Our Blessed Mother's Children
 
Rome, 15 January 2010
Excellency! Dear brother in Christo,
I have received your recent letter dated 2 January. I regret if you have the impression that my pilgrimage to Medjugorje did a disservice to peace. Rest assured that this was not my intention.
The Mother of God and her divine Son will certainly lead all things towards that which is good. In this trust, I greet you fraternally united in the Lord and remain,
Yours,
+ Christoph Card. Schönborn O.P
 
 
In an interview given to kath.net Cardinal Schönborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, has made more comment about his time spent in Medjugorje recently .

He said that it was rather unusual for a Cardinal to visit Medjugorje as a pilgrim but has since heard that several other cardinals and bishops had been there in a very private way.

He added that Medjugorje is now one of the greatest pilgrimage sites in the world to travel to.

The cardinal also confirmed that Medjugorje had played an important part for many young priests on their personal path to the priesthood.

He referred to the annual Youth Festival at Medjugorje and said that, other than Taize, there is no other place that gathers so many young people and that this reflects the global importance of the phenomenon.

Cardinal Schönborn revealed that he had listened to Confessions for two and a half hours in Medjugorje, and that some of the penitents had not received the Sacrament for 20 or 30 years.

“How does this tree bear such fruit?” the cardinal asked.

He went on to speak about the phenomena of apparitions around the world and said that apparitions have their own language, that they provide simple uncomplicated messages which can get to the heart of the Christian message. He said that in Medjugorje the messages have a distinguishing feature with Our Lady’s call to peace and revealing herself as the Queen of Peace.

The cardinal confirmed again that the official position of the Church is as the Zadar declaration of 1991 made by the Yugoslav bishops’ conference. He said that this declaration has been confirmed at least twice and an ideal guideline to keep to.

On the question of the Church providing a definitive ruling when the phenomena are completed the cardinal said that there are many Marian apparition sites where an ecclesiastical verdict is not pronounced but still pilgrimages take place. He also stressed that ‘official’ pilgrimages to Medjugorje (pilgrimages organised by a diocese) cannot take place but support will be given to the spiritual needs of pilgrims who go there.

The cardinal also pointed out the deep level of prayer witnessed at Medjugorje and that the pilgrims show an incredible desire to return. He said that he could only explain that the closeness of Our Lady is good for the people and he also definitely wants to return to Medjugorje.

When asked if Medjugorje was a place of grace the cardinal said that to doubt that grace flows from Medjugorje it is necessary to close our eyes and the evidence was very obvious that graces spring from Medjugorje.

As to the messages and locutions cardinal Schönborn said that when Rome investigated the claims of Sr Faustina, who received daily messages from Jesus, it was very critical but the phenomena stood the test of time. He emphasised that the Church is always very cautious in this respect and it is a good thing.

He then added it was also very important that the fruits are not hampered and he was particularly impressed by the amount of good works resulting from the Medjugorje. He specifically mentioned the Cenacolo Community and Mother Village founded by the late Fr Slavko Barbaric.

He spoke about Medjugorje in the light of the Second vatican Council and the “sensus fidelium”, the faith of the people. He said that the messages play an important role for pilgrims to stay “connected“ to Medjugorje and that without the initial momentum there would be no Medjugorje today, but he did not want to speculate “recognition” and that for him as a bishop it is important that nothing in the messages is contrary to faith. He added that in this time Our Lady manifests herself as Queen of Peace and that is the theme of the messages from Medjugorje, peace with the emphasis on conversion, because when we are peace with each other we are peace with God.

The cardinal was asked that in the light of people’s lives changing at Medjugorje is there anything he does differently since his vist. The cardinal responded by saying that if there was, he would not say, but he knows through a long association with Lourdes that a close union with the Mother can lead to God. He stressed the pastoral care of Our Lady in bringing people to her Son and how her words can touch hearts and get people to say “Yes”.

When asked if he would report his impressions to the Holy See, the cardinal stated he went on pilgrimage for personal reasons but he does not conceal his attitude to Medjugorje from his brothers, which has deepened since his visit. He confirmed that he has spoken with many bishops and will continue to do so and that this was part of the Church view and judgment. He added that as a visiting Cardinal to Medjugorje it brought consolation to the people who were there on New Year’s Eve.

crownofstars.blogspot.com
 
 
From Vecernji List daily newspaper for Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina

“Medjugorje is again in the center of attention, church and public as well. Though the visit of Cardinal Shonborn is private, it did not leave anybody indifferent because he is the member of Congregation for Doctrine of Faith. We talked to Cardinal while he was visiting Medjugorje.

“We came here to be close to the Lord’s mother”, you said during the Christmas Eve Mass, Your Eminence. These words had a great echo. We would like you to explain them?”

Cardinal:
“ We cannot deny that pilgrims have been coming over here for past 20 years, as we can not deny what they experience in Medjugorje and how close they fell to the Blessed Mother. This is my first visit, but since I’ve been a Bishop from 1991. I have siply noticed the fruits of Medjugorje.

“What kind of fruits are you talking about?”

Cardinal:
“ I will give you couple of examples: vocations calls for priesthood. Lots of our young priests have received their vocation call here, but not strictly in Medjugorje but because of Medjugorje. The second thing are conversions. I am impressed that that happens in every level of society, from noble families, industrials down to the common little peole. Flying from Vienna, via Zagreb to Split I was asked by a security guard where I was going and I told him I was going to Medjugorje. All of sudden his face started shining and he told me that he had his conversion in Medjugorje as well. Couple of weeks ago on one small railway station one worker told me his story. His wife died of cancer and he was desperate and his friends brought him to Medjugorje. He has received the strong and living faith over here. The third evidence are the healings. A young man who was addicted to drugs told me that he was almost forced by his friends over here. He told me while the bus was entering to Medjugorje something happened with him. Especially he was healed immediately and all of us know how long that healing lasts. The fourth evidence are the prayer groups. I’ve known this Medjugorje Prayer Group from Vienna since the period when I wasn’t the Bishop. I’ve known them since 1980-s. To us Dominicans it was very meaningful that these people pray for hours and their church is always full. The Dominican churches in Vienna are rarely so full, on Thursday nights the church was always full. They stayed faithful to the prayer till today. Jesus said that the bad tree doesn’t bear any fruits. Which means: if the fruits are good than the tree is good as well.”

“For pilgrims Medjugorje is a miracle and they expect a message from the Holy See until Official Church would approve the supernatural events of Medjugorje. It has been speculated a period of time about the movements of Holy See. What do you know about this and what is your opinion about the demands to recognize Medjugorje?”

Cardinal:
“I do not have detailed information about this matter and that is not my assignment. But I am standing to the statement made by Bishop’s Conference of Yugoslavia and Congregation for Doctrine of Faith of the Holy See. That statement for me has always been reasonable and smart. I will remind you about three statements made about Medjugorje. The first of all are phenomena. I am dogmatist and I was a professor of theological dogma. “Non constat de supernaturalitate.”- which means that Church hasn’t given the final judgment about supernaturality of phenomena and hasn’t given any statements. So it has never denied or confirmed.”

“This sounds as diplomatic answer, what this really means in the practice?”

Cardinal:
“It simply means that the Church hasn’t given its final judgment and decision. I am personally convinced that this is correct. While these phenomena are still going on, the Church is hardly going to give or make its final judgment and decision. These phenomena are the center of Medjugorje. It has started with the children who said that they saw Our Lady and the messages she gave through them. What has developed from that is second phenomena which will be studied by the church on the second level. From the very beginning a huge number of pilgrims have been coming to Medjugorje. The intensive prayer life has developed here and many humanitarian organizations have been born here.”

“The Church has divided the matter of Medjugorje from the pastoral work. But still a large number of pilgrims come over here. What position we should take about this matter?”

Cardinal:
“The concrete ways of pilgrimages have been over here and that is a practical challenge for the church. That’s why the bishops from ex Yugoslavia said in 1991 that the official pilgrimages shouldn’t exist. I do not want and I cannot organize official pilgrimages to Medjugorje in my diocese as we did to Rome or Holy Land. But the Bishops Conference or Rome have never forbidden to pilgrims to come to Medjugorje which is the main part of the third statement. For us Bishops, for me this is very important .The believers must get the pastoral care. As the Archbishop I see my homework in that. If I as a bishop see that in my diocese hundreds, thousands of believers convert, pray, and are healed then I as a Bishop must take care that all of them get that pastoral care.  That’s why I supported all these things as for example community of the “Oasis of Peace’ , which was started because of Medjugorje.  I think that all of this has influence on us bishops, especially those dioceses which pilgrims do come to Medjugorje and they need to get good pastoral care. So in all of those conversations I had with other bishops about Medjugorje I encouraged them to support their pilgrims.”

“You had a meeting with a visionary, you climbed to the Apparition Hill. What were you talking about?”

Cardinal:
“I would say ironically that Our Lady did not choose the simple hills. I am fascinated with the coherence of Medjugorje with other Marian shrines, apparition sides. I always say that there is a grammar of Mary’s apparitions. That style has something special with Our Lady.”

“In what way is this connected?”

Cardinal:
“There are 3 elements which are connected with this phenomenon. Almost always Our Lady appears to children. Those were not especially intelligent children or holy children but normal. Bernadette did not know how to write. She was 14 almost as children over here. Secondly, Mary gives the messages through the children. It is insulting for one bishop. Why Our Lady does not come to bishop’s house? Why does she come to the hill filled with stones or by the river? This is not practical. In Fatima she appeared in the bushes. She gives the messages through children because children are not complicated. The third element: it looks like that Our Lady has her own program. In Fatima she had appeared before Russian Revolution and she gave a message. When rationalism was on its highest level she appeared in Lourdes. She appeared in Yugoslavia in the moment when we did not have an idea that Yugoslavia would fall apart in the time when the Catholics, Muslims and orthodox were living together. She appears with the name Queen of Peace. 10 years after that the first of 4 wars on Balkan Peninsula brakes out. And her first message was peace through conversion, prayer and this first message has its weight, strength, credibility.  Maybe we could go further to Guadalupe, Mexico. When Europe started invasion of America, Our Lady appeared to one Indian who had to go to his bishop to tell him what to do.  I think that theologians have to study the syntax of Mary’s apparitions and in that context to study the phenomena of Medjugorje.”

“It is prayed for peace in Medjugorje all the time but the political peace is not correct, the state is in problems and the Croats Catholics are in the worst position. What would you suggest to the International Community which is run now in this country by your co-citizen Valentin Inzko?”

Cardinal:
“ The problem over here is that too many countries are involved in this such a small country which that way cannot over come these problems. The long lasting peace can be formed only if everything is just for everybody. This is a challenge for European policy. I am happy that Valentin Inxko is now in charged of Bosnia and Herzegovina and I expect that he gets a bigger support from European community. I am sure that this  what is going on Medjugorje supports that peace. And people from all over the world do come to this small vHerzegovina which has never been known in the world, if I want to speak ironically. Look, how many Koreans come to Medjugorje! This is a hope that these people will be apostles of peace in their countries, peace which comes from Medjugorje. If it is prayed for peace in the world  on one place, than that is a special blessing for one country. And Our Lady respects all three religions. Ortodox believers honor Our Lady, Islam doesn’t respect any other  person that much, but Mary. For Croats Catholics who are minority in this country the apparitions among them are the great comfort.”
 
 
Last night at midnight Cardinal Schonborn presided at the Mass in St. James Church.  The video is provided by Sean Bloomfield of Queen of Peace Productions.  Unfortunately there is no sound although the Mass was not prayed in English.  It is certainly wonderful to see how happy he is as presides at the altar.  As soon as there are translations of his talk from the other day given in St. James and perhaps his homily it will be posted here.

 
 
Picture
On December 30, 2009, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, Archbishop of Vienna and a member of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave a powerful, lengthy talk at St. James Church in Medjugorje.

Schonborn's talk revolved around the theme of God's mercy, and he did not hesitate to praise Medjugorje.

His first words as he stepped to the podium were "Hvaljen Isus i Marija," a Croatian phrase that means "Praised be Jesus and Mary." This is a common greeting among the visionaries and Medjugorje villagers. The Cardinal repeated it several times and urged the crowd to repeat it with him.

He went on to say "When you look at a place like Medjugorje, you can see a superpower of mercy. Many merciful deeds were born here or they were supported here."

Cardinal Schonborn has been in Medjugorje since December 28. He will celebrate New Year's Eve Mass at St. James Church. The visit and implied endorsement from such a prominent Vatican Carid\\nal is seen by many as a very positive indication of the Church's stance on the apparitions.

While some had expected Schonborn's visit to Medjugorje to be private, he has instead surprised the town by being very visible. He has spent his time concelebrating Mass at St. James Church, climbing Apparition Hill with visionary Marija Lunetti, praying in silence at Adoration, and, perhaps most notably, giving his talk today in the parish church with the Franciscan friars at his side.

www.medjugorje-online.com

 
 
Picture
This morning, in Medjugorje, Cardinal Schönborn celebrated the 9am Mass for German-speaking pilgrims

At the end of the 10am Mass for English-speaking pilgrims, it was confirmed that the cardinal would speak in St James church this afternoon at 3pm.

This is instead of in the Yellow Hall as originally announced yesterday morning.
A picture of  the visionary Marija Pavlovic in conversation with cardinal Schönborn when they visited the Blue Cross yesterday.
Taken from crownofstars.blogspot.com

 
 
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It was announced in Medjugorje today, at the conclusion of the 10.00am Mass for english-speaking pilgrims, that Cardinal Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, and visiting Medjugorje for the first time, will give a talk in the Yellow Hall at Medjugorje on Wednesday afternoon, December 30.

It was also confirmed that the cardinal will be the main celebrant at Midnight Mass on New Year’s Eve, and at Mass on New Year’s Day.

Last night Fr Tomislav Pervan announced that the cardinal had arrived in Medjugorje that afternoon and had spent time in Adoration and then some time at the back of the church in prayer.

As he left the church, the cardinal is reported to have said: “Who could make these things up? Who could invent this thing? Man? No, this is not a human opera.”

Fr Tomislav then said that we should not forget that the cardinal had held an important position in preparing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Schönborn is one of the most respected experts in the theology of the Christian East and is also a member of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).
crownofstars.blogspot.com
 
 
Picture
Christopher Cardinal Schönborn, Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, arrived in Medjugorje today, December 28, 2009, to celebrate the New Year and enjoy a few days of quiet prayer time.  On his first visit to St. James Parish of Medjugorje, Cardinal Schönborn was greeted today by Fr. Petar Vlasic, the Pastor, and met with the Franciscan Friars including former pastor, Fr. Tomislav Pervan.  Cardinal Schönborn shared that he plans to spend time with the Cenacolo Community and meet with Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti, one of the six visionaries of Medjugorje.  He intends to be available to hear confession and will be celebrating midnight Mass at St. James Church on New Year’s Eve.
medjugorje.net
 
 
According to the Cardinal's secretary he will visit Medjugorje and it is a "private" visit.  It also should be known that this "private" visit should not be seen as a statement by the Cardinal regarding the apparitions. The dates of December 8th thru January 4th have been confirmed by the Cardinal's secretary.  This news was released today by the Catholic News Agency this afternoon.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17714
Whether this trip for the Cardinal remains private or does become public I think we can all hope and pray that he would make a "private" visit to Bishop Ratko Peric.
 
 
I just received an e-mail this morning from one of my friends who lives in Medjugorje and helps with the coordination of the music for the English speaking masses wrote that Cardinal Schonborn will be visiting Medjugorje from December 8th through January 4th.  No doubt this is very good news and the Cardinal has been a very strong supporter of Medjugorje since the late 1980s.

He told Cardinal Ratizinger in 1989,   "if Medjugorje were closed, he would also have to close the Seminary in Vienna, because the majority of those candidates had received their call to the priesthood through Medjugorje. To this, Cardinal Ratzinger replied: 'Closing Medjugorje is not even a question!'"

In 1998 he said, "I believe that the words of Mary at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you,” make up the substance of what s he says throughout the centuries. Mary helps us to hear Jesus and she desires with her whole heart and with all her strength that we do what He tells us. This is what I wish for all the communities of prayer which were formed from Medjugorje; this is what I wish for our diocese and for the Church. ...Personally, I have not been to Medjugorjre, but in a certain way I have been there many times through the people I have met and the people I know. And in their lives I am seeing good fruit. I would be lying, if I said this fruit did not exist. This fruit is concrete and visible and I can see in our diocese and in many other places graces of conversion, graces of a supernatural life of faith, graces of joy, graces of vocations, of healings, of people returning to the Sacraments - to confession. All this is not misleading. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, as a Bishop, I can only see the fruit. If we had to judge the tree by it’s fruit, like Jesus, I must say that the tree is fruitful!"

Will Cardinal Schonborn also pay a visit to the Bishop of Mostar?  We can certainly hope and pray that he does!