What is the Holy Father's Mission In Medjugorje?

I felt so compelled to write the article on St. James and Medjugorje, that even after first posting it, I couldn't stop working on it through the night, and although I didn't realize it at the time I began...

The Feast of St. James is a day of tremendous celebration in Medjugorje. Not only is it the parish's feast day, St. James' is the patron saint of pilgrims. How amazing these connections and hoe much there is to ponder within the providence of God.  
So, I believe St. James inspired me to dig deeper, for there is so much more to the story.  
So, this is, in a sense, an addendum to the article about St. James and Our Lady. But, it is also so much more. 

[VIDEO] Today in Medjugorje for the Feast of St James

For, even after being up all night writing the article, again I hadn't realized that today, July 26th, is the Feast of St. Joachim and Anne. So, not only St. James, but how much Mary's parents, (and Jesus' grandparents), must have also been inspiring me to research and share more details regarding these great and unprecedented events that are happening in Medjugorje at this time. 

How deeply Mary's mom and dad must love this place where it is reported that she has been coming daily for over 37 years! If this is really true, how much they must be praying for all those who come to this place seeking Christ, and for "those who do not yet know the love of God," for whom Mary's continues to beg us to pray. 

If all that is reported in Medjugorje is real, it is incredible to contemplate how close the Mystical Body of Christ is to us!  All the signs, wonders and graces flowing upon the world through Medjugorje, I'm sure are, in part, sent to help us to recognize how thin the veil is between heaven and earth! And how deeply ALL the angels and saints are invested in our lives and are praying for God's plans for our conversion to be fulfilled!!

Giotto, di Bondone: No. 6 Scene from the Life of Joachim and Ann Meeting at the Golden Gate, 1304-06

No other reported apparition site has had the Pope's personal representative (Papal Envoy), sent to live and study the site of apparitions firsthand --while they are still reportedly ongoing and being investigated. And, then, in the following year, the same Papal Envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser, is sent again to the apparition site, no longer to study it, but to stay indefinitely as the Apostolic Visitor, again as personal representative of the Vatican and the Pope. 

With St. James, St. Joachim and St. Anne, then, leading me on, I will try to provide a comprehensive overview of these amazing events that are taking place concerning Medjugorje and Archbishop Hoser. In order to try to do justice to this vast topic, I will rely heavily on the Archbishop's own words. 

This first article will focus on the beginning of Archbishop Hoser's mission as Apostolic Visitor.  The second article will go back to the Archbishop's words following his first visit last year as Papal Envoy, sent by Pope Francis to study the spiritual aspects of Medjugorje. 

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, July 22, 2018 at Holy Mass in Medjugorje. Photo from MaryTV

Just three days before the Feast of St. James, on Sunday, July 22, 2018, the VATICAN'S MISSION OFFICIALLY BEGAN in Medjugorje, as Archbishop Henryk Hoser commenced his mission with Holy Mass as Pope Francis' Apostolic Visitor! 

Here are excerpts taken from Archbishop Hoser's homily:

"the Holy Father, as the Universal Shepherd of the Church ... sends shepherds to the places were people live, where the faithful gather, seeking for the light of salvation."

He spoke of pilgrims coming to Medjugorje from over 80 countries of the world, (about 1 million annually), many of whom, with "a firm and decisive motivation..." travel great distances and with much effort to this remote area.

Distances that are not only understood as miles, but often reflect:

"the existential situation of so many who are far from God, from Christ, from their Church and from the light that gives purpose to life, or gives a dignified goal, a life worth living. 

Now we can understand why they Holy Father has sent the Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje. The pastoral care requires to ensure a stable and continuous accompaniment of the Parish Community of Medjugorje and of the Faithful who come here on pilgrimage.

This mission equally concerns not only those who are far off but also those who are near. The latter with a double meaning. They are near because they have lived in this place and territory for generations. They are near because they are the Parishioners of Medjugorje. They are near also because for 37 years they have witnessed so many events in this region. 

In another meaning, near are all those who live an ardent and warm faith, and who desire to live in an intimate and grateful contact with the Risen and Merciful Lord."

He then asked:

“Let us now ask the fundamental question: Why do so many people come to Medjugorje every year? 

The clear answer is this: they come to meet someone, to meet God, to meet Christ, to meet His Mother. And then to discover the path that leads to the joy of living in the house of the Father and of the Mother; and ultimately to discover the Marian way as the more certain and sure one. This is the path of the Marian devotion that has been taking place here for years.” 

“This is what the people’s devotion in Medjugorje looks like: in the center is the Holy Mass, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the sacrament of Reconciliation. And all of this followed by other forms of devotion: the Rosary and the Way of the Cross, which have turned what in the beginning used to be sharp stones into smooth paths.” 

He continued: 

"Pope John Paul II said [in his apostolic letter on pilgrimages to sacred places], 'Just as time can be marked by special moments of grace, space, too, may by analogy, bear the particular saving actions of God. ... also sacred spaces, where the encounter with the Divine may be also experienced more intensely than it would be normally in the vastness of the cosmos.' 

Medjugorje gives us both, the time and the space of God’s grace, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church, whom here we honor as the Queen of Peace ..."

He concluded by saying:

"It is true, the world is in great need of peace, peace in one’s own heart, peace in the family, peace in society and international peace. Peace is desired by everybody, especially by the people of this country who suffered so much in the recent Balkan War. 

To promote peace means to build a civilization based on love, on communion, on fraternity, on justice, and therefore on peace and freedom. May the Gospa, the Mother of the Prince of Peace who was proclaimed by the prophets, be our Protectress, our Queen and our Mother. Amen"

Afterwards, the Papal Nuncio of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Luigi Pezzuto, read Pope Francis' letter appointing Archbishop Hoser to his mission in Medjugorje, which bestowed his Apostolic Blessing.

Mass was offered for thousands of faithful and was concelebrated with Bishop Galiese of Italy and 118 other priests!  

Miki Musa, Medjugorje guide and translator, summarized the thoughts of people  in Medjugorje, by saying:

“It was unbelievable. It almost felt like a dream to see a person who came in the name of the Holy Father standing at the altar in Medjugorje. 

In my opinion, this is the greatest event to take place in Medjugorje in the past 37 years, after June 24, 1981 when the apparitions first began. We are all so grateful. I had to stop my translation for a moment and take a deep breath. He said such powerful words.” 

No wonder the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me sleep! 
What tremendous grace for Medjugorje and for the tens of millions who have traveled there! 

Click here for Part II of this series on Archbishop Hoser's mission in Medjugorje.

© Janet Moore 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Pictures of the Holy Mass on July 22, 2018 were taken by Chic and Marie Paolini and used with permission. 

Do the Papal Envoy's Words Mean Vatican Approval for Medjugorje is Near?

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 

The Papal Flag which flies outside St. James Church!!!! July 30, 2018

This Part II of the Series on the Extraordinary Events of the Vatican and Medjugorje -- which actually goes back to Pope Francis' first appointment of Archbishop Henryk Hoser to the site of reported daily apparitions of Our Lady for nearly four decades. 

Archbishop Hoser was first appointed to Medjugorje by Pope Francis as his Papal Envoy (representative) in the Spring of 2017. He was sent to study the pastoral situation of this place, which attracted so many millions of pilgrims. 

After concluding his study, what did the Pope Francis' Representative conclude about Medjugorje?

Janusz Halczewski - Abp Henryk Hoser w Arcueil pod Paryżem, 2009

The Archbishop made these remarks and many others in an interview regarding his time in Medjugorje:   

"...this movement will not stop and should not be stopped, because good fruit grows out of it. It is one of the most living places of prayer and conversion in Europe – with a healthy spirituality.
 

...All indications are that the revelations will be recognized, perhaps even this year. 
Specifically, I think it is possible to recognize the authenticity of the first apparitions as proposed by the cardinal commission, Ruini.                                                                                                        [See report on the Vatican commission's findings here -- the commission members voted overwhelming to name the first days of apparitions as supernatural.]  

Besides, it is difficult to get another verdict, because it is difficult to believe that six seers will lie for 36 years. What they say is consistent. There are no people haunted or mentally disturbed. The powerful argument for the authenticity of the apparitions is Faithfulness to the doctrine of the Church.
 If the revelations, and at least the first seven, will be recognized, this will be a tremendous stimulus for Medjugorje."
 

 Would your Archbishop’s diocese recommend a trip to Medjugorje?
 

"Of course. I would say that it is a pilgrimage of spiritual transformation, conversion and consolidation of faith – because all these elements are realized there.
"

The archbishop also gave an interview to Aleteia in December 2017, following his assignment as Papal Envoy to Medjugorje. In the interview, Archbishop Hoser's statements express strong pastoral openness regarding Medjugorje, which confirms that while priests, bishops and cardinals have always been free to go to Medjugorje (and many thousands have done so)... 

Now, according to Archbishop Hoser, these same priests, bishops, cardinals, even by dioceses and church officials themselves can plan official pilgrimages.

Here are some statements taken from the interview: 

“The devotion of Medjugorje is allowed. It’s not prohibited, and need not be done in secret.”

“My mission is precisely to analyze the pastoral situation and propose improvements.” 

“Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem.”    

“Pope Francis recently asked an Albanian cardinal to give his blessing to the faithful present in Medjugorje.” 

“I am full of admiration for the work the Franciscans are doing there. With a relatively small team—there is only a dozen of them—they do a huge job of welcoming pilgrims. Every summer they organize a youth festival. This year, there were 50,000 young people from around the world, with more than 700 priests.” 

“There is a massive number of confessions. They have about 50 confessionals, which are not enough. These are very deep confessions." 

“This is a phenomenon. And what confirms the authenticity of the place is the large amount of charitable institutions that exist around the sanctuary. And another aspect as well: the great effort that is being made at the level of Christian formation. Each year, they organize conferences at different levels, for various audiences (priests, doctors, parents, young people, couples …).” 

“The decree of the former episcopal conference of what used to be Yugoslavia, which, before the Balkan war, advised against pilgrimages in Medjugorje organized by bishops, is no longer relevant.” 

“What I find touching is that all the seers have turned to family life. In our day and age, the family is of enormous importance. All of them have a family. Those who were teenagers at the time, are already grandmothers; 37 years have passed!” 

Given the tremendously positive statements Archbishop Hoser made after his first visit as Papal Envoy, one would think that Pope Francis would have rejected the Archbishop for this second mission if he had disagreed with him. 

So, in contrast to what is often reported, because of the overwhelming fruits highlighted by the Archbishop above, perhaps Medjugorje is close to being recognized as a Pontifical Shrine as the Vatican commission reportedly suggested? Or perhaps, it is even on it's way to Papal recognition as Archbishop Hoser suggests?  

Regardless of what the future holds, I pray each of us takes some time to reflect on the statements made by the Archbishop quoted in this article. His words provide much to mediate on; and perhaps, after reflection, his words will break through the barriers so many have placed against Medjugorje, which he describes as one of the "sacred spaces, where the encounter with the Divine may be also experienced more intensely than it would be normally in the vastness of the cosmos," [quoting John Paul II]. 

This seems to echo the sentiments of so many who have traveled to Medjugorje as pilgrims: calling it such a privileged place, that it is where Heaven meets earth. Perhaps Mary is calling you to go as a pilgrim to see for yourself? 

May the whole communion of saints, including St. James, St. Joachim and St. Anne intercede for us and lead us to ever greater love for Christ and His Mother. 

See Part I, What is the Holy Father's Mission In Medjugorje? here.

© Janet Moore 2018. All Rights Reserved.