Ten Years Since the Zadar Declaration
(1991-2001)
Source: http://www.medjugorje.org/tenyrzadar.htm
Ten years have passed since the Bishops´ Conference
of former Yugoslavia published its Declaration on the
events of Medjugorje.
The Declaration was preceded and prepared by long and
painstaking work of several Commissions: two diocesan
Commissions and a Commission of the Bishops´ Conference
of former Yugoslavia had worked for seven years. Based
on these studies, the Bishops´ Conference, published
the following Declaration at its meeting in Zadar on
April 11, 1991:
The bishops, from the very beginning, have been following
the events of Medjugorje through the Bishop of the diocese
(Mostar), the Bishop's Commission and the Commission
of the Bishops Conference of Yugoslavia on Medjugorje.
On the basis of the investigations so far it cannot
be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions
and revelations.
However, the numerous gatherings of the faithful from
different parts of the world, who come to Medjugorje,
prompted both by motives of belief and various other
motives, require the attention and pastoral care in
the first place of the diocesan bishop and with him
of the other bishops also, so that in Medjugorje and
in everything connected with it a healthy devotion to
the Blessed Virgin Mary may be promoted in accordance
with the teaching of the Church.
For this purpose the bishops will issue especially
suitable liturgical-pastoral directives. Likewise, through
their Commission they will continue to keep up with
and investigate the entire event in Medjugorje.
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This Declaration of the Bishops´ Conference of
Yugoslavia represents the official position of the Church
on the events of Medjugorje.
The Declaration means:
1. The bishops leave open for further investigations
the question of the supernatural character of the phenomenon
of Medjugorje: it is neither accepted nor denied.
2. The bishops underline their pastoral care for the
faithful who come to Medjugorje for diverse reasons.
3. They want to promote a healthy devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary, in accordance with the teaching of the
Church. For this purpose, the bishops will issue especially
suitable liturgical-pastoral directives.
4. Through their Commissions, they will continue to
keep up with and investigate the entire event of Medjugorje.
With this Declaration, the Bishops have in fact accepted
Medjugorje as a place of pilgrimage, and have announced
that they will continue to follow the events of Medjugorje
through their Commissions.
In that spirit, Mgr Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Sarajevo,
Mgr Pavao Žanic, the local Bishop of Mostar, Mgr
Franjo Komarica, Bishop of Banja Luka and President
of the Commission of the Bishops´ Conference of
Yugoslavia, and Mgr Slobodan Štambuk, Bishop of
Hvar, came to Medjugorje on June 17, 1991. They were
accompanied by four priests, members of a future Commission:
don Tomo Vukšic, don Ivan Vukšic, fra Marinko
Leko and fra Marko Babic. They met with the pastoral
staff of Medjugorje and concelebrated the evening Mass,
which was presided by the local bishop, and during which
the archbishop of Sarajevo delivered the homily.
A meeting of the newly formed liturgical and pastoral
commission with the pastoral staff of the parish of
Medjugorje was announced for June 27th, but on June
25th, 1991, the war broke out in Yugoslavia. The falling
apart of the former Yugoslavia brought about the end
of the Bishop´s Conference of Yugoslavia, and
probably the end of its Commissions. Since then, no
Commission ever came to Medjugorje.
Since the text of the Declaration is the result of
a compromise obtained in the Bishops´ Conference
of Yugoslavia, it leaves open various interpretations.
Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, Archbishop of Zagreb, says
in an interview given to the catholic newspaper “Glas
Koncila” on August 15, 1993: “After three
years of studies by the Commission, we, the bishops,
have accepted Medjugorje as a Shrine, as a sanctuary.
This means that we have nothing against the veneration
of the Mother of God in accordance with the teaching
of the Church and our faith… This is why we leave
this question to further studies of the Church. The
Church is not in haste.”
Nevertheless, Mgr Pavao Žanic, Bishop of Mostar,
interprets the Declaration of Zadar as a negation of
the supernaturality of the events of Medjugorje, and
as a document forbidding pilgrimages. The Ordinary of
Mostar continues to uphold this position: “The
Ordinary has on several occasions warned that the supernatural
character of the apparitions cannot be spoken about
nor announced publicly in churches, as it was not possible
to state that Our Lady is appearing. This is why official
pilgrimages to Medjugorje are not allowed”, writes
Mgr Ratko Peric, successor of Mgr Pavao Žanic.
(See Prijestolje Mudrosti, Mostar 1995, p. 282) And
he continues: “Neither the diocesan bishop, as
head of the local diocese and Church of Mostar-Duvno,
nor any other competent person, have until now declared
the parish Church St James of Medjugorje as a Marian
shrine, nor confirmed the “cult” of Our
Lady based on the supposed apparitions. On the contrary,
because of its contestability, he has on many occasions
prohibited to speak on the altar or in the church about
supernatural “apparitions and revelations”,
and to organize official pilgrimages in the name of
parishes, dioceses, and generally in the name of the
Church. These and similar warnings were published also
by our former Bishops´ Conference and by the Holy
See itself. Anyone acting in an opposite manner, is
acting expressly against the official position of the
Church, which, after 14 years of supposed apparitions
and developed commercial propaganda, are still valid
in the Church”. (Ibid, p. 285-286)
In a letter addressed to the French weekly “Famille
Chretienne”, Mgr Peric refers in two official
letters of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith
addressed to two French bishops, to the pilgrimages
to Medjugorje. “These letters say, among other
things, that official pilgrimages to Medjugorje, understood
as a place of authentic apparitions of Our Lady, should
not be organized either on the parish or the diocesan
level, because it would be in contradiction with what
the bishops of the Bishops´ Conference of ex-Yugoslavia
affirmed in their Declaration of April 10, 1991.”
Mgr Peric continues: “My conviction and my position
is not only non constat de supernaturalitate, but constat
de non supernaturalitate of apparitions and revelations
in Medjugorje”.
Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Speaker of the Holy See, said
about the letters of Mgr Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of Faith: “The Vatican never
said to Catholics they could not go to Medjugorje, but
it said to bishops that their parishes and dioceses
could not organize official pilgrimages to the place
of supposed apparitions of Our Lady.” He added
that the Church does not prohibit priests from accompanying
pilgrims traveling to Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
organized by lay people. He said also that Mgr Bertone´s
letter does not say anything new on this issue.
Mgr Bertone himself clarifies his position in a letter
of May 26, 1998, addressed to Mgr Aubry, Bishop of La
Reunion: “Concerning the authenticity of the “apparitions”,
this Dicastery agrees with what the bishops of former
Yugoslavia have said in the Zadar Declaration of April
10, 1991. After the division of ex-Yugoslavia into several
independent states, it would be the concern of the members
of the Bishops´ Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina
to eventually re-examine this case and to publish new
declarations.
With regard to the statement, made by His Excellence
Mgr Peric in a letter addressed to the Secretary General
of “Famille Chretienne”, it has to be understood
as the personal conviction of the bishop of Mostar who,
as the local bishop, has always the right to express
what is, and remains, his personal opinion.
Finally, with regard to private pilgrimages to Medjugorje,
this Congregation considers them to be allowed, under
condition that they are “not understood as recognition
of the events which are still happening and which still
demand to be examined by the Church”.
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Ten years after the Declaration of Zadar, we can say:
1. The Zadar Declaration is and remains the only official
declaration of the Church on the events of Medjugorje.
2. All subsequent declarations of the Holy See refer
to this Declaration.
3. The position of Mgr Ratko Peric, Bishop of Mostar,
has to be understood as his personal conviction.
4. The final judgment on the supernaturality of the
apparitions and revelations remains open. The events
are still happening and have to be examined by the Church.
5. The “especially suitable liturgical-pastoral
directives” envisaged by the Declaration of Zadar
have still not been given.
6. Nothing is known about the existence of the envisaged
Commission, supposed to “continue to keep up with
and investigate the entire event in Medjugorje”.
7. Private pilgrimages to Medjugorje are allowed under
condition that they are not considered as the recognition
of the events which are still occurring, and which demand
to be examined by the Church. The Church does not forbid
priests to accompany these pilgrimages.
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