Oh Dear, Simon Caldwell!
By Paul Baylis, editor Marian Times
August 1, 2009
Simon Caldwell is a "reporter" for the UK Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk). I put "reporter" in quotes because, lacking objectivity on the subject of Medjugorje, he isn't a real reporter. He may well report facts on other topics, but when it comes to Medjugorje, that objectivity suddenly deserts him.
This is an extremely interesting phenomenon - that perfectly good reporters can lose their objectivity over a subject that doesn't involve themselves or any of their immediate family - a couple of the things normal people might be forgiven for losing their objectivity over under stress. It has afflicted others too - Unity Publishing's Rick Salbato, Culture Wars' E Michael Jones and a few other fringe Medjugorje haters.
Simon Caldwell: "The Vatican stripped Father Tomislav Vlasic of his priest status after an investigation into growing concerns over the alleged apparitions."
No, Simon. The Vatican acted on a request by Vlasic himself to be laicised. Vlasic ASKED to laicised. Read here for more.
And Simon, this laicisation was NOT the culmination of investigations into growing concerns over the alleged apparitions. Vlasic has been out of Medjugorje since 1985. He was rather disgraced after one of the seers denied that the Virgin Mary had endorsed one of his schemes. Growing concerns over alleged apparitions? Hardly. Any concerns are being manufactured and cultivated by sources such as yourself. The Vatican's tune has not changed since 1991, when it said "Just wait and see". We are all waiting and seeing still.
Simon Caldwell: "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, issued a ban on pilgrimages to the site but this has been widely ignored."
This is one of the more unholy and damaging lies told by Caldwell. It is extremely surprising even to those who oppose Medjugorje, but at least know that this is not true. When one looks in the cold hard light of day at what the Vatican has actually publically pronounced on Mejdugorje, we find very little and what we do find is positive for Medjugorje, namely:
- 1991 - Zadar declaration, which is essentially a "wait and see" declaration, leaving the door open for future investigations. It is widely accepted that the reason for this approach is that the visions are still ongoing and the Vatican does not normally pronounce on apparitions that are still in progress.
- 1994 - Letter from Cardinal Tarcision Bertone of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, responding to the faithful who were confused as to whether they should be heeding the condemnations and warnings from the rampant Bishop of Mostar. To this end, Cardinal Bertone assured the faithful that they were permitted to pilgrimage to Medjugorje and furthermore that the condemnations of the local bishop were his own opinions and not to be taken as the official Vatican position.
Of course, there is PLENTY of unofficial evidence to make Medjugorje supporters smile. Marian Times has accumulated an extensive list of quotes and interviews from Cardinals, Bishops and Preists, including JPII and Ratzinger, who view Medjugorje in an extremely positive light (See Vatican on Medjugorje).
Look at this headline! (source)
"Pope finally launches crackdown on world's largest illicit Catholic shrine and suspends 'dubious' priest"
To this article, Simon has not published any user response, yet has done so for other of his articles on Medjugorje. Hardly surprising as I can't imagine one single positive comment, dare I say even from the hardiest of Medjugorje detractors. This article is a litany of "hatred", shocking stuff. He has tried to paint a picture of illicit seediness from start to finish, in true conspiracy theory style. It is fiction at its purest. Simon should join Dan Brown and write a novel.
Some of the lies that need correcting sharpish:
Simon Caldwell: "The Pope has begun a crackdown on the world’s largest illicit Catholic shrine"
Not illicit. Perfectly licit by Vatican decree via the Zadar declaration of 1991 and subsequent letter from Tarcisio Bertone. No crackdown. If anything B16 is cleaning house in preparation for Medjugorje's new status as Marian Shrine in the not too distant future.
Simon Caldwell: "The Franciscan priest has been suspended after he refused to cooperate into claims of scandalous sexual immorality ‘aggravated by mystical motivations’."
Wow, here he's dragging something up from the mid-80's and crafting it into the plot. Vlasic is a maverick and has been out of Medjugorje since 1985. Everyone has known what he's been up to for decades. There's nothing to see here. Recently, Vlasic REQUESTED to be laicised. He was never "de-frocked" as part of some new recent investigation. This is a contrived story.
Simon Caldwell: "Medjugorje has grown to become the most visited unauthorised Catholic shrine in the world."
Medjugorje is as authorised and licit as anything could be. What Simon is doing here is equating the local Bishop's opposition to Vatican opposition, when we have had this situation long-clarified (since 1994) by Cardinal Tarcision Berton of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith, who explicity informed the faithful that they should NOT consider the local bishop's opinion as being official Vatican opinion. Cardinal Bertone re-iterated this message in his recent book "The Last Secret of Fatima" (published 2007), when he said that the bishop's declarations are not the definitive and official judgment of the Church. So, Simon, oh Simon....oh dear Simon. Who's a-tapping on your left shoulder and whispering in your left ear? Rebuke him immediately in the name of Jesus and leave Medjugorje well alone. Wait for the Vatican. A decision will come soon enough.
It represents a massive blow to millions of Medjugorje followers worldwide who were hoping that the Vatican investigation would legitimise the shrine.
Is he kidding? Medjugorje approval has never looked more probable than it does right now. Forgetting all the innuendo, common sense should tell everyone that after nearly 30 years of apparitions, the Vatican has never uttered a negative word. Indeed, the Catholic Church has flourished, with many conversions and many vocations. It is just a matter of time. I am absolutely confident.
Earlier this year, Italian Bishop Andrea Gemma denounced the Medjugorje claims as the ‘work of the Demon’ and predicted that ‘soon the Vatican will intervene with something explosive to unmask once and for all who is behind this deceit’.
Well, now there are about 3 clergy, aside from the local bishop, who have something against Medjugorje. I've been following closely the articles coming from the conspiracy theorists. After nearly 30 years of digging, they can really only find less than a handful. They were happy when a Medjugorje Franciscan priests, Philip Pavich, who was known as the "grumpy Franciscan", spoke out against Medjugorje. Now, they've dug up another. On the other hand, Medjugorje supporters can count Pope John Paul II and literally hundreds of priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals who have spoken publically in glowing, positive terms about Medjugorje. Click here to see some of these quotes.
So, Simon...Oh dear Simon...dear, dear, dear Simon. What on earth are you on about?
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