Medjugorje, are the apparitions true? The Vatican has made a pronouncement -Will Report on Spiritual Experience

The Holy See’s “verdict” on the Bosnian Marian sanctuary that attracts thousands of faithful every year is expected on Thursday

Cardinal Víctor Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will lead a press conference on the spiritual experience of Medjugorje this Thursday, September 19th, at the Vatican.  

The Vatican Press Office announced that at the press conference, which will take place at 11:30 AM Rome time, Fernández will be joined by Monsignor Armando Matteo, Secretary of the Dicastery’s Doctrinal Section, and Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication.

The press conference is scheduled to be broadcast live on Vatican News’ YouTube page.

Although no further details about the event have been released, the press conference is being held within the framework of the new “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” published in May by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Since then, the Holy See has issued rulings on various alleged Marian apparitions and devotions.

What’s Happening in Medjugorje?

The alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina) began on June 24, 1981. Six children were said to have been the recipients of the Virgin’s messages, of which three claim to continue receiving messages daily.

On that same occasion, the Holy Father noted that “people go there and convert. People encounter God, change their lives.” He emphasized that this is not a result of “magic” but a valid spiritual and pastoral fact that “can’t be ignored.”

Since May 2019, Pope Francis has officially authorized the organization of pilgrimages to Medjugorje and has been sending messages to young people attending the Medjugorje Youth Festival