UPDATE SEPTEMBER - 19, 2024
Under the new norms declared in 2024 regarding the approval or disapproval of an apparition that may now be granted, Pope Francis has just given the spiritual fruits and devotion to Our Lady in Medjugorje as the 'Queen of Peace' a ruling of 'Nulla Osta' - that is 'no obstacle'. Apparently, this is just in regards to pilgrimages there, and devotion shown there, i.e prayers, etc, as they recognise the 'spiritual fruit' that has grown there. And, this is already an accepted title for Our Lady in the Church, so this is only what is given approval - the DEVOTION to Our Lady as Queen of Peace.
HOWEVER, this is NOT a formal full approval of the apparitions themselves. It has been clearly stated by the Vatican this ruling does NOT mean they recognize or are making a ruling on the SUPERNATURAL origin or character of these alleged visions. Which means, they still do not formally declare they are from Heaven.
In fact, according to Vatican News, the Dicastery invites pilgrims who visit Medjugorje “to be strongly advised that pilgrimages are NOT made to meet with alleged visionaries but to have an encounter with Mary, the Queen of Peace.”
So, the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith is basically saying it is NOT approving pilgrim trips to see the visionaries themselves, pilgrimages are to honour ONLY Our Lady under her title Queen of Peace, so, it is obvious the Vatican is not actually recongising the visionaries and their alleged visions with this new ruling.
Basically, the Vatican is just restating its former position that pilgrimages are allowed, and that what is good that has been promulgated may be followed, but there is still no actual approval of the apparitions themselves.
Sadly, this new set of norms that has been set out in 2024 with regards to apparitions is going to cause nothing but confusion in the Church. It is obvious the prophecies regarding bishops leading people into confusion is coming to pass.
Considering the heresies and messages contrary to approved mystics and Church Tradition that have come out in this set of apparitions in Medjugorje, (even the Vatican Commission sent to investigate a few years back noted some SERIOUS PROBLEMS with the visions), I am still am keeping this in the 'SUSPECT' list until the Vatican has the guts to declare this supernatural or not and finally stop clouding the issue - they cannot sweep the doctrinal errors in this under the carpet!
Even the Vatican declared again we are not even required to believe APPROVED apparitions, so, I can certainly keep this one in the 'suspect' category.
Below is past information that I had already published on this page, this should make it abundantly clear that there is a serious problem with this set of 'apparitions'.
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What the International Commission has been able to ascertain, in regard to the accusation of a possible seeking of profit, is that the witnesses of the supernatural sign originally addressed to them now effectively have a relation, ambiguous in certain aspects, with money (and with what in general can be called a preoccupation with their own “wellbeing”). [Final Report of the Pontifical International Commission of Inquiry on Medjugorje, in Saverio Gaeta, Dossier Medjugorje, San Paolo Edizioni, 2020, p. 81 and David Murgia, Rapporto su Medjugorje, Il Segno di Giona, 2020, p. 57]
And also this:
In the acts of the commission we read:
CDF’s protocol [...] requires us to take the "evident search for profit, strictly connected to the event" as a negative element.
In the case of the "seers" of Medjugorje it can certainly be said that this presents itself as the most critical aspect, which imparts a sense of profound unease.
[Appendix II - 22 February 2013 Proceedings - International Commission of Inquiry on Medjugorje, in David Murgia, Processo a Medjugorje, Rubbettino, 2021, p. 178]
RED FLAGS I’ve Personally found with a number of Medjugorje Messages:
*) Message of July 27, 1981
Theological Error: Our Lady says Jesus was tortured for His ‘faith’, which He could not have done as He did not have or need faith like we do.
Our Lady: “I send you my Son, Jesus, Who was tortured for His faith, and yet He endured everything.”
St. Paul teaches there is no hope or faith needed in Heaven as hope means we trust in God’s word that what He promises we will receive, and faith is believing what God has revealed to us without having seen, and believing in what God reveals to us we that need to have faith in or believe in for salvation. We have faith in God’s word about the unseen as He cannot deceive. When we are in Heaven we will have what has been promised, so we won’t need hope, and, we will finally see everything that was unseen, so we will not need faith to believe in it, we will see it, and so only charity remains there, which is why it is the greatest of these three virtues.
Christ, as Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, and therefore also God, has seen and knows the Father and the Holy Spirit, and also Himself, therefore He did not need faith, He literally saw the Unseen, also created Heaven itself, and always enjoyed the Beatific vision, even after His conception. So, He did not need or have faith like we need to have.
Rather He died for revealing the truth, proclaiming He was the Messiah and that He was the Son of God, and for revealing what we need to believing into be saved, but He was not tortured for ‘his faith’, which He did not need, nor did He have.
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*) Message of October 1, 1981
(Our Lady): "Members of all faiths are equal before God. God rules over each faith just like a sovereign over his kingdom."
As mentioned earlier, but this is a major error: this is the HERESY OF INDIFFERENTISM - i.e. the belief that that all religions are equal before God, and that they all lead to salvation. This we know is NOT true. There is no salvation outside the Catholic faith for those who persistently insist on staying outside of it. Therefore, God does NOT treat all religions equally. He founded ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, and APOSTOLIC CHURCH, and declared that unless you are baptized in it, you CANNOT BE SAVED. If all religions are equal, then baptism is not needed, but Christ said we DO need it. There is only ONE Church.
Other messages say we 'cannot be a true Christian unless we respect other religions as well". That, "ALL religions are dear to her Son," and that Muslims and Orthodox are equal before God along with Catholics -- that is outright heresy.
All religions are not 'dear' to Christ, He died for one, the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the rest are religions serving demons as the Bible says all pagan gods are demons, or, are heretical or apostate, or even Antichrist views of Christ. Islam is an 'Antichrist' religion as it denies Christ's Divinity - St. John and his disciple St. Polycarp warned that anyone who denies Christ's humanity and / or Divinity are Antichrists. Even Fr. Ripperger notes that the Orthodox, who were once considered to be in schism, may now be considered apostates once they denied the dogma of papal infallibility. So, these religions CANNOT be 'dear' to Christ!
It is theologically absurd!
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*) Message of October 12, 1981
Contradiction against Catholic Tradition regarding the death of the Blessed Virgin:
Our Lady says she
went to Heaven ‘before death’, which goes against traditional
teaching she died like all mankind, although was not a death of
illness or of a painful one, she died of love. According to Catholic teachings, she died
first, then was Assumed into Heaven, but in Medjugorje this teaching is contradicted. A red flag when something contradicts Tradition handed down by the Church.
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*) Introduces August 5 as the 'Real' Birthday of Our Lady
This is a red flag as Heaven and Our Lady already revealed in previous centuries to mystics, saints and blesseds such as St. Maurille, bishop of Angers and Bl. Catherine Emmerick, that her birthday was indeed on September the 8th. The Church did not draw this date out of nowhere! This feast day was heavenly inspired. (You can read more about the the revelation of September the 8th as the real date of Our Lady's birthday, click here.)
Also, an early 'apparition' of Medjugorje recognized September 8th as Our Lady's birthday, but, as we know this was contradicted in later 'apparitions'. Flip-flopping / contradictions like this are signs of a red flag.
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*) Vision of October 31, 1981
ODDITY? The seers experience ‘FEAR’ on seeing ‘Paradise’ (Heaven?) If this was a real vision and not one from Hell, why would anyone be afraid to see Heaven, and to see your loved ones there?
“Then Our Lady showed us a part of paradise. It was indescribably beautiful, with many people, particularly children. We were afraid. The Blessed Virgin told us not to be afraid. (Our Lady) "All those who are faithful to God will have that." Ivanka saw her mother in paradise as well as another person who was of her acquaintance.”
Why were they all afraid to see Paradise which they admit was ‘indescribably beautiful’?
Would you be
terrified of seeing Paradise / Heaven? Saints and mystics who were
shown Heaven say it is the most beautiful and peaceful place and they
long to go there when they see it. In fact, a real vision of Heaven or Paradise should / would banish fear, but here the visionaries all were
‘afraid’ when they saw it? You would have to ask yourself, why?
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*) Message February 9, 1982
Indication of ‘needing to have faith in the apparitions’ to be healed there.
“Some of them do not even believe in God, and even less, in the apparitions, and then they ask for help from the Gospa!" (‘Gospa” Croatian for ‘Lady’ or ‘Madonna’, ‘the Virgin Mary’, etc.)
Red flag because 1) we do not need to believe in private revelations to be saved, it is NOT a sin to not believe in the messages of private revelations, even when they are approved, 2) we do NOT need to believe in these particular ‘apparitions’ to believe in Our Lady’s healing power.
The red flag is she said people ‘believe less in the apparitions’ at Medjugorje and then dare to ask for her help as if that was necessary for the healing there.
All we need is faith in her authority as the Mother of God to be healed if it is God’s will we receive a miraculous healing through her intercession.
In fact, it in faith in Our Lady herself, that is causing whatever healing and conversion that is happening there, you do NOT need to actually believe she is appearing there for it to happen! It is a person's faith that heals them. Case in point: n Portugal in a town close to Leiria, a paralyzed man named Manuel Francisco Mayo made a promise that if he was cured he would build a church in return. He immediately was cured, and, when the town had heard of this and saw the man walking, they all wanted to help and they built a gorgeous church, Lord Jesus of Miracles Church, which is in Milagres not far from Leiria, and about half an hour to 45 minutes from Fatima. It used to be a the biggest pilgrimage shrine in the area before Fatima, and note, this man had received no visions - he only had his faith and he was healed. Even Christ noted it is a persons faith that heals them, and the Centurion figured that out when he said He didn't need to see Christ go to his house to heal his servant. All he had to do was ask Him in faith, and if He agreed, it would be done.
The problem is Our Lady is saying people need to believe she is appearing there in Medjugorje for her to help them there, which is NOT true! It is faith in Our Lady’s intercessory power that is needed, you don’t have to believe she is appearing anywhere in order to receive graces through her hands.
When visions try and force belief in them - it is usually a red flag.
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*) Message of “July 24, 1982
DOCTRINAL ERROR ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY
Our Lady ‘declares’: “The body, drawn from the earth, decomposes after death. It never comes back to life again. Man receives a transfigured body.”
This is NOT according to the traditional teachings / doctrine of the Catholic Church. According to the “The Catechism Explained” by Spirago and Clarke (1899 – Based on the teachings from the Council of Trent) – we will receive our bodies back:
“Christ on the Last Day will raise the bodies of all men from the dead, and untie them to the soul forever. (...) God will awake our bodies to life again to prove His justice, and to honour Our Redeemer. (…) As to the state of our bodies after the resurrection, we have the following facts: 1) After the Resurrection we shall have the same bodies as we now have. 2) The bodies of the just will be glorious and those of the wicked hideous. (3) All the risen bodies will be without defect and immortal.”
So, there is another serious heresy here in this ‘message’ from Medjugorje.
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*) Message: “Spring 1983”
A ‘Useless Sign’?
There is supposed to be a ‘permanent sign’ that will appear (apparently before the chastisements?) to show the visions were ‘real’ and the chastisements close – etc, but then, Our Lady says when it appears it will be ‘too late’ for those who have not converted or who do not believe already?
Our Lady "Hasten your conversion. Do not await the sign, which has been announced, for those who do not believe. It will be too late. You who believe, be converted and deepen your faith."
Then what is the point of a ‘sign’ or great miracle like this if it is useless to help convert people? Even Our Lord said in the Bible that those with faith do not need miracles or signs. So, why do the believers need a permanent sign to believe? It is the faithless that ask or need ‘signs’, and so then, why would Heaven give it if it turns out to be useless for them in the end? Even Our Lord said in the Bible if they didn’t believe His words, then look to His miracles! Miracles are given as signs to help covert people before it is too late, and yet, Our Lady says it will be ‘too late’?
'Useless' promises of signs or miracles seems like a red flag to me - such an instance showed itself with the condemned apparitions of Edson Glauber, Itapiranga, Brazil.
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*) Message of January 25, 1984
Our Lady: “Pray and fast. You need enthusiasm in your prayer. May you pray in meditation for a long time and fervently."
Yes it is good to
meet God joyfully in prayer and to be fervent, but what about the
‘spiritual dry’ times when it feels like there is no consolation
in prayer, and you simply feel like you are praying out of habit? No
joy, or fervor is felt.And what about the 'dark night of the soul'?
It has been revealed to real mystics approved by the Church that more merit is gained by perseverance and good will in persisting, than by always feeling joy or delight in prayer or ‘enthusiasm’. So, being ‘enthusiastic’ is not always needed or required in prayer, but perseverance and good will is, even when we are distracted.
Also, yes, it is good to pray for as long as we can, but not to the detriment of our daily duties, and we are required to say vocal prayers, and, only spend 15 minutes a day in meditation (separate thing), but this is the absolute bare minimum of course to fulfill our daily prayer obligations.
I’m NOT saying to ‘do only fifteen minutes’, the point is, Heaven does not demand the impossible, or, demand anything that takes us away from our daily duties.
The red flag is this message is saying we ‘need’ enthusiasm, (all the time? Which we don’t!), and then hints we should be doing long prayers and meditations and (constantly?) and fervently – well, we cannot do that all the time with our fallen nature, we get distracted easily, we have daily duties to do also, and, are permitted by God to go through ‘dry’ unenthusiastic, ‘joyless’ times, and even 'dark nights of the soul' to test our perseverance. Try sticking to this advice to do long meditations and ‘needing’ to be enthusiastic and fervent all the times, and you will be turned off prayer eventually.
Reminds me of a story I heard from an SSPX priest who said there was a family supposedly seeing the Blessed Mother, Our Lord, etc, who would have them say long prayers together in these beautiful ‘visions’ – but then turned to them after hours of praying together and said "Now you have to do you daily rosary and your required prayers for the day.”
Eventually, trying to keep this all up on top of their daily duties burned them out, and they stopped praying altogether, and I think they even stopped going to church if I remember what he told me correctly! So, the visions were demonic it turned out. Heaven does not demand the impossible that burns us out eventually and turns us away from prayer and the Church!
So, I cannot help but see a red flag here with the ‘necessity’ for ‘enthusiasm’ in prayer, then a ‘guilt trip’ type nudge into doing longer prayers and meditations.
We also see this extended in the message of April 24, 1984 – “ Tell them this place is a place of prayer. Pray as much as you can, pray however you can, but pray more always. Each of you could pray even four hours a day. But I know that many do not understand because they think only of living for their work."
Basically Our Lady ‘guilt trips’
people that 'each' of us ‘could’ pray up to four hours a day, and that
people only ‘think of work’, – sorry, what about daily duties? We are required to complete a certain amount of work each day, and sometimes doing are duties may require more work and less time for prayer: neglecting daily duties is a sin.
Frankly, to be able to pray fours hours a day would be a luxury compared with trying to work, run a home, and support a family these days! People in the world are not in a contemplative monastery. And, who could actually stay constantly fervent, ‘enthusiastic’ as requested four hours a day in prayer, with no distractions, no ‘dry spells’?
Yes, Our Lord said to ‘pray always’, and yes, vocal prayers and meditation each day are required, but there is a way to do it without ‘burn out’. Our very morning offerings turns our whole day and work into a prayer, when done right, without having to spend many hours on our knees. And, in addition to a morning and evening prayer, the rosary fulfills our prayer obligations each day as vocal prayer is combined with meditations on the mysteries. If we can do more, yes, but not to the detriment of our daily duties or the point of burn out.
What is suggested
here in Medjugorje sounds like a prayer ‘burn-out’ plan to me. And one thing the devil would greatly desire to happen to us is to burn out from prayer and then get turned off from it completely. As he revealed to the mystic Pere Lamy, the soul that stops praying is already his.
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So far, these are the red flags I’ve seen, if I see any more pop up, they will be added here.
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