The Vatican’s current stance on the events at Medjugorje, as of March 25, 2025, is based on the most recent official statement from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), issued on September 19, 2024, and approved by Pope Francis. This position reflects a cautious yet positive approach to the spiritual phenomena associated with Medjugorje, a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina where alleged Marian apparitions have been reported since June 24, 1981.

The Vatican has granted a “nihil obstat” to the spiritual experience connected with Medjugorje, meaning “nothing obstructs” devotion to it. This ruling acknowledges the abundant spiritual fruits observed at the site—such as conversions, renewed participation in the sacraments (especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation), vocations to priestly and religious life, deepened faith, increased prayer, and family reconciliations—without declaring the alleged apparitions to be of supernatural origin. The DDF emphasizes that these positive outcomes are most evident in the context of pilgrimages to the locations tied to the original events, rather than in encounters with the alleged visionaries during their claimed ongoing apparitions.

However, the Vatican does not affirm the authenticity of the reported apparitions or messages as supernatural. It explicitly avoids making a definitive judgment on their origin, stating that the faithful are not obliged to believe in them. The “nihil obstat” is framed as a pastoral encouragement, allowing public acts of devotion and pilgrimages while maintaining doctrinal caution. The DDF advises pilgrims to focus on encountering Mary, the Queen of Peace, and her Son, Jesus Christ, through prayer, the sacraments, and Eucharistic adoration, rather than seeking out the visionaries or their alleged messages.

The Vatican also highlights some concerns about certain aspects of the reported messages. It notes that while the overall content is generally positive and aligned with the Gospel (e.g., calls to peace, conversion, and closeness to Jesus), some messages contain “imprecise” or “theologically incorrect” language. For instance, it cautions against messages that seem to give specific instructions (like dates or places) or that could be interpreted as replacing the ordinary pastoral authority of the Church, such as the role of parish priests or communal discernment.

Historically, the Vatican’s involvement with Medjugorje has evolved. Early investigations by local bishops (e.g., the 1991 Zadar Declaration by the Yugoslav Bishops’ Conference) concluded that it could not be affirmed that the events were supernatural. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI established a commission under Cardinal Camillo Ruini to study the matter further, which submitted its report in 2014. While the report’s details remain unpublished, it reportedly viewed the initial 1981 apparitions more favorably than the ongoing ones, a distinction Pope Francis echoed in 2017 when he expressed personal skepticism about the later claims, preferring to see Mary as a mother rather than a “telegraph operator” delivering daily messages.

Since 2019, Pope Francis has authorized organized pilgrimages to Medjugorje, a shift from earlier restrictions, provided they do not imply Church approval of the apparitions’ supernatural character. The 2024 DDF document builds on this, formalizing the “nihil obstat” under new norms for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena, introduced in May 2024. These norms prioritize pastoral value over definitive rulings on supernatural authenticity, reflecting the Vatican’s balanced approach: recognizing Medjugorje’s spiritual benefits while withholding endorsement of the apparitions themselves.

In summary, the Vatican says that Medjugorje is a valid place for devotion and pilgrimage due to its spiritual fruits, but it refrains from confirming the supernatural nature of the alleged apparitions, urging prudence and a focus on faith rather than the visionaries’ claims.

Special Message March 18th Message from Mirjana “I will guide you to my Son”

Annual Message of the QUEEN of PEACE to the Seer MIRIJANA – March 18, 2025

”Dear children! With motherly love I beg you: give me your joined hands, give me your hearts purified in confession and I will guide you to my Son! Because, my children, only my Son, with His light can illuminate the darkness, only He, with His Word can remove suffering. So don’t be afraid to walk with me, because I lead you to my Son, to salvation. I thank you. ” (With church approval)