On the Science of Medjugorje (part II)
During the many years the apparitions are going on, a great many scientists have tested the visionaries in all possible ways and with all possible equipment.
First, various psychological investigations were done into the mental health of the visionaries to rule out that they were just imagining things. Jokingly the six say that they are one of only few people to have in writing that they are completely normal. Additionally, Marija (the most intelligent and mature of the visionaries according to the psychiatrist) gave the same description of the apparitions under hypnosis as awake, thus ruling out that it is just a scam. This is also ruled out by the exact synchronisation of the visionaries dropping to their knees, focusing on the exact same spot, becoming inaudible and later audible again and raising their heads when the Virgin leaves.
Next, over the years a multitude of physiological investigations were done on the physical functioning of the visionaries before, during and after the apparitions. For example, two medical commissions from Rome did 140 tests on Ivan alone making him remark that “there’s not one hair on my head that they didn’t test”. Whether it concerns the brain, heart, eye or respiration, it all functions normally during apparitions. Some differences in heart rhythm were detected, but these varied per visionary and can be attributed to the kind of messages being received.
At one point Jakov stopped breathing for 10 seconds when he received a serious message for the world. It was concluded that “ecstasy transcends the normal physiology, placing the visionaries on a higher plane.” Their smiles and joy during apparitions are exceptional. In the beginning the visionaries were only partially disconnected from our world and questions could be asked to Our Lady through them and answers received. Later, their attention was exclusively on the apparition. During ecstasy they are completely insensitive to bright lights, loud noises and pain (e.g. heated silver disks placed on their skins or pinching). Twice Vicka was stuck deeply with a needle, leaving a significant blood stain, but no response from her. And Mirjana could normally use her arm during the apparition which was dislocated just before. During ecstasy the visionaries offer no resistance to moving their arms or legs, which afterwards return to their original state by apparently voluntary movement. Objects put in front of their eyes do not hinder them at all and no speech is heard, because during ecstasy the larynx stops moving, although breathing and lip movement continue normally. All this is “scientifically not explicable.” Reinvestigation in 2006 confirmed the results of 1984, and the apparition experiences in 1998 were comparable to those in 1985 although somewhat less intense.
In conclusion: “never in the history of the Church has any group of individuals been so studied and scrutinised by so many different kinds of experts for so long a time with such complex and a variety of equipment.”
On multiple occasions Our Lady has commented on the performance of the tests, saying: “is all this necessary?”, “it is not important,” “enough is enough,” after asking for permission: “you can go ahead” and on another occasion: “it is up to you to decide.” It was also noticed that during tests the ecstasies were generally shorter. So, although she is not against science, she has clearly indicated its limited usefulness.
What does the Church say after all these investigations? The local bishop after the initial interview believed the apparitions to be true, but later reversed his position to a negative judgement, so a “constat non.” The Yugoslav bishops then made a new investigation, which on April 11th 1991 decided to keep the decision open, so a “non constat.” Then in 2010, under Pope Benedict XVI a Vatican commission was established who finished its work in 2014 under Pope Francis. Although in 2015 he said that an official decision had been reached and that it would soon be made public, now years later we are still waiting. This leaves the neutral 1991 decision as the current official position of the Church.
Nevertheless, an unofficial papal proclamation was given already in a Vatican interview in 1987 by the one who had as his motto “Totus Tuus,” who added the luminous mysteries to the rosary in 2002 and whom Padre Pio in 1947 had already predicted to become Pope. He said: “Medjugorje is the hope for the entire world” and “if I were not Pope I would have gone to Medjugorje long time ago.” Interestingly, he had arranged that his shoes were taken there after his death. Just as heaven quickly responded with various military disasters in the USSR after the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25th 1984, so Pope St John Paul II saw the apparitions in communist Medjugorje as the response to his prayer and request from the act of entrustment on June 7th 1981. This was shortly after the assassination attempt on him on the previous May 13, the anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima.
In Medjugorje Mary has come under the title “Queen of Peace” to convert and reconcile the world. Ivan said: “had Mary not appeared in Medjugorje, the world would already have destroyed itself.” 'Medjugorje' is the culmination of all Marian apparitions, Mary herself said that these are her “last appearances on earth” and “what I started in Fatima, I will finish here.” Remarkably, it was Pope Benedict XV who had added the title “Queen of Peace” to the Loretto Litany, the same Pope who had requested heaven to intervene only 8 days before the Fatima apparitions started?!
A good friend of Pope St John Paul II, St Mother Teresa (who incidentally was born not very far from Medjugorje) claimed that “Our Lady of Medjugorje came to the first home of the dying in Calcutta.” Hundreds of cardinals and bishops also expressed their support for Medjugorje by making official (personal) visits. Cardinal Schönborn even called Medjugorje a “superpower of mercy” and claimed “I’d had to close my seminary were it not for Medjugorje.” When in Medjugorje myself some years ago, I witnessed many priests attributing their vocation and even conversion to Medjugorje. As one priest said: “the lips of the Church may not have spoken yet, but the heart of the Church has”. Every and all day long lines for confession can be seen and everywhere little groups praying. I even witnessed a (successful) exorcism, something that seems to take place regularly. Although faith has always been strong in the village, still the apparitions have brought about reconciliation and conversion of the parish. Like the visionary Jakov, the parish is called after St James the Greater.
Indeed, as Jesus says: “one recognises the tree from the fruit.” ‘Medjugorje’ has produced other kinds of good fruit as well: a big one is the international charity Mary’s Meals, already daily feeding over 1.8 million children worldwide nowadays; the local Cenaculo helping drug addicts and an orphanage (called Mother’s Village) are others. The orphanage was set up thanks to fr Slavko, a parish priest tirelessly supporting the apparitions. He also initiated the Youth Forum in August 1990, which attracts more than 30,000 people every year. On November 24th 2000 fr Slavko died under the cross at Cross Mountain while leading a prayer group as usual. Some even claim to having received a miracle healing after praying at his grave. Many others have claimed miracles as a result of ‘Medjugorje’. Just a few examples:
*after watching a video of an apparition in October 1985, the luke-warm Lutheran Wayne Weible felt called to sell his four newspapers, dedicate his life to spreading ‘Medjugorje’ and has become a “deeply in love” catholic;
*in May 1986 two men with terminal cancer, Carlos & John, wanted to attend an apparition. There being only place for one, John gave it up to Carlos who was healed while John died in peace shortly afterwards;
*on June 18th 1986 Rita Klaus, having had MS for 25 years, read a book on Medjugorje, immediately believed, decided to change her life and received an overnight healing, even of her surgically altered knees;
*after visiting an apparition in 1988 and seeming to converse with Our Lady, the 4-year old paralysed mute Audrey Santo became a ‘victim soul’ according to her mother and the cause of many miracles happening at their home;
*in 2009 the 2-year old Joshua from southern Italy was cured of terminal stomach cancer;
*Colleen Willard suffered from a brain tumor and 15 other major ailments. Even getting a medical clearance for the flight and acceptance in the pilgrim group was near impossible. In Medjugorje, Vicka prayed over her for 10 min and told her to “praise God, praise God.” Then right after at mass she was completely healed, in her own words “of what stood in the way of love and service to Jesus;”
*Patrick Latta, Mark Geiger and fr John Gibbons are a few of the many others with beautiful stories of Medjugorje-related healings.
Vicka says that when the permanent sign appears many more will be healed. The blessed Virgin Mary herself confirmed that various signs are given in Medjugorje to further strengthen our faith. Again just a few examples:
*after one of the first apparitions the numbers and hands on Mirjana’s watch were mirrored, thus ticking backwards;
*the first time that the visionaries were not at Apparition Hill (because of the communists), a mist was seen over the hill by all those present;
*parish priest fr Jozo was initially sceptical about the apparitions until he heard a voice telling him to “protect the children” who then turned up at the church door pursued by the communists. Later he was sentenced to a 3-year imprisonment, where he testified about the apparitions. The guards often saw strange lights in his cell and the door mysteriously unlocked, leading to the idea that fr Jozo was visited himself by Our Lady;
*the communist Dr Darinka Glamuzina who had come to an early apparition wanting to denounce them, was allowed to touch the Virgin for a short moment after which Our Lady denounced her as an “unfaithful Judas” leading to her conversion;
*on another occasion at the place called Gumno, locals could touch the Virgin Mary as well, but leaving black spots on her for unrepented sins. Gumno means ‘threshing floor,’ in the Bible the place where David built the Temple and a reference of John the Baptist to the coming of the Messiah and final judgement;
*a big, golden balloon was seen descending and exploding above the hill 20 days after the first apparition;
*on August 2nd 1981 the Miracle of the Sun (like in Fatima) was first seen in Medjugorje. In 1986 a group of American pilgrims witnessed it as well. Since then millions have seen a spinning sun in Medjugorje in all kinds of ways, even resulting in the saying that “for the youth growing up there it would be a miracle if the sun were not spinning.”
*on August 25th 1981 all villagers saw the cross on top of the mountain turn to a statue of Our Lady and back, and the word MIR (meaning peace) in the sky. MIR also forms the first part of “Mirjana,” which like the name of the other visionary Marija is a local version of Mary (Miriam in Hebrew) who came to Medjugorje as the “Queen of Peace”;
*on multiple other occasions the cross was seen spinning and changing;
*on October 28th 1981 a mysterious fire was seen at Apparition Hill;
*multitudes of rosaries have turned golden in Medjugorje;
Mary’s messages in Medjugorje, namely, mainly focus on: Prayer (daily Mass, Bible reading & Rosary), Fasting (bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays), Repentance (monthly Confession) & Conversion (changing our worldly life-style) as our answers to the Queen of Peace realising her promise of Fatima that “(in the end) my (Immaculate) Heart will Triumph.”
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