Pope Francis tells the young people of Medjugorje: let yourself be inspired by the Virgin Mary

Pope Francis urged the young people gathered in Medjugorje to imitate the Virgin Mary by abandoning themselves to God.

He launched the appeal in a message at an annual youth meeting in Medjugorje, read on August 1 by Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, apostolic nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The great example of the Church that is young at heart, ready to follow Christ with new freshness and fidelity, always remains the Virgin Mary", said the pope in the message, sent in Croatian and released by the press office of the Holy See on August 2 .

“The power of her 'Yes' and her 'Let it be for me' that she said before the angel, delights us in every moment. Her "Yes" means participating and taking risks, with no guarantee other than the awareness of being the bearer of the promise. His 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord' (Luke 1:38), the most beautiful example that tells us what happens when a man, in his freedom, surrenders into the hands of God ”.

"Let this example inspire you and be your guideline!"

Pope Francis approved Catholic pilgrimages to Medjugorje in May 2019, but did not make a decision on the authenticity of the alleged Marian apparitions reported on the site since 1981.

His message to the young people gathered on the site did not mention the alleged apparitions, which began on June 24, 1981, when six children in Medjugorje, a city that was then part of communist Yugoslavia, began to experience phenomena that claimed to be apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. Maria.

According to the "seers", the apparitions contained a message of peace for the world, a call to conversion, prayer and fasting, as well as some secrets surrounding the events to be fulfilled in the future.

The alleged appearances on the site in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been a source of controversy and conversions, with many pouring into the city for pilgrimage and prayer, and some claim to have experienced miracles on the site, while others claim that the visions are not authentic.

In January 2014, a Vatican commission concluded a nearly four-year investigation into the doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the Medjugorje apparitions and presented a document to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

When the congregation has analyzed the results of the commission, it will develop a document on the site, which will be presented to the pope, who will make a final decision.

In his message to young people at the 31st International Youth Prayer Meeting in Medjugorje, which takes place from 1 to 6 August, Pope Francis affirmed: "The annual youth meeting in Medjugorje is full time of prayer, reflection and fraternal meeting, a time that gives you the opportunity to meet the living Jesus Christ, in a special way in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation ”.

“It thus helps you to discover a different way of life, different from that offered by the culture of the temporary, according to which nothing can be permanent, the culture that knows only the pleasure of the present moment. In this atmosphere of relativism, in which it is difficult to find true and sure answers, the motto of the Festival: "Come and see" (John 1:39), the words used by Jesus to address his disciples, are a blessing. Jesus is also watching you, inviting you to come and be with him ”.

Pope Francis visited Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2015, but refused to stop in Medjugorje. On the way back to Rome, he indicated that the investigation process of the apparitions was almost complete.

On the return flight from a visit to the Marian shrine of Fatima in May 2017, the pope spoke of the final document of the Medjugorje commission, sometimes referred to as the "Ruini report", after the head of the commission, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, calling it " very, very good ”and noting a distinction between the first Marian apparitions in Medjugorje and subsequent ones.

"The first apparitions, which were aimed at children, the report more or less says these must continue to be studied," he said, but as for "alleged current apparitions, the report has its doubts," the pope said. .

Pilgrimages to Medjugorje have decreased in number due to the coronavirus crisis. Radio Free Europe reported on March 16 that the pandemic had significantly reduced the number of visitors to the city, especially from Italy.

The pope concluded his message at the youth meeting by quoting Christus vivit, his 2019 post-synodal apostolic exhortation to young people.

He said: “Dear youth, 'keep running drawn to that face of Christ, which we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and recognize in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit encourage you as you run this breed. The Church needs your enthusiasm, your intuitions, your faith '”.

“In this race for the Gospel, also inspired by this Feast, I entrust you to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoking the light and power of the Holy Spirit so that you are the true witness of Christ. Therefore, I pray and bless you, asking you to pray for me too ”.