Authorities in Bosnia are investigating the desecration of a Virgin Mary statue and damage to a shrine caused by an overnight fire in a southern village. This area is a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims.
Two years ago, the Vatican approved pilgrimages to Medjugorje, where children claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. This approval came despite initial controversies within the Catholic Church.
Local media images show the Virgin Mary statue with its face and hands painted black. An English inscription on the pedestal read: “Devil in a skirt.”
In 1981, six children and teenagers reported seeing the Virgin on a hill in Medjugorje, a region known for its vineyards. Some of these original ‘visionaries’ claim these appearances occur regularly, even daily, sharing messages from Mary.
Nearby, a banner on a fence displayed the names of the visionaries along with a message in Polish declaring, “They are scammers, I have proof.”
The Vatican’s doctrinal office has not authenticated or attributed a supernatural origin to the Medjugorje sightings. They noted concerns about contradictions in the messages reported by the visionaries over the years.
Aligning with the Vatican’s new guidelines, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith deemed the positive ‘spiritual fruits’ from the Medjugorje experience sufficient to permit pilgrimages and public acts of devotion there.
This 2024 decision overturned years of skepticism about the alleged apparitions by former regional bishops and Vatican experts. It also overlooked concerns about economic interests that made Medjugorje a lucrative site for religious tourism.
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