MEDUGORJE, Bosnia-Herzegovina Thousands Of Christian Pilgrims Have Gathered In The Southern Bosnian Village Of Medjugorje To Mark The 30th Anniversary Of The Questioned Apparition Of The Virgin Mary.
MEDJUGORJE, Bosnia-HerzegovinaThousands of Christian pilgrims have gathered in the southern Bosnian town of Medjugorje to mark the 30th anniversary of the disputed apparition of the Virgin Mary.
At dawn Saturday, pilgrims from all over the world climbed a hill above Medjugorje where six youngsters claimed in 1981 they had the visions.
The Medjugorje apparition has been disputed for many years. Unlike Fatima in Portugal or Lourdes in France, the Roman Catholic church is cautious about calling the sightings legitimate, and has not officially authorized Medjugorje as a shrine site. The Vatican last year started officially inquiring into the apparitions the sixnow adultsclaim are still regular.
But the absence of official recognition has not stopped the remote town from thriving, thru communism and then war. Some 40,000,000 unswerving have visited its shrine so far.
A Catholic clergyman blesses a traveller as other travellers walk by at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Saturday, June twenty-five, 2011. It is assumed the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six children in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981.
For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to go looking for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the start in 1981, Medjugorje was widely accepted by Catholic believers, and travellers arrived in their hundreds of thousands each year to pray to the Virgin.
Bosnian Catholic lady Iva Kozul, 73, left, prays in front of a sculpture of the Virgin Mary at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is thought the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six youngsters in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981.
For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an enquiry team to search for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the start in 1981, Medjugorje was generally accepted by Catholic believers, and pilgrims arrived in their many thousands each year to wish to the Virgin.
Bosnian Catholic woman Iva Kozul, 73, left, prays in front of sculpture of Virgin Mary at the St. Jackob church in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is thought the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six kids in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to go searching for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the beginning in 1981, Medjugorje was accepted by Catholic believers, and travellers arrived in their hundreds of thousands annually to pray to the Virgin.
Pilgrims gather kneeling around a sculpture of the Virgin Mary to claim prayers at the Hill of Appearance in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Sat., June twenty-five, 2011. It is assumed the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to 6 youngsters in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an enquiry team to go searching for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the start in 1981, Medjugorje was accepted by Catholic believers, and pilgrims arrived in their hundreds of thousands each year to pray to the Virgin.
A Franciscan priest blesses pilgrims as they gather kneeling around a sculpture of the Virgin Mary to say prayers at the Hill of Appearance in the southern Bosnian city of Medjugorje,160 kms south of Sarajevo, Saturday, June twenty-five, 2011. It is assumed the Virgin Mary showed herself and conveyed messages of peace to six youngsters in Medjugorje on June twenty-five, 1981. For 30 years, the alleged phenomenon was ignored by the Catholic authorities in Rome till 2010 when Pope Benedict XVI issued an order to form an investigation team to go searching for the truth surrounding the Medjugorje sightings. From the beginning in 1981, Medjugorje was widely accepted by Catholic believers, and pilgrims arrived in their hundreds of thousands each year to wish to the Virgin, writes tagza.com.
The name Medjugorje means (area between 2 mountains)
Medjugorje is one of the towns of the Herzegovina municipality of Citluk or you can say of significant Brotnjo.The territory of Medjugorje has a mild Mediterranean climate and spreads out at the altitude of 150 meters above sea level.
The parish of Medjugorje was set up in 1892 and also placed under the protection of St. James, patron of travellers. 5 years on, the old parish church of St. James in Medjugorje was completed.The church was finished and sanctified on 19.1.1969. So there was a beatifull church which attracted no attention, not even from the people of the closest environment. The tale of Medjugorje started in the summer of 1981.
It has become well known all around the globe, due to 6 youngsters who insist to have seen visions of our Woman.
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