical revelation
and are regularly connected with apparitions or visions. Usually
it was Jesus appearing, angels and saints. But in recent times,
it is most frequently the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Locutions [auditiones] are also connected to visions. The
most recent apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in La Salette,
Lourdes, Fatima and Medjugorje confirm that. The visionaries,
in addition to seeing Our Lady, also hear her messages which
usually call to conversion, prayer, especially the rosary,
and penance. Thereby they all the more direct toward the renewal
and flourishing of Church life rather than giving some new
truth of the faith.
No one can close God's mouth. He has not finished his conversation
nor his revelation to people. It goes on continuously in the
Church and the world in different ways. God's speech, in a
broader sense, takes the form of vision or at least no one
can dispute that. Therefore, extra-biblical revelations are
not only possible but actual. The Spirit of God whom Christ
has sent to the Church constantly reminds it of the words
of Jesus and leads it into all truth (John 16:13). He does
not accomplish this just through the hierarchy, but also through
charisms and their bearers because the Church is not only
hierarchical but also charismatic. That is why the Holy Spirit
is not bound to the hierarchy, but vice versa. He is free
and breathes wherever he wills. He gives incentives to the
Church and leads the Church also through charismatics. Neither
the hierarchy nor charismatics can usurp to themselves the
exclusive right to speak and act in the name of the Holy Spirit.
Their ministries originate from the same Spirit and must be
harmonized. Therefore, neither the hierarchy nor the Church
must be self-satisfied and indifferent toward visions, apparitions
and revelations. The hierarchy must not only not reject them,
nor merely tolerate them, but it must both accept and foster
them. Otherwise, it would be rejecting the Spirit himself.
Vision and revelation belong to the prophetic charism of
which the Church cannot be lacking and that, not because some
new doctrine or truth would be necessary after biblical revelation,
but because a new light is necessary, a better understanding
of that same doctrine or truth and, especially, because a
new direction and impetus for human activity is necessary.
A critical posture toward extra-biblical revelation has been
expressed more or less throughout entire history. With the
beginning of modern times greater and more numerous debates
on them have begun. According to them, the best sign of authenticity
of extra-biblical revelation and vision is their agreement
with biblical revelation. If that is affirmed, the content
of extra-biblical revelation, which surpasses the capabilities
of the visionaries, speak much in its favor. In that, the
mental and physical health of the subject plays an important
role. Personal holiness and the state of grace contribute
to its authenticity even though they are not indispensable.
In principle, even great moral defects are not an obstacle
to the authenticity of the revelation. Moral heroism of the
subject of the vision contributes positively to the authenticity
of the truth. In that, attending circumstances also mean something,
although accompanying errors are not necessarily considered
a negative criterion. These internal criteria are accompanied
by the external: miracle and approval of the Church. Involvement
in some controversial question and political matter speaks
against the authenticity of the vision because visions serve
the kingdom of God and not curiosity and some purpose entirely
of this world.
Extra-biblical revelations, in general, do not bring any
new truths, but perhaps just a better recognition of the biblically
revealed truths and all the more certainly the demand for
a better and more urgent application of biblical revelation
on a particular position of the Church or individual groups
within it. In general, they want to inspire people to faith
and conversion and thus, to bring them to salvation. They
are rather requests and incentives than assertions. Their
purpose is to direct the behavior of people toward God. In
that sense, St. Thomas of Aquinas says, "When there are
no more revelations, people will be without guidance"
(Summa II-II. q 174 a.6). This is the reason there have always
been prophets in the Church who admittedly, did not proclaim
some new doctrine, but gave direction to human activity. The
same St. Thomas of Aquinas emphasizes, "Revelation is
given for the benefit of the Church" (Summa II-II. q
172 a.4). It calls to a more authentic Christian life and
points toward the necessity and the means that are of a higher
priority. It is heaven's response to particular questions
of the times and it thereby helps more than any intellectual
and theological endeavors.
Since extra-biblical revelations are extraordinary and conspicuous,
they usually produce more attention than the ordinary proclamation
of biblical truths and Church directives and they act as "shock
therapy." It is well known that the apparitions in Lourdes,
Fatima and Medjugorje intensified devotion and they have awakened
spiritual life throughout the world. They contributed a great
deal to the renewal of confession and reverence for the Eucharist.
Too great an emphasis on extra-biblical revelation in place
of the gospel would not be healthy or normal. Biblical revelation
takes preference but extra-biblical must not be rejected,
simply because it also comes from God and because with it
God wants to say something to man. hat is why both cases God's
word is obligatory.
2. The Medjugorje Apparitions and Visions
Already since June 24, 1981 until today, six visionaries
in Medjugorje, Ivanka Ivankovi}-Elez, Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo,
Vicka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti, Ivan Dragicevic
and Jakov Colo, unanimously claim that Our Lady is appearing
to them. They all still see her every day, except Ivanka and
Mirjana, who still see her once a year, Ivanka on the anniversary
of the apparitions and Mirjana on her birthday. Already from
the very beginning of the apparitions, it was attempted in
different ways to obtain approval of the authenticity of these
apparitions and visions. In addition to the persistent claim
of the visionaries, it was attempted, in a more or less scientific
and theological way, to arrive at objective proofs of the
authenticity of the apparitions. Already from the first days,
the communist regime of that time, which because of ideological
and atheistic motives opposed the fame about Our Lady's apparition,
tried first of all through doctors in ^itluk and Mostar to
prove that talk about apparitions is a common childish trick
and a report of sick children. When doctors established that
the children were completely healthy, the communists composed
a commission of twelve doctors and psychiatrists which they
simply charged to declare the children mentally ill. It is
significant that, despite the pressure, member of the Commission
did not do so because it was obvious that the children were
healthy.
After that, numerous other unofficial and official commissions
followed in succession. The tried to arrive at the truth of
the apparition with a greater fairness. An exception to this
were the two commissions established by the local Bishop Pavao
Zanic. He did not request these commissions to study the Medjugorje
phenomena, but to confirm his negative opinion which, taking
into consideration the apparitions themselves, did not have
any grounds whatsoever. In order to assure "the outcome"
of the investigation, he appointed himself president of the
commission, and charged them to think and speak what he, without
any basis in the truth, thought and spoke. The others, differently
from Bishop Zanic and his commissions, expertly examined the
visionaries and the facts in Medjugorje. Since the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,
rejected the "results" of the commissions of Bishop
Zanic as incompetent and unfounded, it ordered the Yugoslav
Bishops' Conference to establish its own commission to care
more seriously for the apparitions of Medjugorje. Although
even that commission did not investigate these apparitions
more seriously, nevertheless, it behaved more responsibly
toward them. At least, it did not assert that the apparitions
are unauthentic, but it found a Solomonic solution and declared
that it had not yet arrived at real proofs of the supernaturalness
of the apparitions. That position was also accepted by the
Yugoslav Bishops' Conference. Because of the ever more general
conviction that the apparitions are authentic and especially
because of the exceptional spiritual gifts to the whole world
in regard to the apparitions, it was, nevertheless, compelled
to accept Medjugorje as a shrine and to take on itself greater
care for a correct development of devotion and adequate provision
for the spiritual needs of pilgrims in Medjugorje.
However, the apparitions of Medjugorje were examined the
most competently and the most expertly by the international
French-Italian scientific theological commission "on
the extraordinary events that are taking place in Medjugorje."
The assembly of seventeen renowned natural scientists, doctors,
psychiatrists and theologians in their research came to a
12 point conclusion on January 14, 1986 in Paina near Milan.
1. On the basis of the psychological tests, for all and each
of the visionaries it is possible with certainty to exclude
fraud and deception.
2. On the basis of the medical examinations, tests and clinical
observations etc, for all and each of the visionaries it is
possible to exclude pathological hallucinations.
3. On the basis of the results of previous researches for
all and each of the visionaries it is possible to exclude
a purely natural interpretation of these manifestations.
4. On the basis of information and observations that can
be documented, for all and each of the visionaries it is possible
to exclude that these manifestations are of the preternatural
order i.e. under demonic influence.
5. On the basis of information and observations that can
be documented, there is a correspondence between these manifestations
and those that are usually described in mystical theology.
6. On the basis of information and observations that can
be documented, it is possible to speak of spiritual advances
and advances in the theological and moral virtues of the visionaries,
from the beginning of these manifestations until today.
7. On the basis of information and observations that can
be documented, it is possible to exclude teaching or behavior
of the visionaries that would be in clear contradiction to
Christian faith and morals.
8. On the basis of information or observations that can be
documented, it is possible to speak of good spiritual fruits
in people drawn into the supernatural activity of these manifestations
and in people favorable to them.
9. After more than four years, the tendencies and different
movements that have been generated through Medjugorje, in
consequence of these manifestations, influence the people
of God in the Church in complete harmony with Christian doctrine
and morals.
10. After more than four years, it is possible to speak of
permanent and objective spiritual fruits of movements generated
through Medjugorje.
11. It is possible to affirm that all good and spiritual
undertakings of the Church, which are in complete harmony
with the authentic magisterium of the Church, find support
in the events in Medjugorje.
12. Accordingly, one can conclude that after a deeper examination
of the protagonists, facts, and their effects, not only in
the local framework, but also in regard to the responsive
chords of the Church in general, it is well for the Church
to recognize the supernatural origin and, thereby, the purpose
of the events in Medjugorje.
So far it is the most conscientious and the most complete
research of the Medjugorje phenomena, and, for that very reason,
it is the most positive that has yet been said about it on
a scientific-theological level.
Besides that, a very serious work of examination of the visionaries
was also undertaken by a French team of experts headed by
Mr. Henri Joyeux. Employing the most modern equipment and
expertise, it examined the internal reactions of the visionaries
before, during, and after the apparitions. Likewise, the synchronization
of their ocular, auditory, cardiac, and cerebral reactions.
The results of that commission were very significant. They
showed that the object of observation is external to the visionaries,
and that any external manipulation or mutual agreement between
the visionaries is excluded. The results with individual electro-encephalograms
and other reactions are collected and elaborated in a special
book (H. Joyeux - R. Laurentin, Etudes medicales et scientifique
sur les Apparitions de Medjugorje, Paris 1986).
The results of the last mentioned commission confirmed the
conclusions of the international commission and, for their
part, they proved that the apparitions, to which the visionaries
testify, are a phenomenon that surpasses modern science and
that all points toward some other level of happening.
In regard to the scientific examination of the Medjugorje
apparitions, it is important to bear in mind that in the entire
history of apparitions not a single one has ever been so broadly
and strictly examined scientifically as those in Medjugorje.
When the examinations in Lourdes and Fatima are compared with
those in Medjugorje, then there is almost no similarity whatsoever
between them. Neither have other visionaries been that strictly
examined nor was it possible to examine them with such certainty
and success, due to the inferior level of science and the
insufficiency of technical tools at that time. Besides, it
is also very significant to mention that there was only one
visionary in Lourdes, Bernadette Soubirous; there were three
visionaries in Fatima, and six in Medjugorje. Manipulation
is easier with one visionary than with several. Likewise,
a group confirmation is more valuable than an individual.
The said about Bernadette herself that she was psychically
of delicate health. For the visionaries in Medjugorje adequate
health has been established. When to that are added the positive
moral qualities, the uniformity of testimonies, there remains
no significant doubt whatsoever that the apparitions, to which
the visionaries in Medjugorje testify, are indeed supernatural
and worthy of belief.
The content of the Medjugorje messages also confirms that.
Beside the five main messages on which the visionaries agree,
every month, primarily through Marija Pavlovic, Our Lady has
been giving special messages intended for the whole world.
Even though in volume they have grown into a library, still,
in spite of that, nothing can be found in them that would
in the least manner be contrary to Christian doctrine and
faith. On the contrary, together with the principal messages,
they compose a veritable treasury of handy and practical theology
on a level which not even 80% of today's priests would attain.
It is, thereby, more significant since the visionary Marija,
as well as the other visionaries, is a completely average
believer who could not even attend regular instruction in
catechism, much less acquire a practical-theological education.
The false charges of the Bishop and some other opponents of
Medjugorje that the friars wrote them, also speaks in favor
of the extraordinary content of the messages. Indirectly they
thereby confirm their extraordinariness.
3. Miracles
From the beginning, the Medjugorje apparitions were accompanied
by many unusual phenomena, both in the sky and on the ground,
especially by miraculous healings. I, myself with about a
thousand pilgrims, experienced one unusual dance of the sun.
That manifestation was so unusual and obvious, that everyone
without exception classified it as a miracle. None of those
present remained indifferent, which I myself was convinced
of by questioning the others who were present. The joy, the
tears, and the statements of those present strongly confirmed
it. From their words it could be seen that they understood
that manifestation as a confirmation of the authenticity of
the apparitions, and as an incentive to respond to the Medjugorje
messages by accepting them. And that is the real purpose of
miracles: to help people believe and live by faith because
they stand in the service of the faith and of the salvation
of people.
Regarding the luminous phenomena in Medjugorje, a professor
employed in Vienna, an expert in that field, admitted to me
that he studied them in Medjugorje for a week. At the end,
he told me: "Science has no answer to these manifestations."
Although judgment about miracles does not belong to any natural
science nor to science in general, but to theology and faith,
nevertheless, the judgment of science is very important because
where it leaves off, faith takes over. It is very significant
that many events were understood by the faithful as a real
miracle. They understood their significance and, whether they
experienced them for themselves or through others, they felt
themselves obliged to accept the Medjugorje messages as an
obligation. It is difficult to say precisely how many of these
miraculous events have taken place in regards to the Medjugorjeapparitions.
However, it is well known that several hundred of them have
been reported and attested to. Several of them have been thoroughly
examined and scientifically-theologically elaborated, and
there is no serious reason whatsoever to doubt their supernatural
character. It suffices to mention just a few of them.
Mrs. Diana Basile, born October 5, 1940 in Platizza, Cosenza,
Italy, suffered from multiple sclerosis, an otherwise incurable
disease, from 1972 till May 23, 1984. In spite of the expert
help of the professors and doctors at the clinic in Milan,
she grew more and more sick. By her own desire she came to
Medjugorje and was present during the apparition of Our Lady
in a room connected to the Church and was suddenly healed.
All of that happened in such a quick and thorough way that
on the following day the same woman walked barefoot 12 kilometers
from the hotel in Ljubu ki, where she spent the night, to
the apparition hill in order to thank Our Lady forthe healing.
Ever since then until today, she has remained well. Upon her
return to Milan, the doctors were astonished by her healing
and immediately established a medical commission which was
again thoroughly to examine both the previous and present
condition of the healed woman. They collected 143 documents
and, in the end, 25 professors, head doctors, and other doctors
wrote a special book about the disease and the healing in
which they stated that Diana Basile indeed did suffer from
multiple sclerosis, that for many years she was unsuccessfully
treated, but that now she is completely well and that this
did not happen by any kind of therapy, nor by any kind of
medicine. They, thereby, indicated that the cause of the healing
was from a different than scientific source.
Another more significant miracle happened to Rita Klaus of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA, a teacher and mother of three
children, born January 25, 1940, who for 26 years suffered
from multiple sclerosis. She was also one that neither doctors
nor medicine were able to help. Reading the book about Medjugorje,
Is the Blessed Virgin Appearing in Medjugorje? by Laurentin-Rup~i},
she decided to accept Our Lady's messages. And once while
she was praying the rosary on May 23, 1984, she felt within
herself some unusual warmth. After that she felt well. And
from then till today the patient is completely well and capable
of doing all her domestic and school work. There is a solid
medical documentation about her sickness and her futile therapy
and likewise a professional certification of the doctors on
her extraordinary and incomprehensible healing, which is complete
and permanent.
There are still other healings pertaining to Medjugorje which
took place suddenly and thoroughly They are more or less expertly
examined. But some of them have not at all yet been analyzed.
It is not ruled out that among them there are some cases just
as great as those already analyzed. With miracles it is critical
that they originate from God and that they serve the faith,
but it is not important for them to be "big". It
is rather people of good will and open to the truth that will
recognize them rather than biased scientists and versatile
critics because they often shut themselves within boundaries
where a miracle "must not" and "cannot"
happen.
4. The Judgment of the Church on the Medjugorje Apparitions.
Since the Medjugorje apparitions, visions, and messages belong
to extra-biblical revelation, the competence of the Church
in judging their authenticity is somewhat different than in
biblical revelation. The magisterium of the Church has a direct
guarantee of infallibility only in regard to biblical revelation,
and only an indirect guarantee in regard to extra-biblical.
If, namely, the latter were contrary to the biblical, it would
certainly be false. In other cases, other criteria remain,
according to which one can arrive at trustworthiness of some
revelation being supernatural. Those are primarily scientific
conditions. What is false according to reason can neither
be authentic in revelation. With regard to the serious and
expert work of individual scientists, in the first place,
of the international medical-theological commission and of
other expert, scientific teams, it has been clearly established
that in the Medjugorje apparitions there is nothing that is
contrary to science. They are not contrary to reason, but
are above reason. Likewise, not a single theological commission
found anything in the Medjugorje apparitions that would be
contrary to the faith. Even the latest commission, established
by the Yugoslav Bishops' Conference, declared only that it
has not yet arrived at the necessary proofs of the supernaturalness
of the Medjugorje apparitions and that, therefore, it will
continue with further investigation. It, thereby, acknowledged
at the same time that it did not find in them anything whatsoever
that would be contrary to biblical revelation and the faith.
When God gives somerevelation, whether biblical or extra-biblical,
he always enables the people to whom it concerns to be able
to recognize it and at least to have the moral certitude that
this revelation is authentic. It is very important that simple
people have easily recognized God's revelation in the Medjugorje
phenomena and that they accepted it, not just in theory, but
also in practical life. The word of Christ proves true here,
"Unless you become like little children, you will not
enter the kingdom of God" (Matt 18:3). That quality proper
to a child in the first place is openness to the truth. On
the other hand, those also who refuse to acknowledge the trustworthiness
of the proofs of Medjugorje, nevertheless unintentionally
acknowledge it. Because the findings of their position and
arguments show that their proofs are from some other area
of interest rather than of Medjugorje. In addition to that,
the opponents of Medjugorje are, in that regard, a recognizable
tiny handful of people. Their arguments consist of deceptions,
lies, and ignorance of what they are nevertheless judging.
In contrast to them stand millions of people, who mainly carry
the proofs for the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions
also in their personal experience of encounter with God, and
on the other hand, in the obvious deficiency of the arguments
against them. Here one can speak about the sensus fidelium
which is commonly a locus theologicus of revelation and faith.
The evident and abundant spiritual fruits of faith, conversion,
prayer, and profound mass spiritual renewal have a special
proving strength in favor of the Medjugorje apparitions. Even
the opponents of Medjugorje cannot call this into question.
They only attribute it to faith, and not to the Medjugorje
apparitions. There is no doubt that they are fruits of faith.
But why are these fruits unusual and why are they precisely
connected to Medjugorje? Why are they not in other places
and ordinary pilgrimage shrines or in cathedrals? In question
is precisely that extraordinariness and the great multiplicity
of the fruits of faith that must have their own reason. In
this regard the opponents behave like the Jews who attributed
Jesus' casting out of an evil spirit to Beelzebul and not
to Jesus. When they could not deny the fact because it was
obvious, they then denied its true cause.
In this entire matter, in addition to the evangelical criterion
that a good tree is known by its good fruits, the position
of the Pope is decisive. And it is completely clear. He has
expressed it on several occasions when, asked by many bishops
whether they may go on pilgrimage to Medjugorje, he not only
encouraged them, but also recommended himself to their prayers
in Medjugorje. On the occasion of his ad limina visit, the
President of the Bishop's Conference of South Korea, Archbishop
Kim, greeted Pope John Paul II with the words, "Holy
Father, thanks to you, Poland was able to be freed from communism."
The Pope corrected him and said, "No, not thanks to me,
it is the work of the Virgin as she claims in Fatima and Medjugorje"
(Catholic News, the Korean Catholic Weekly of November 11,
1990). Everything is contained in this that the Pope and the
Church can at all say about the Medjugorje apparitions. From
that comes forth that Our lady is in Medjugorje, and that
there she announced the destruction of communism. Many more
times lacking in seriousness are all the other stories, which,
only for non-religious reasons, want to obscure the truth
about Medjugorje and turn the world away from accepting Our
Lady's evangelical messages.
fra Ljudevit Rupcic
(Professor of Theology, Translator of the Sacred Scriptures
into the Croatian language. He lives and works in Medjugorje)
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