Međugorje [ˈmɛdʑu.ɡɔːrjɛ] is a Croatian village in the Herzegovina municipality of Čitluk, today part of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the former Yugoslavia. It is notable because of a series of alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary by six young people since June 1981.

Under canon law, the local Bishop or Ordinary has the investigative authority over such event in his Diocese. In 1990 Bishop Zanic expressed doubt on the supernatural character of the apparitions.[1] In November of 1990 the then Yugoslav Bishops' Conference made a judgement of, "non constat de supernaturalitate", which means the apparitions are not consistent with the supernatural, or this event could not be proven to be supernatural.[2] In 1997 Bishop Pericstated that the apparition is proven to be not supernatural[3], but invited and left open the possibility for the Vatican to investigate.

As far as Canon law is concerned, the local Ordinary or Bishop is the first step. If he condemns an apparition, and does not reverse himself, the mater is closed.[4] SO far no Vatican investigation has been opened.

There is disagreement about the nature of the condemnation and what any statements have meant. One side claims the CDF has only made statements that support the Bishops condemnation, therefore the matter is closed. The other side claims that no definitive statement has been made, and that a reversal of the current condemnation is forthcoming.

On June 24th, 1981, at about 6 pm, two young people - Ivanka Ivanković and Mirjana Dragićević, were out walking on a hill known as Crnica just outside of town, in the hamlet of Bijakovići. They later reported they'd gone to look for their sheep and bring them in for the night. They said they saw a young woman with a child in her arms who beckoned them to come nearer. Surprised and scared, they did not approach her.

On the second day, believing the woman they'd seen might be the Virgin Mary, the girls returned to the hill, bringing their friend Vicka Ivanković along. According to the official story, they ran barefoot up the hill over rocks and thorns, not keeping to the path. Ivanka said the lady was there, and the three girls threw themselves to their knees in prayer. Vicka left after a few minutes, because she wanted to bring her friends Marija Pavlović and Jakov Čolo to see the lady. Another young person who reports daily visions is Ivan Dragićević. (According to some accounts, two other children, Milka Pavlović and Ivan Ivanković, were present on the first day of apparitions, but did not come back on the second day, and never again reported a vision.)

According to the official report, Ivanka began to ask the lady about friends and relatives who had died, and Mirjana asked for a sign to show everyone that the visions were real. The girls said that the lady agreed and said she would return the next day. While the girls initially reported that the lady said she would only come back "three or four more times", they continued to report daily visions long after they were supposed to have ceased. Perhaps encouraged by the Franciscan priests who officiated at the local church, the young people began reporting visions every day inside the church, and continue to claim daily visitations as of 2006.

source: [5]

In the early days of the apparitions, it was alleged the Virgin Mary, called "Gospa" in Croatian, promised the six visionaries ten “secrets” which contain information on future events. These ten secrets, which will affect the Church and the world, were written on a special parchment listing the timing and description of each event. Mirjana keeps the parchment in her home. To date, three visionaries, Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov have received all ten messages, while Ivan, Marija and Vicka have received nine. The six visionaries would eventually each know all ten secrets, but none has fully disclosed them except to announce that they include chastisements for the world and that they will begin during the lifetimes of the visionaries. The seventh secret is a punishment for humanity that has been diminished because of the response to Our Lady’s requests for prayers, fasting and conversion. ^[1]

The third of the secrets involves a visible and permanent sign that is described as beautiful and indestructible and not of this world, which will be left on Apparition Mountain, the site of her first appearance. One of the messages of the "Gospa" says: "This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already have signs and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before you convert: convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. When the sign comes, it will be too late. As a mother I caution you because I love you. The secrets exist. My children! Nothing is known of these now, but when they are known, it will be too late. Return to prayer, nothing is more important than this. I would like it if the Lord allowed me to reveal some of the secrets to you, but that which He is doing for you is already a Grace which is almost too much."

None of the visionaries has disclosed the other secrets, which include blessings as well as chastisements for the world. No amount of prayer, fasting, and good works can entirely take away any or all of the secrets. Ten days before the first and second events, Mirjana will reveal the secret to Franciscan priest Father Petar Ljubicic of Medjugorje. He will fast and pray for six days. Then, three days before the event, Father Petar will reveal to the world what is to happen and where. Mirjana says that after the events occur, those who are alive will have little time to convert. She insists that the painful events for humanity are very near, and that the important thing is to pray, to pray in the family, and to pray for the young who do not believe.

A number of scientific and medical investigations have been conducted on the visionaries in Medjugorje. These researches speculated that the apparitions reported by the visionaries may be a phenomenon that surpasses modern science. ^{[citation needed]}

The international French-Italian scientific theological commission "On the extraordinary events that are taking place in Medjugorje" reportedly examined the apparitions of Medjugorje. The assembly of seventeen renowned natural scientists, medical doctors, psychiatrists and theologians published a 12 point "conclusion" on January 14, 1986 in Paina near Milan. The summary is that , "one can conclude that after a deeper examination of the protagonists, facts, and their effects, not only in the local framework, but also in regard to the responsive chords of the Church in general, it is well for the Church to recognize the supernatural origin and, thereby, the purpose of the events in Medjugorje."

A French team headed by Mr. Henri Joyeux undertook a series of neurological tests, using EEG and EKG devies to examine the internal reactions of the visionaries and the synchronization of their ocular, auditory, cardiac, and cerebral reactions before, during, and after the reported apparitions. They concluded from their readings that the object of observation is apparently external to the visionaries, and they excluded any external manipulation or mutual agreement between the visionaries. The results with individual electro-encephalograms and other reactions were collected and described in Joyeux' book, written with R. Laurentin, Etudes medicales et scientifique sur les Apparitions de Medjugorje (Paris, 1986)

The results of psychiatric investigations by the Institute for the Field Limits Of Science (IGW), the Innsbruck Centre For Study and Research on Psychophysiology of States of Consciousness, the Milano European School of Hypnotic Psychotherapy Amisi of Milan, and the Parapsychology Center of Bologna, likewise concluded that the alleged visionaries showed no signs of pathological symptoms, and no stress other than appropriate for their unusual situation. They pointed out that there is a difference between a state of ecstasy induced by hypnosis and one which comes about spontaneously, and concluded that the alleged visionaries were not under any form of hypnosis.

It is said that historically, Bosnia, and Herzegovina for that matter, has seen centuries of rivalry and animosity between some quarters in the Franciscan Order, which runs the parish of Medjugorje, and that of the diocesean hierarchy (not run by a religious order), including the seat of the Bishop of Mostar which has jurisdiction over Medjugorje [6]. According to Catholic authors E. Michael Davies and Michael Jones, it is possible that the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje were used by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Croat Franciscan Order to challenge the authority of the diocese.

Jones investigated the background of the alleged visionaries and found that they were a group of "punkers", which in that region meant that they listened to rock and roll, wore jeans and smoked cigarettes. He uncovered evidence that the Franciscans in the area were conducting Catholic charismatic prayer groups which sometimes took the form of encounter groups. The young people claiming the visions were not involved in these groups. Jones speculates that they may have purported the visions as a joke or prank, only to find themselves taken seriously and ultimately controlled by the very priests they had set out to mock.

In October 1997, Ratko Peric, the Bishop of Mostar, isssued his official opinion that the alleged apparitions had been proven to be "not supernatural". Because the Church usually leaves it up to the local clergy to decide whether apparitions are valid, this statement on the part of Bishop Peric has the effect of a declaration that the claimed apparitions cannot be considered valid by the Roman Catholic Church.

A Declaration of ex-Yugoslavia bishops' conference on Medjugorje in 1991 affirms that: "The bishops, from the very beginning, have been following the events of Medjugorje through the Bishop of the diocese [Mostar], the Bishop's Commission and the Commission of the Bishops Conference of Yugoslavia on Medjugorje. On the basis of the investigations so far it cannot be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations".

The local Ordinary, Bishop Peric, does not forbid travel to Medjugorje, but forbids any official activity that presupposes the authenticity of the events, and forbids writings on the topic of the condemned apparitions.

The Vatican CDF issued a letter forbidding official pilgrimages to the site, but allowing visits "on the condition that they not be considered a validation of events in progress and which still call for examination by the Church." Bishop Peric followed this up with more statements clarifying that traveling to Medjugorje was allowed, but that official pilgrimages were forbidden, and personal visits should not be undertaken in order to prove the authenticity of the alleged visions and messages.

The Bishop left open an option for the unlikely possibility of further Vatican investigation. As of 2006, the Vatican has not issued any decision one way or the other.

In February 1996, the Bishop of Langres in France, Msgr. Leon Taverdet, reportedly asked the Apostolic See what the position of the Church is regarding the apparitions in Medjugorje and whether it is permitted to go there for pilgrimage. The Holy See's Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith answered by letter dated 23 March 1996 through its Secretary Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone.^{[citation needed]}

Mons. Maurillo Kreiger, former bishop of Florianopolis (Brazil), has repeatedly claimed that Pope John Paul II made statements in favor of Medjugorje. This story has been declared a fabrication. In 1998, when various statements were cited which were supposedly were made by John Paul II, then-Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) responded in writing on 22 July: "The only thing I can say regarding statements on Medjugorje ascribed to the Holy Father and myself is that they are complete invention".

As of 2006, no statement reversing the condemnation by the local Bishop has been made by Pope Benedict XVI. No investigation other than the local Ordinary and the local Conference of Bishops has been performed. No new activity has also been undertaken by the Vatican.

• Marian apparitions

• Official web site of Međugorje (in Croatian, English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, Polski)
• Međjugorje apparitions
• Medjugorje messages
• Mejdugorje Web Journal -daily news from Medjugorje
• Medjugorje Photos, Wallpapers & Postcards
• Alleged apparitions at Međjugorje
• 1978 Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith document on apparition discernment (unofficial English translation)

• Queen of Peace, Ethnic Cleansing, Ruined Lives E. Michael Jones' expose of alleged fraud connected with the claimed apparitions.
• Michael Davies' site criticizing Medjugorje and presenting facts about the alleged seers and the priests who worked with them.
• The Medjugorje Industry Strongly critical of alleged scams and financial mismanagement connected with the Medjugorje tourist industry.