Oct 3, 2009 / 05:38 am
Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia and Herzegovina has sent letters to the pastor and a parochial vicar in Medjugorje, emphasizing that the town's parish is not a “shrine” and specifically directing them that they and the parish are not to promote the alleged Marian apparitions.
The separate June 12 letters from Bishop Peric to Friar Petar Vlasic, the parish priest of Medjugorje, and Friar Danko Perutina, its parochial vicar, said that alleged messages of apparitions and commentaries on them are not to be published. Italian translations of the letters were posted by the diocese on its website on September 26.
According to Bishop Peric's letter, the prayers from the apparitions are not to be used publicly. Alleged seers must not be invited and must not present themselves in the parish church to promote their messages.
Foreign priests may not give conferences or retreats in Medjugorje without permission of the bishop, he explained, adding that foreign priests wishing to offer Mass must present a “celebret” document from their diocese or religious order and that such information must be recorded.