Welcome to our"Frequent questions"book page. With this FAQ I have tried to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Medjugorje. The answers are short, simple and direct. I have tried to group these questions by topic and hope you find it helpful. Please note that this website is not intended to be a catechesis on the Catholic faith. There is a lot of information that explains our rich Catholic faith. Instead, these themes focus more directly on Medjugorje.
I have heard that the life of Our Lady was dictated to one of the seers. Is available?
How many visionaries still see Our Lady?
How is Our Lady?
What do the "mysteries" given by Our Lady to the visionaries contain?
Why didn't any of the seers become a priest or a nun?
What is fasting? How do you fast? What did Our Lady ask for in Medjugorje?
What is the message or purpose of Medjugorje?
I heard about a special blessing that Our Lady gave in Medjugorje.
Isn't praying the rosary just repeating prayers without thinking?
Is Medjugorje only for Catholics?
How do we know that the seers are not making up these appearances?
Why believe in Medjugorje if the Church has not yet approved it?
Jesus is our Savior, why give all this attention to Our Lady?
Believing in apparitions is not part of our faith, so why bother?
I already believe in God and I am a good person. Why do I need Medjugorje?
I heard that the Church condemned Medjugorje. That's true?
I heard that the local bishop is against Medjugorje.
I heard that the Pope is against Medjugorje.
One of the messages said that all religions are the same. Isn't that against the beliefs of the Catholic Church?
I have heard that the life of Our Lady was dictated to one of the seers. Is available?
In the late 1980s, the visionary Vicka was dictated by Our Lady for her life. The work is contained in two handwritten notebooks and will be published when Our Lady tells Vicka that it is time. This work will be available in many media, including our website The Medjugorje Web. https://medjugorje.org
How many visionaries still see Our Lady?
At this time (April 2020), Ivan, Vicka and Marija each received 9 mysteries and still receive daily apparitions from Our Lady. Ivanka, Mirjana and Jakov received the 10 secrets and will see Our Lady once a year for the rest of their lives. Ivanka on the anniversary of the apparitions (June 25), Jakov at Christmas and Mirjana on her birthday (March 18). Mirjana received a special apparition from Our Lady on the 2nd of every month from August 2, 1998 to March 2, 2020 to specifically pray for non-believers. Our Lady defines non-believers as those who have not yet experienced the love of God. See also our page:"Overview of Medjugorje"
How is Our Lady?
We offer a detailed description of Our Lady given by the visionaries on our website.Click here.
What do the "mysteries" given by Our Lady to the visionaries contain?
We know very little about the mysteries of Medjugorje. First, Our Lady revealed the third secret, namely: At the site of the first apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje on Podbrdo Hill, a permanent, indestructible and supernatural mark will be left at the end of the apparitions. Second, we know that an evil facing the world contained in the 7th Secret has been removed through prayer and fasting. And finally, we know that secrets 9 and 10 are punishments for the sins of the world. Like the seventh secret, they cannot be eliminated, but they can be reduced through our prayers and fasting. See also our page:"Overview of Medjugorje"
Why didn't any of the seers become a priest or a nun?
Our Lady told the visionaries in the early days that she wanted them to become priests and nuns, but told them to pray and discern for themselves what vocation they felt called to be. Our Lady asked them to be the best example they could be in whatever vocation they chose. Ivanka was the first to decide that her vocation was married life and she asked for Our Lady's blessing. Our Lady happily gave Ivanka her blessing, adding that she chose the most difficult path of her life. I know that Marija, Vicka and Ivan seriously considered a religious vocation, but after much prayer they realized that their vocation was married life. We must not view the decision to be parents and bring life into the world as a less important or sacred calling than a religious calling. Vicka gave a very interesting interview on this topic:Vika-Entrevista
What is fasting? How do you fast? What did Our Lady ask for in Medjugorje?
There are many examples of fasting in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus often fasted. According to tradition, fasting is recommended especially in times of great temptation or severe trial. certain demons,“cannot be expelled in any other way than by prayer and fasting”said Jesus. (Mark 9:29)
Fasting is essential to achieve spiritual freedom. By fasting, one is better able to hear and see God and man more clearly. When we gain this freedom through fasting, we become more aware of many things. Once we are aware that we can enjoy the necessities of life without fighting, many fears and worries disappear. We become more open to our families and the people we live and work with. Our Lady recommends fasting twice a week:"Make sure you fast on Wednesdays and Fridays."(August 14, 1984)
“The best fast is bread and water. With fasting and prayer, wars can be ended, the laws of nature can be annulled.(July 21, 1982)
Fasting requires personal discipline. Start slowly and work your way up to bread and water. Fasting means giving up something we love and offering that sacrifice to God. You can do without sweets, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, television, etc. However, Our Lady emphasizes that the best and strongest fast is on bread and water for 24 hours, from midnight to midnight. Great graces come from fasting and can help situations in your life that seem hopeless. Fr. Slavko was asked how much bread and water to eat and drink on fasting days. His answer was very simple, "as much as you need". The amount and frequency are not really important, it is our intention to fast for God's sake.
What is the message or purpose of Medjugorje?
The Medjugorje Message is a call toconversion, conversion back to God. Our Lady gives us five stones or weapons (prayer, fasting, confession, the Bible, and the Eucharist) to use to overcome the power and influence of evil and sin in our lives. this is it"Message from Medjugorje". Our Lady's purpose in coming to earth is to take each of us back to her Son Jesus hers. She does this by guiding us step by step towards a life of holiness through the hundreds of messages she has given to the world through the visionaries in Medjugorje. See also our pages:"The Message of Medjugorje"mi"Messages from Our Lady"
Did I hear about a special blessing that Our Lady gave in Medjugorje?
The reported “special blessing” is a controversial issue. It comes from a reported appearance that Marija received in the United States in 1989. She might receive some criticism for this statement, but the group responsible for reporting this story has a reputation for sensationalizing information. There is no official confirmation from the Medjugorje parish that this message is true and in fact their position is that as reported it is not true.
We know that Our Lady bestows a special maternal blessing on all who travel to Medjugorje or attend an apparition. The difficulty begins when people claim that these blessings can be passed on to others. The concern is primarily from a theological point of view, namely that lay people should not bless others as a priest blesses. As a precaution, I would recommend that anyone who is convinced that Our Lady gave this special blessing and wants to pass it on, do the following:"I ask Our Lady to send you her special blessings in Medjugorje"instead of saying"I bless you or I give you the special blessing of Our Lady of Medjugorje".
Isn't praying the rosary just repeating prayers without thinking?
The rosary is one of the most powerful weapons we have against Satan and Our Lady promises many graces to whoever prays it. Praying the rosary does not mean repeating the prayers over and over again. Now there are twenty "mysteries" of the Rosary that we meditate on while reciting the Rosary prayers. Eighteen of these mysteries are taken directly from the Bible and represent three periods of Jesus' life (birth, ministry, death, and resurrection). The last two mysteries are dogmatic and are truths of our Catholic faith. There is no better way to gain knowledge and be led to a deeper understanding of the life of Jesus than to pray the Rosary as it is biblical. I cannot say enough about the incredible graces of praying the Rosary. Our Lady asks that we pray every day for every 20 decades and asks that each family pray the rosary as a family and read a small scripture every day for 5 decades. See also our page:"How to Pray the Rosary"
Is Medjugorje only for Catholics?
Absolutely not! Medjugorje is not just for Catholics. God loves all his people. Many people who come on our tours are non-Catholic and come from different faiths and religions from around the world. The most important thing is that we change our lives to put God first. Although a good percentage of people of other religions who visit Medjugorje convert to Catholicism, they do so only because of what they see in the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church is the original church founded by Jesus. It is through the Eucharist and the other sacraments of the Church that more is given to Catholics and is also required of them. If you have questions about the Catholic faith, do your research. There are many good books that will help you understand the incredible richness of the Catholic faith. We offer many of these books on our website:https://medjugorjeweb.com
How do we know that the seers are not making up these appearances?
Since the beginning of the apparitions in Medjugorje on June 25, 1981, the world's best scientists have conducted three extensive scientific studies on seers. The most recent one was completed in 2016. They all came to the same conclusion, namely that psychics are mentally and physically healthy, do not hallucinate, do not lie, and are definitely experiencing something beyond our scientific and inexplicable comprehension.
It is also interesting to note that brain activity, among other things, was monitored during the experiments. Most of us can use around 10% of our brain during normal activities. It is fascinating to note that the moment Our Lady appears, the seer's brain activity jumps to 100% and remains at that level until Our Lady leaves.
As a personal testimony, having visited Medjugorje more than 130 times in the last 20 years and personally knowing most of the visionaries, I can say that in my opinion the apparitions are certainly authentic. I would also like to draw attention to the "Fruits of Medjugorje". As the Scripture says, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." There are thousands of documented physical healings and literally countless spiritual healings and conversions that have taken place in Medjugorje over the last 33 years. Please see the following documents for published results from studies conducted on visionaries.1993 study|1998 study
Why believe in Medjugorje if the Church has not yet approved it?
It is important to first understand that the Church does not normally sanction the continuation of apparitions. Despite this, the Vatican has closely followed Medjugorje since 1981 and has completed three investigations. the last one was completed on January 19, 2014. We are awaiting the announcement of the results by Pope Francis. The last official statement of the Commission of Bishops created to investigate Medjugorje was in 1993:“We bishops, after three years of study by the commission, have accepted Medjugorje as a sacred place, as a sanctuary. This means that we do not care if someone worships the Blessed Mother according to the teachings and beliefs of the Church... So we leave that for further study. The Church is in no hurry."(Voice of the Council, August 15, 1993).
We can also consider the words of Pope Urban VIII:
His Holiness Pope Urban VIII stated: “In cases of private revelations, it is better to believe than not to believe, because if you believe and it turns out to be true, you will be glad you believed, as our Holy Mother requested. and it turns out to be false, you will receive all blessings as if it were true, because you believed it to be true." (Pope Urban VIII, 1623-44)
Our Lady repeated several times in Medjugorje that we live in a time of great grace and anyone who opens their hearts to Our Lady and Jesus at this time will receive special graces to resist and overcome the evils and temptations of our world. While it is true that believing in a Marian apparition is not part of our Catholic faith and is considered a private revelation, the incredible graces offered through these apparitions of Our Lady should not be overlooked. I have seen many Catholics living a very faithful life and following all the rules of the Church, which completely changed after visiting Medjugorje. Her life is dramatically drawn toward a much deeper love for Jesus, Our Lady, and the sacraments of the Church. Holy Mass takes on a new meaning and intensity, and they have a greater desire to pray, participate in Eucharistic adoration, and attend more than just Mass on Sundays.
Remember that both Fatima and Lourdes were not recognized by the Church until 30 years after the apparitions ended. The apparitions in Medjugorje are still going on.
Also note:private revelationmiApparitions, visions and revelations
Jesus is our Savior, why give all this attention to Our Lady?
Actually, it is more a question of Catholic faith than Medjugorje, but I will try to give a simple answer. This could become a very long discussion, but I think it is enough for us to stick to the simplified reality of Our Lady's role in the Church.
Some other religions claim that Catholics adore Mary, or at least pay close attention to her. If you exclude Mary, the Mother of God, from your faith, you are making a big mistake. The Catholic faith believes that Our Lady is the mediatrix of all graces and her role has always been to lead people to her Son Jesus hers.
It is a fact that Mary was deeply revered and respected for the first 1,500 years after the rise of Christianity. The loss of this devotion among Christians occurred especially after the Reformation (1500), which is somewhat ironic, since Martin Luther himself had a special devotion to Mary. In the Scriptures we find Mary prophesying to herself: "All the centuries to come will call me blessed." Mary is a special instrument in God's plan. Although she is not to be worshipped, she is "blessed" and deserves great respect for the role she played in our salvation by being the human tabernacle of Christ. She is a great role model for all of us.(This paragraph is taken from http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~marco/medjugorje/)
The Message from Our Lady in Medjugorje supports his role in the Church and is virtually the same message proclaimed by John the Baptist. Like John's message, Our Lady points the way to hers her son her Jesus and implores us to “repent,” to turn our lives around to be one with God as center and core. It is interesting that the first apparition of Our Lady in Medjugorje was on June 24, 1981, the feast of Saint John the Baptist.
Believing in apparitions is not part of our faith, so why bother?
It is true that the apparitions fall under a category called "private revelation" which, as part of the Catholic faith, we are not required to believe. Thus, La Salette, Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, etc. all are considered private disclosure.
But many incredible graces are bestowed on those who believe and follow these private revelations. We have all heard stories of dramatic healing of mind, body and spirit at all of these great Marian apparition sites. Medjugorje is no exception and I have personally witnessed many amazing miracles as a result of the special graces granted in Medjugorje. Our Lady said many times in Medjugorje that we live in "a time of grace." Our Lady asks us to use this grace to transform our lives back into a life that leads us to heaven and not to eternal damnation. As much as modern theologians and preachers of many denominations try to gloss over this reality, there are only two places we can go, heaven or hell. Satan has done a very good job of making people believe that he doesn't exist. We must put on "the whole armor of God," as St. Paul says, if we are to survive Satan's attack.
It is incredible to imagine that Jesus loves us so much that he sent his mother to Earth as early as the year 1300 to warn us and ask us to change. In the past, we have done a terrible job of listening and responding.
I already believe in God and I am a good person. Why do I need Medjugorje?
Most of the answer can be found in the question above, but I would have to ask anyone with this attitude to really examine their lives. I doubt that anyone honest with himself, including the greatest saints, would dare to say that there is no room for improvement. They would all agree that they could have lived their lives better and more fully. Our time on earth is a great opportunity to do good. It is a great opportunity to earn merits. Once we die, that opportunity is gone. The graces offered to anyone who asks for them with an open heart in Medjugorje will change their lives. The graces will strengthen your faith and lead you to a closer relationship with Jesus and his Blessed Mother. This fact cannot be refuted.
I heard that the Church condemned Medjugorje. That's true?
A big NO!!!This is one of the most common questions/accusations I get. Is not true. The Holy See has repeatedly reiterated its position over the years. I think it's best to start at the beginning and briefly summarize the facts for you.
First of all, let me say that the Holy See, the former Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI. and now Pope Francis has closely watched and guarded the Medjugorje messages for the last 33 years. They found nothing contrary to the Scriptures or the Church. Otherwise, Medjugorje would have been doomed years ago. The Message of Our Lady in Medjugorje calls us to: daily recitation of the Rosary, monthly confession, daily reading of the Holy Scriptures, fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays, and attendance at Holy Mass whenever possible. This is a simple message to help us in the conversion process of a lifetime.
Bishop Pavaonic originally visited Medjugorje five times in the first two months of the 1981 apparitions and conducted extensive research. He later came only to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to the faithful. Before more than 3,000 people at the Holy Mass, he explained:
“I am deeply convinced that no child who claims to have seen Our Lady has ever been persuaded to do so. If we were only talking about a child, it could be said that he could be stubborn and even the police could not make the child renege on what he said. But six innocent and humble children would admit to anything in half an hour if pressed. None of the priests, I assure you, had the idea of harming the children... . I am also convinced that children do not lie. Children only speak what they have in their hearts... One thing is certain: children do not lie”. (From a sermon on July 25, 1981 on the Feast of Saint James, Patron of Medjugorje)
em"Voice of the Council", Croatian National Catholic Journal, August 16, 1981, explained; "The truth is that the children were not encouraged by anyone, especially by the church, to lie."
It is not clear why Bishop Zanic changed his mind in the months that followed. Some say it was due to threats and pressure from the communist government to torture and imprison the priest. Jozo and the bishop if the apparitions didn't stop. We all know that Fr. Jozo served 18 months in severe prison for refusing to denounce Medjugorje. Others say that a report from Our Lady of a misjudgment made by the bishop regarding a Franciscan priest angered the bishop. But be that as it may, the end result was that the bishop turned against Medjugorje.
Then, in 1984, Bishop Zanic formed a 14-person commission, made up mostly of members who had already spoken out against the alleged facts. They issued two statements, essentially saying they agreed with the Holy See that a decision should not be rushed. In 1987, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger handed over the investigation to the Yugoslav Bishops' Conference. After three years of study, the former Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia published its declaration on April 10, 1991, which states, among other things:
"Based on the investigations carried out so far, it cannot be determined that these are supernatural phenomena and revelations."
This statement does not mean that it is proven that there is no supernatural basis, just that it is not yet established or proven. This means that the matter is open for further investigation. This statement was really a compromise between the position of Bishop Zanic and the good fruits that the events of Medjugorje brought. The Pastoral Life Commission of the Medjugorje Parish decided to meet again on June 27, 1991. The day before, however, Serbia attacked Slovenia and a war broke out that ended up dissolving the state of Yugoslavia. The Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia was also dissolved.
After the commission's findings were published in 1991, Pope John Paul II relieved Bishop Zanic of his duties and handed over responsibility for the investigation and final decision on Medjugorje to a carefully selected commission of bishops. The last statement they made in 1993 says:
“We bishops, after three years of study by the commission, have accepted Medjugorje as a sacred place, as a sanctuary. This means that we do not care if someone also worships Our Lady according to the teachings and beliefs of the Church. . . So we leave that for further study. The Church is in no hurry” (Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993).
Bishop Zanic was succeeded by Bishop Ratko Peric. Bishop Ratko worked closely with Bishop Zanic for many years and it was not surprising that he held and still holds the same negative opinion of Medjugorje. It is said that Bishop Ratko never examined Medjugorje, never spoke to or interviewed the visionaries, and rarely visited Medjugorje for confirmations and official events. The important issue is that Bishop Ratko Peric has no authority over the final decision on Medjugorje. That responsibility still rests with the Vatican. The local bishop's negative comments about Medjugorje were directly addressed by the Holy See in a letter to his Excellency Msgr. Gilbert Aubry, Bishop of Saint-Denis de la Réunion. The letter states that Bishop Peric's position on Medjugorje is his personal opinion, to which he is entitled as a local bishop, but it remains his personal opinion. The URL of this letter isNewsletter.htm
Finally, Pope John Paul II is himself. Our beloved former Pope was a huge supporter of Medjugorje (although not officially what he had to be until Medjugorje was sanctioned). Please take a look at our document.Comments of Pope John Paul II, which lists numerous quotes reported by priests, bishops, and cardinals over the years. Most recently, in August 2002, Pope John Paul II wrote a personal note to Fr. Jozo Zovko thanking him for his ministry and blessing him.Carta do P. Jozo.
The Holy See has also declared and confirmed on several occasions over the years that travel to Medjugorje is permitted. The only restriction is that the Church cannot organize a pilgrimage (which would indicate the full approval of the Church). It is perfectly normal for priests, bishops, and cardinals to travel to Medjugorje alone or in groups. And to date, about 750,000 priests, bishops and cardinals have visited Medjugorje.
Also see our page“All about Medjugorje”for a large amount of information and documents specifically about "Medjugorje and the Church".
I heard that the local bishop is against Medjugorje.
TRUE! It is important to note first that the priests who serve in Medjugorje are appointed by the bishop and all are under obedience. Thus, the successor of Bishop Zanic, who was in power at the beginning of the apparitions, was Bishop Ratko Peric. Bishop Ratko worked closely with Bishop Zanic for many years and it was not surprising that he held and still holds the same negative opinion of Medjugorje. In a conversation Fr. John Chisholm had with Bishop Ratko Peric, Fr. John asked the bishop if he believed in Lourdes. The bishop slammed his fist down on the table and yelled "NO." Fr. John asked the bishop if he believed in Fatima and received the same answer. With this information, it seems unlikely that the bishop believed apparitions of Our Lady in his own diocese. It is reported that the bishop never examined Medjugorje, never spoke to or interviewed the visionaries, and rarely visits Medjugorje for confirmations and official events. But having said that, the important problem is that Bishop Ratko Peric has no authority over the Church's decision on Medjugorje. In a recent interview, the bishop acknowledged this fact when he said, "although he acknowledges the right of the Holy Father to make a final decision on the validity of reported apparitions..." That responsibility still rests with the bishops' commission. The local bishop's negative comments about Medjugorje were directly addressed by the Holy See in a letter to his Excellency Msgr. Gilbert Aubry, Bishop of Saint-Denis de la Réunion. The letter states that Bishop Peric's position on Medjugorje is his personal opinion, to which he is entitled as a local bishop, but it remains his personal opinion. The URL of this letter isNewsletter.htm
I heard that the Pope is against Medjugorje.
INCORRECT! Pope John Paul II was a big supporter of Medjugorje (although not officially, which he had to be, since Medjugorje was not yet recognized). Please take a look at our document.Comments of Pope John Paul II, which lists numerous quotes reported by priests, bishops, and cardinals over the years. Most recently, in August 2002, Pope John Paul II wrote a personal note to Fr. Jozo Zovko thanking him for his ministry and blessing him.Carta do P. Jozo. Pope Benedict XVI was also a silent supporter. He visited Medjugorje incognito at least once and literally saved Medjugorje from the flawed commission organized by Bishop Zanic in the early years. Pope Francis is also a silent supporter. The seer Ivan spent the night with Pope Francis the night before traveling to the conclave to be elected Pope.
One of the messages said that all religions are the same. Isn't that against the beliefs of the Catholic Church?
In October 1981, Our Lady was asked a question: Are all religions the same? Our Lady replied: “People of all religions are equal before God. God rules all faith as sovereign over his kingdom. In the world, not all religions are the same, because not all people obeyed God's commandments and denigrated them."
The difficulty some Catholics have had with this response stems from the belief that the only salvation is within the Catholic Church itself. But the Catholic Church does not teach this. Indeed, the Second Vatican Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Genitum, says: "Salvation can also be achieved by those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but sincerely seek God , and moved by grace through their works they strive to do their will, as they know by dictate of their conscience, and divine providence also rejects those who, through no fault of their own, have not yet reached an express will, the help necessary for salvation through the knowledge of God and then, with his grace, strive to live a good life.
It is a great privilege to be a Catholic and I love my faith. Who am I to judge who will be saved? As Matthew 7 says: "Do not judge, so that you will not be judged."