Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 12, 2019 / 06:46 am
Pope Francis has given the green light for Catholics to organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje, a site of alleged Marian apparitions, though the Church has not yet given a verdict on the apparitions' authenticity.
The pope's authorization of pilgrimages to the site is not to be understood as an "authentication" of the alleged apparitions, "which still require an examination by the Church," papal spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said in a statement May 12.
He added that anyone leading pilgrimages to the site should avoid creating "confusion or ambiguity under the doctrinal aspect," including priests who intend to celebrate Mass there.
The provision was made as an acknowledgment of the "abundant fruits of grace" that have come from Medjugorje and to promote those "good fruits." It is also part of the "particular pastoral attention" of Pope Francis to the place, Gisotti said.