Bishop Condemns Medjugorje Hoax
Bishop Peric: “the woman who appears” behaves quite differently from the true Mary… She often does not speak first, she has a strange laugh, she disappears after certain questions and then returns: she obeys the ‘visionaries’ and priests to come down from the hill to the church, though reluctantly. She is not sure how much time she will be visible, allows some of the ‘visionaries’ to stand on her veil which is on the ground, allows others to touch her clothes and body. This really is not Our Lady from the Gospel” said Bishop Ratko Peric. Click here to read entire report
Comment:
Unconscionably, priests and bishops here in Scotland and the wider UK are encouraging “pilgrimages” to this unapproved site. The so-called Catholic newspapers carry advertisements for the hoax, making money out of this mockery of Our Lady, and cardinals who ignore and suppress the full Message of Fatima, support the scam. Why?
As for the Pope’s appointment of a special envoy to Medjugorje to investigate the “pastoral” needs of the faithful… Clearly, given the above extract alone, anyone who falls for this hoax needs professional help – of the kind that priests are not qualified to offer! Or maybe you disagree? Let’s hear it…
Comments (38)
I agree that anyone who falls for the Medjugorje scam really does need help on the couch!
I’d never heard the half of that before, although I’ve long believed Medjugorje not to be true.
That report, though, takes it to a whole new level! Our Lady “obeys” the ‘visionaries’ – lets them stand on her veil – LOL!
Interestingly, the Croatian website mentioned above carries another report, titled “Pope Francis endangers tourism in Medjugorje” http://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/16782-pope-francis-endangers-tourism-in-medugorje I’m glad they said ‘tourism’ and not ‘pilgrimages’. Apparently, Pope Francis’s several public negative side-swipes concerning Our Lady giving daily ‘messages’, which clearly refers to Medjugorje even if he hasn’t mentioned the place by name, has caused detriment to the tour operators who take people there – especially from Italy. Well at least he’s done ONE thing right! But instead of the vague negative side-swipes, the Pope should come out and clearly condemn it by name once and for all – and not continue to arrange for pastoral care for those who continue to go there in disobedience.
Westminster Fly,
That’s a real WOW piece of news – that the tourists coming from Italy has dropped from 200,000 in 2016, to 50! LOL!
And they are right to call them “tourists” – you can’t make a real pilgrimage to a hoax shrine.
The message of Medjugorje is rebellion! From the very beginning till now, a series of Boznian bishops, with whom lies the full authority, have examined and condemned these false appartions, yet the people just ignore them and carry on regardless. I’m sure we all remember, too, the scandal of the Franciscan who wrote books and made money from this scam. In addition to his disobedience to his bishop he was also, if I recall correctly, none too moral and finally excommunicated.
Furthermore, the seers themselves were caught out in lies during questioning by the Church’s authorities and have displayed all the signs of lacking humility by deliberately putting themselves in the public eye and doing quite well for themselves financially.
And then there are the so-called allocutions of Our Lady, tens of thousands of them, some even heretical. Only the brainless, the revolutionary or the emotionally disturbed would continue to insist that this mockery of the Mother of God has some element of truth to it. Crazy people!
Athanasius,
That’s what I find so interesting, that it’s not just one bishop but all the bishops in the area who have condemned the Medjugorje “visions”.
Also, as you say, the Franciscan priest scandal alone should have been enough to close down the whole scam.
What really convinced me that there was no truth in the claims, was the fact that the “seers” were making money out of it. That was it, as far as I was concerned.
It definitely is making a mockery out of Our Lady – I wonder how those “seers” feel when they are alone with their consciences?
I’ve often wondered that. I think it must be like riding a tiger. They’ve started something that has spiralled completely out of control and there’s just no way to get off the tiger without getting mauled. And I think they would be mauled to death – literally. Not because they have led people astray relating to any aspect of Catholicism, but because of the organised crime aspect, which is fairly prevalent in that region. Many people stand to lose a lot of money depending on how things go with Medjugorje. If any of the alleged ‘seers’ were to admit they had lied and the money dried up, things would get very ugly for them. Just as well for them that they have second homes outside of Bosnia – they may well need them one day. E Michael Jones writes very well about the little known but highly unsavoury aspects of the phenomenon in his book: “The Medjugorje Deception: Queen of Peace, Ethnic Cleansing, Ruined Lives”. http://www.culturewars.com/medj.htm I recommend people get a copy and read it. There is a depth of evil behind Medjugorje which is explained in this book in a much more complete way than any other book I’ve read on the subject.
I think it’s fair to say that most CT contributors don’t believe in Medj, so rather than just discuss this amongst ourselves, why not find out the email address of your local parish, and email the priest and send him the link? This information needs to get out there.
WF,
That’s a great idea.
I’m trying to remember the priest in Motherwell Diocese who is a big supporter of the hoax, but for the life of me I can’t remember his name. Will come to me in due course, at which point, I’ll email the link to him. He’s had Ivan over here, in his church, conversing with Our Lady, with the Bishop (then Bishop Devine) scheduled to attend.
After we wrote to him, enclosing the official documents of the local Bishop, asking if he really wanted to offend a brother bishop by defying his request NOT to invite these “seers” to speak in parishes, Bishop Devine sent an apology for not attending after all, saying he had another engagement – clearly one that trumped being in Our Lady’s presence! Hilarious
A short time later…
I scrolled through the list of clergy on the Motherwell website and recognised the name of Fr Towey – a quick visit to his parish website confirmed that Miss Marple had struck oil – I’ve now emailed him the link to this blog. So let’s hope he reads it, and sees how crackpot the whole thing is, although my past experience with Medjugorje fanatics is such that I know that to be unlikely. They are as hooked on that scam as any drug addict is hooked on one of those un-spellable drugs – like heroine… Kidding! 😀
If I can think of any other Medjugorje-supporting clergy, I’ll email the link to them as well and would urge others to do the same. As WF says, we need to make sure that this latest bombshell from the local Bishop gets “out there”.
Editor,
I called Father Towey on behalf of Catholic Truth many years ago. He was a bad-tempered man, who soon resorted to mockery when I pointed out his shenanigans.
I remember he furiously screamed down the phone that the issue was in the hands of the Holy See. I pointed out that the local bishop had full authority on this, to which he howled, “This is nothing to do with the Bishop of Mostar!!!! Listen, I know you are sad and have nothing better to do with your time….” I can’t remember how the rest of the conversation panned out, but I don’t think we departed as friends!
I have met men and women devoted to Our Lady and the thing they all have in common is humility. Father Towey was lacking in this department- big style! I remember thinking, “by their fruits”.
Petrus,
I’d forgotten that. It’s true, though, that Medjugorje fanatics do not like any questioning of their “Gospa”.
I remember being a passenger in the car of a man who has written books (or, one, at least) on the subject, and when I innocently remarked that I thought pilgrimages were discouraged, he tore into me as if he’d just discovered I’d taken out ISIS membership. Not that there was any such thing as ISIS in those days, but you’ll get my drift.
We were stuck at a red light when I showed my faithlessness, so it gave him the chance to quiz me about the level of my spiritual life. The conversation went like this…
Medj Man: “I fast twice a week – do you?”
Me – (shamefacedly) “No”
Medj Man – I pray the fifteen decades of the Rosary every day – do you?
Me – (shamefacedly) “No”
Medj Man (still hot under the collar) – “Well, then, I think maybe it’s time for you to do some reflecting… don’t you? Instead of pointing the finger at those who are guilty of nothing more than going on pilgrimage to Medjugorge”
Me – (relieved that we now had a green light) – “Yes, of course.”
Medj Man (pulling into his driveway) – I think we’d better say a Hail Mary before going into the house, to calm us down..
Me (wondering what his wife must be thinking watching from the living room window as we made the sign of the cross and began…) “Hail Mary…”
That is more or less verbatim from my (admittedly not great) memory. I was glad when home time arrived. Never again, I resolved, will I knowingly be left alone in the company of a Medjugorje Man or Woman. They are a breed apart!
Still, Petrus, mustn’t be too hard on Fr Towey et al. I found this sermon where he preaches on internet and computer charity, so to speak.
http://www.glasbergen.com/wp-content/gallery/christian-cartoons/toon-1035.gif
Editor,
That is a classic! I have tears running down my face! I haven’t laughed so much since the thread “Catholic Truth Goes To Town” on the old blog! Remember that one???
I do remember that one, Petrus – I think I published it in the newsletter at one point, though can’t remember which edition. If not, I’ll do so as I did enjoy writing it up – it was one hilarious experience.
Editor,
That one-sided exchange could have been avoided had you kept your rolling pin with you at all times. You know, like travelers’ checks…don’t leave home without them!
RCA Victor,
And it all started because I’d read a short report in one of the Catholic papers, about the Bishop of Mostar asking parishes not to organise pilgrimages, and Medj Man was casually explaining to me how busy he was between work and organising a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. I said “sounds wonderful, but I thought pilgrimages were not allowed – just been reading that in the Catholic Times” and thereafter. all Hell – as the saying goes – broke loose.
However, I took refuge in another saying: “Don’t get mad, get even” …
I never DID buy a copy of his book 😀
Can you see the overweening PRIDE at work in that Medj supporter? ‘I fast twice a week . . . I pray 15 decades of the Rosary every day . . . etc, etc’. To those sort of people I remind them:- “Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven”. Matthew 6:1
Westminster Fly,
I agree – it made me think of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, LOL!
WF & MM,
I don’t want to be unfair to Medj Man, because he was (and I presume still is – we didn’t keep in touch,no surprise!) a very nice person.
I think people who get involved with Medjugorje just get very confused in their thinking – evidence of the diabolical nature of the hoax.
I don’t think he’d have meant what he said as it came across in my comment above. I really don’t think of him as the Pharisee and myself as the Tax Collector. If you only knew the lengths to which I go to avoid paying tax, you’d know what I mean 😀
I wonder if Our Lady Herself came down and appeared on the national news network to denounce this false apparition if She would be believed. This is demonic delusion at its height.
Therese,
That is exactly right. They want to believe this nonsense and anyone who doesn’t is lacking faith or doing the work of the devil – that’s been my experience with the Medjugorje supporters. It’s very sad when Our Lady wants us to promote Fatima, yet these people are pushing a hoax instead.
I don’t think it’s good enough for Pope Francis to make snide remarks though – he has a duty to spell it out, say openly that Medjugorje is completely unacceptable, that the whole thing has been a hoax. If he does nothing else right in his time in office, he can and should at least do that.
Well said, Nicky. Snide remarks are not going to help the faith of the many otherwise good Catholics who have been duped by this. The fallout is going to be very messy and it is made all the worse by craven hierarchy who again fail to do their duty to the faithful.
What is so amazing is that the same hierarchy who encourage Medjugorje, don’t say a word about Fatima! What’s going on?
(March 18th, 2010 8:20 pm) Everything having been already clarified long ago by successive bishops of Mostar-Duvno, what more could learn the Vatican which already has all the elements…
What is the content of the message which the Vatican wants to convey? Will he try to make us believe that “the moon is made of green cheese”? That would be unbelievable! I suspect the “charismatics” to use the Medjugorje deceit to impose their heresy to the Church…
It is truly diabolical!
I do not understand why we persist to argue, as if nothing had happened, on something several times formally condemned by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno, the Ordinary of the place being exclusively qualified to decide, as it is the tradition in the Church on all the “apparitions”. The bishop of the Diocese is fully competent in the matter, if only by his proximity to the events.
Furthermore, the pilgrimages also were prohibited by the successive bishops of Mostar-Duvno, especially as some priests exercise a ministry illegally when they were suspended by their bishop. People who make pilgrimages to Medjugorje therefore have a schismatic behaviour.
As for Cardinal Christoph Schönborn op, Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal’s dignity does not discharge to comply with laws of the Church… He has nothing to do in Medjugorje, especially since he is not invited. He should be the first one to set a good example.
Medjugorje? Obviously, this is a sham, one more among others which charismatics entertain; the case is then finally closed.
Appalling!
The “charismatics” are, ultimately, that “Pentecostal Protestants” who secretly invested the Church… These fanatics refer to the Holy Ghost unreasonably as their exclusive ownership, as if the radius of action of the Holy Ghost was limited to their “little world”, while He is acting everywhere and in all things, the more insignificant as the largest, and most often discreetly…
(March 24th, 2010 12:39 am) Moreover, the content of the alleged “messages” which conveyed the false “madonna” is completely oriented in the direction of “the great universal brotherhood” advocated by the lodges… Even the “gospa” plays “the great brotherhood” by letting fully excited pilgrims jostle her!… What a vulgarity!
If these so-called “messages” and “strange behaviour” proved true, frankly, it would be unworthy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate who is at the opposite of all this fuss…
Moreover, it is absolutely unthinkable that the Holy Virgin, the true One, might be a “factor of division into the Church” by urging the clergy and faithful to disobey the Ordinary and to revolt against him. This argument is, in my opinion, the most determinant to expose this sham.
I find it insulting to Our Lady that they dare consider that She can behave in a manner as ordinary and absurd.
Lionel, well said.
You are completely correct in saying that once the local Bishop pronounced judgment on this nonsense, that should have been an end to it, but, as Athanasius points out, “rebellion” (against the authority of Christ and His Church) lies at the root of this diabolical phenomenon.
And the reason why we are still discussing it, is precisely because the Pope and the Vatican, instead of supporting the local bishop with an official statement, are pandering to the disobedient and the ignorant, firstly by setting up their crackpot Commission and now by appointing a “special envoy”. Absolutely crazy.
It seems that modernist popes will do anything and everything except their duty. If it will make them unpopular, create a “Commission” or appoint an “envoy”. You know, do what the politicians do – shift the attention away from “me, me, me” so that my personal popularity ratings don’t fall. We’re seeing it time and time again…
https://i1.wp.com/media.cagle.com/77/2015/05/04/163494_600.jpg
Editor,
In view of Francis’ past behavior pattern, I’d say “Special Envoy” means he alone wants complete control of the situation, rather than the local bishop. Who knows, maybe he’s hoping Medjugorje Woman will give him some messages about how to get rid of Cardinal Burke!
“maybe he’s hoping Medjugorje Woman will give him some messages about how to get rid of Cardinal Burke!”
Could be! LOL!
I have just been reading this on Rorate Caeli:-
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-summary-of-pontificate.html#more
My understanding of “Che GuePapa” is “That warrior Pope”
Yes, I notice that Charismatics seem very comfortable with Medjugorje and the Divine Mercy Devotion, but are not all that interested in the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart devotions or the full Fatima message. Interesting, that.
This business of daily “messages” got me wondering, so I checked Twitter to see if Medjugorje had an account – and found at least three, plus some national websites! Here’s one of them: https://twitter.com/medjugorjebook. Imagine that: Our Lady uses Twitter! I wonder if Pope Francis copies his daily banalities from her…
I also remember a little episode from several years ago, here at home: the sacred music choir I accompany could not rehearse in our regular parish one week, so we were given time in nearby parish, which happened to be the same NO parish through which I re-entered the Church.
While waiting for everyone to arrive for the rehearsal, I started snooping around in the room in back of the rehearsal room, an ad hoc library of sorts, and found an issue of “Medjugorje Magazine” on the rack! So I threw it in the trash….
I have to wonder whether Cardinal “linguistic event” Schonborn, the AL used-car salesman, and others of his ilk are simply trying to figure out how they can gain some financial advantage from all this These Modernists are pretty good imitators of the devil, esp. in that (a): they have no shame, and (b) they speak with forked tongue.
RCA Victor,
I took a quick scroll down that Twitter Feed and laughed at one of the comments which informs us that “the next Pope” Cardinal Schonborn say that Papa Francis is very interested in Medjugorje.
Well, so am I. What does that tell you? I’m interested to see how long the scam lasts and to view, with “I told you so” written all over my face, with what sort of humiliating end the alleged seers meet.
And that’s on a good day…
The alleged apparitions were” more a form of manipulation by the visionaries?” What ever happened to the devil as cause? It is good that the Pope is interested in “pastoral care” for the poor people. I wonder what he will offer?
Marysong,
Think about that: manipulation by the ‘visionaries’ couldn’t come from God. Could it? There you go – the devil’s not been made redundant after all 😀
Good question – what WILL this papal envoy offer these poor misguided souls, in an effort to pastorally care for them. Anybody’s guess, but my advice would be to look for an office with a couch in it, and a man wearing a white coat; then, leave them to it 😀
Yes, I understand he has an army of them at hand, ready to do his will. Diagnosis: Nostalgia Hysteria
Editor and Marysong,
This Pope bases “pastoral care” on his false definition of “discernment,” so I’d hazard a somewhat educated guess that we will eventually hear that “pilgrims” to this scam will be told that if they “discern” there is something supernatural going on there, well that will be just peachy.
RCA Victor,
“pilgrims” to this scam will be told that if they “discern” there is something supernatural going on there, well that will be just peachy.
That seems to be the mindset alright.
I had a discussion with someone regarding medjugorje and baldly stated it was a hoax, pointing out the relevant authorities had said this over and over.
However, they countered by saying “its up to individuals” to decide if the claims are genuine or not. I thought that was amazing, as if people are making up their own beliefs then they are in fact protestants.
I think that Medjugorje is clung onto fiercely by some (lay and clerical) because they see it as some “big news / big hope” amid decades of stagnation and decline of the novus ordo Church. And mistakenly think that fervent belief in this may help reignite the faith / build momentum again.
But they are barking up the wrong tree, as only tradition will reignite the faith and they should be looking to Fatima, not Medjugorje.
It is a disgrace that Catholic media and parishes get away with promoting this hoax. The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to eventually put a lid on it. And it could be used to discredit genuine accounts of apparitions.
Editor,
It is a pity, that you never got the opportunity to beg the 64.000 dollar question of the Medj man, as to why none of the “alleged seers” never, ever entered religious life.
Considering that these “alleged apparitions” have been condemned as false by successive Bishops of Mostar-Duvno. That is indeed answer enough.
But would or could Medj man answer the question? Probably not. Though he might have some excuse.
Theresa Rose,
It isn’t a foregone conclusion that any genuine seer should have to enter the priesthood or religious life. Both the approved apparitions of Our Lady in Belgium – Banneux and Beauraing – were deemed worthy of belief by the Church and both shrines continue to this day, but none of the seers involved in these two separate events entered religious life. They married and led quiet lives. Not all of the visionaries of the approved apparitions of Our Lady of Pontmain, France, became priests/religious, but some did.
Far more telling is the Medjugorje so-called ‘seers’ money-making from these alleged ‘apparitions’, which was discussed in-depth in a previous CT thread https://catholictruthblog.com/2013/11/07/money-spinning-medjugorje
Westminsterfly,
Thank you, for your correction. I had made the assumption that all did.
I had also forgotten the 2013 catholictruth.com thread you highlight.
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