In the tiny hamlet of Medjugorje (pronounced Med-u-gory or Med-ja-gor-ya) there has been an apparition of Mary which is unique in its message. The message of Medjugorje may well explain why, in a recent seminar in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, the pastor reported that the local Lutheran Church has initiated prayers to Mary. What is the connection? One link is that one of the main avenues of information from Medjugorje is from a Lutheran, Wayne Weible, whose report, MIRACLE AT MEDJUGORJE has had 7,000,000 copies printed. The other link is that Mary, unlike her message at other apparitions, has adopted a thoroughly ecumenical tone and now promotes not her own veneration, but a world-wide understanding of all religions.

   At Lourdes , four years after Pius IX had proclaimed her Immaculate Conception, Mary appeared to a peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, as "The Immaculate Conception."

   In 1917, when she appeared to the children at Fatima, Portugal, it was her "Immaculate Heart" that was to be honored and the prayer promoted was the Rosary.

   Now Mary has appeared and she said, "religions are separated in the earth, but the people of all religions are accepted by her Son." (page 4; MIRACLE AT MEDJUGORJE, Weible.)

   When asked if that meant that all people go to Heaven, Ivanka, one of the young seers who supposedly hears directly from Mary replied, "It all depends on what they deserve " (Ibid.).

   Mary is quoted as saying, "I am His Mother and I intercede for you with Him" (Ibid., page 2).

Mr. Weible reports on how he became involved. Although from a Lutheran background, his interest was first aroused by a statement of a Sunday school classmate about the miracles in Yugoslavia. Inquiries were made and a video procured. Weible says something happened during the viewing of the video that changed his life completely.

   We will quote from his own account. "About midway through watching the film, I suddenly `felt' a strong message within myself. I heard no audible voice, but the message was just as clear as though I had actually heard it. In essence it said, `You are my son, and you are to do my Son's work. Write about events in Medjugorje. . .' There was no doubt in my heart about the source of the message. It was from Mary, the Blessed Virgin. . . I began a series of four columns on the apparitions . . . I hope you will read these columns . . . (and). . offer penance to God . . .".

   The reported apparitions have been to a group of six local young people. These apparitions have gone on daily since June 1981, and are supposed to be an urgent message to the whole world to reconcile now with God and bring peace to a dangerously troubled world. (Editor's Note-More recently, the number of seers has been reduced to four, and the messages are weekly.)

   Mary, who is referred to as "She" [note capital letter] by Weible, has given numerous messages. She said that every family should have at least one sacred object in the house, and that houses should be blessed regularly. She is constantly calling for fasting and prayer, and one of the evils that threatened the world has already been thus eliminated, according to seer Mirjana, who believes we are close to the events of judgment predicted by the Blessed Virgin. Because of this, Mirjana says to mankind, "Convert yourselves as quickly as possible."

Weible gives selected bits of conversations between the seers and Mary.

   On June 24, 1981, Ivanka asked the lady her name. "I am the Blessed Virgin Mary" was the reply. Later, Vicka said, "If you are Our Lady, stay with us. If you are not, be gone!" The lady smiled and remained.

Mirjana reports, "Then She told me there are levels in Purgatory : levels close to Hell and higher and higher toward Heaven. Most people, she said, think many souls are released from Purgatory into Heaven on All Saints' Day, but most souls are taken into Heaven on Christmas Day. Prayers that are said on earth for souls who have not prayed for their salvation are applied to souls in Purgatory who pray for their salvation. Mary said that, today, most people go to Purgatory, the next greatest number go to Hell, and only a few go directly to Heaven."

   Mirjana also reported an unusual revelation. "God allowed the devil one century in which to exercise an extended power over the world, and the devil chose the twentieth century." (Editor's Note-This is a departure from usual Catholic theology which states that we are now living in the Millennium.)

   Jesus is not absent in these apparitions; once Ivanka reported having seen the Madonna holding the Baby Jesus. When asked , "What did seeing the Madonna mean to you?", Ivanka replied, "It meant everything in the world."

   (Editor's Note-Apparently the Baby Jesus in "Her" arms did not have much significance to the seers.)

   From THE COMPASS, the diocesan newspaper of Green Bay, WI (1/11/91).

   BISHOPS DOUBT MEDJUGORJE APPARITIONS. 19 Yugoslavian bishops voted for a statement that there is no proof that Marian apparitions have occurred in Medjugorje. While the statement left the door open for another more definitive pronouncement that "will probably take years," this must come as a blow to those who honestly believe that their church is being cared for by their faithful bishops.

  Of course this doesn't carry any weight of infallibility, but the fact that the ruling bishops of the Church cannot verify the coming of the "Mother of God" must leave Catholics wondering where the authority of their church is. The question for Christians would be, "If the Pope is infallible, why doesn't he find out from God, so that Catholics would know for certain." All this leaves us to praise God that "we have a more sure word of prophecy."

  From SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Sept-Nov '93, page 6. A highlight for many pilgrims to Medjugorje has been the messages Our Lady often gives, through visionaries, to those who trek to the top of Mount Podbro. But this particular grace has now ended.

  Ivan Drahicevic announced on August 9 that the Gospa (Mary)will no longer give these messages on the mountain for the pilgrims.

  From TIDINGS, 6/28/96. "The Vatican position [on Medjugorje] was outlined in a recent letter by Archbishop Tarciric Bertone, secretary for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. Archbishop Bertone cited a 1991 report by Yugoslavian bishops which said that after much study, it could not be confirmed that supernatural apparitions were occuring at Medjogorje. `From what was said, it follows that official pilgrimages to Medjugorje, understood as a place of authentic Marian apparitions, should not be organized,' Archbishop Bertone said."

  From TIME, December 30, 1991, "Paradoxically enough, the Medjugorje apparitions are a headache for the local Roman Catholic bishop, Pavao Zanic. He flatly asserts that `the Madonna has never said anything at Medjugorje.' Our Lady, he snaps, has been turned into `a tourist attraction' and `a bank teller.' The Vatican has intervened to determine whether Medjugorje is a fraud. Rome is officially noncommital while the case remains open but advises bishops not to sponsor pilgrimages to the site."