Sor Emmanuel's Diary

© Children of Medjugorje 2006
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President: Christine O'Brien
Vice-President: Sister Emmanuel

Advisory Board:
Archbishop Frane Franic
Archbishop D. Peter Chung
Bishop Nicholas D'Antonio, O.F.M.
Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, O.M.I.
Bishop Donald Montrose
Fr. Daniel Ange
Ralph Martin

August 15, 2006

2. A New Commission for Medjugorje?

A notable event: According to the Catholic News Service of July 24, 2006 and other news papers like Croatian Vecernji List of July 16, 2006 (See PS1) Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo announced that a new commisision for Medjugorje will be formed in September. The members of this International commission are not yet known. This announcement came after a Bosnia and Herzegovina Bishops meeting held in Banja Luka from July 12-14 2006. The primary goal of the new commission will be to decide whether or not Medjugorje may be officially recognized as a Marian Shrine. From there, other aspects of Medjugorje will be earnestly analyzed.

In this regard, an interesting observation has been made in Rome. This year, (25th anniversary of apparitions), the Vatican’s official travel agency for pilgrimages, Opera Romana Pelligrini, organized about 14 pilgrimages to Medjugorje by bus and 24 by plane!

Early signs of this commission could be seen in 1999 when Father Francoise Xavier Wallays, General Superior of the Community of the Beatitudes, and several of his priests visited Arch-Bishop Tarcisio Bertoni, then the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, Arch-Bishop Bertoni said: “One should consider Medjugorje the same way we consider Chestawowa - a very popular Marian Shrine in Poland.”

Let us wait with hope and in peace. Our task now is to pray that in Rome this new commission will be put together with wisdom and that its works may serve the salvation of many. If Pope John Paul II has been able to write to his friends, Zofia and Marek Skmarnicki of Krakow that he went everyday to Medjugorje through prayer, it shows that he had perceived this providential grace of Medjugorje for our time. Here is an extract from one of the letters sent to Zofia and Marek:

“I thank Mrs. Zofia for everything concerning Medjugorje. I, too, go there every day as a pilgrim in my prayers: I unite in my prayers with all those who pray there or receive a calling for prayer from there. Today we have understood this calling better. I rejoice that our time is not lacking people of prayer and apostles.” (John Paul II, Dec 8, 1992) See PS 2.

As we await new changes for Medjugorje, let’s remain faithful to the latest official document dated May 26, 1996 (number 154/81 – 06419), coming from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome:

“The Church allows private pilgrimages to Medjugorje and doesn’t allow official pilgrimages. She asks that the pilgrims who go to Medjugorje may be accompanied by pastoral care. (See PS3)