Friday, March 3, 2017

Cardinal Müller on Medjugorje: "Some Exaggerate the Importance of These Phenomena"

(Rome) "Some exaggerate the importance of these phenomena as if they were almost a dogma," said Cardinal Gerhard Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Congregation, who responded yesterday to the questions by the ANSA Press Agency on Medjugorje.

"Even if the Church has spoken out for events of this kind, no Catholic is obliged to go there or believe in it," Cardinal Müller continued.

Since 1981, The Mother of God, is said to appear for "six seers" in the Herzegovinian mountain village of Medjugorje. In the 1980s and 1990s, the bishops declared that they were unable to establish any "supernatural origin" of the phenomenon. Nevertheless, for more than 36 years, pilgrimages of pious and lukewarm Catholics, but also unbelievers and the curious  have been pilgrimaging  to the Balkan village. Recently, the Kinofilm Mary's Land by Juan Manuel Cotelo showed a cross-section of people who say that they have found faith or believed again in Medjugorje, and who have founded apostolic, missionary, or charitable works.

At the request of Pope Benedict XVI. 2010-2012 an international commission investigated the phenomenon. The final report was handed over to Pope Francis in 2014. In February, he appointed a special envoy for Medjugorje, who was to submit proposals for "pastoral solutions" to the Church. The mission of Bishop Henryk Hoser is to be completed in summer 2017.

On the question of whether a decision on Medjugorje should be expected soon, Cardinal Miiller said:

"It takes time. At this moment, it is more important to regulate pastoral care, confession ... "

And further:

"The future of the Church does not depend on either Medjugorje or the recognized pilgrimage places such as Fatima or Lourdes: they are helpful, they can help to convey the message of the repentance of today's world."

Faith, however, is the one "laid down in daily life, in the family, at work, in the parish."

Responding to the "seers" of Medjugorje, the prefect of faith said:

"As for the role of the seers, I must say as a Catholic that we should concentrate on Jesus Christ. There may be some private revelations, but they do not replace the only revelation of God through Jesus Christ. "

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: MiL
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

So instead of just clearly saying "it's a bunch of fake garbage by fake seers who have gotten rich and clearly from the devil and not of God" He essentially says "yeah all of this doesn't have to believed oh and none of those other ones too like Fatima, Lourdes, LaSalette, Garabandal should be believed."

Anonymous said...

He didn't say apparitions shouldn't be believed.
All he said was,basically,
"You aren't obligated to believe in apparitions"
Why is this so difficult to comprehend?
I for one am glad someone somewhere finally spoke about this subject.
There are people,while misguided through no fault of their own,honestly believe apparitions are required belief and hold apparitions on the level of dogma.
Irresponsible clergy are the main instigators of this phenomenon.

Laurelmarycecilia said...

I don't know if the Cardinal intended this, but after reading his statement I thought: you know, there are problems significantly more grave than any decision about apparitions and the Cardinal is well advised to leave them alone and save his ammunition (and political capital) for the vital problems that face the Church right now.

Kathleen1031 said...

If this is not worthy of belief the Church should just say so, definitely, from the top. This, like many things, has been allowed to go on too long.

Deoacveritati said...

AnonymousMarch 4, 2017 at 3:12 AM - I agree.

Deoacveritati said...

The issue of Medjugorje should be resolved once and for all.

And Benedict XVI should have done this before he resigned.

Catholic Mission said...

Traditionalists violate the Principle of Non Contradiction on exclusive salvation and actually criticise Our Lady at Medugorje for this
http://eucharistandmission.blogspot.it/2017/03/traditionalists-violate-principle-of.html

Anonymous said...

"You aren't obligated to believe in apparitions"
Well no kidding, what a theological revelation. Don't compare a known and proven fake apparition to the known and Church approved apparitions of Fatima and Lourdes. By doing this the bishop falls exactly into the plan set by the devil by using the Medjugorje balderdash to malign Fatima and Lourdes.
He should have the courage to just come out and say it's fake, don't mention Fatima or Lourdes at all, it's cowardly and likely he's afraid of blowback from the Medjugorje cultists and hustlers.

Anonymous said...

You're twisting his words that's not what he stated.

Anonymous said...

"Some exaggerate the importance of these phenomena as if they were almost a dogma,"
And further:

"The future of the Church does not depend on either Medjugorje or the recognized pilgrimage places such as Fatima or Lourdes: they are helpful, they can help to convey the message of the repentance of today's world."

That's not me twisting words, he's twisting them all by himself by scandalously tying approved and very important apparitions of Fatima to the fraud of Medjugorje, he ought not to do this.

Catholic Mission said...

Katheen,
A Cardinal and pope who does not affirm the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus ( Feeneyite) should say this.
A cardinal and pope who interprets the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus with irrational Cushingism, with a false premise, should say this?
A pope and cardinal, like the traditionalists, who interpret Vatican Council II with Cushingism, the use of a false premise to create a new conclusion, is to say this?
The magisterium which assumes invisible cases of the baptism of desire and being saved in invincible ignorance are visible exceptions to the dogma extra ecclesiam nulla salus should say this?

Anonymous said...

You should re-read the article
I can't believe that I am defending this man but right is right.
He never once condemned approved apparitions.

Anonymous said...

Europeans are very graced to have Medjugorje. Many people with no faith visit and they are touched by the Holy Spirit. In Mark chapter 2 Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."