What Bishop Peric wrote is his personal opinion, it has been stated as such by the Vatican. He no longer has any authority in reviewing these apparitions. For while what you say is true in most cases, in this case it is not. In 2010 Pope Benedict XV took it completely out of the locals hands by establishment of the International Commission at the Vatican which published its findings a while back. There has been much personal animus and lack of objectivity by the bishop, such as seen here in many of these posts, thus it was removed to the International commission.

I think Pope Francis mischaracterized the commissions findings, which were reported inside information in the Italian press and strongly in favor of supernatural first several days of apparitions, and two voting negative on the ongoing apparitions and the others 15 or so saying cannot determine supernatural as of yet.

Fr. Gabrielle Amorth, official exorcist of Rome for many years, before he died, said Medjugorje is a Fortress against Satan, and he can see the pagans not believing in Our Lady coming as the prophets of old, but "be ye Christian" is it unfathomable. Its really like Jesus said if you have ears to hear, many don't and are blinded by false stories and tales on Medjugorje. He also said it is very clear in the gospels by their fruits you will know them. Massive confessions, constant adoration of the blessed sacrament, holy and reverent prayer and masses in many languages. Massive deep conversions, thousands of vocations, etc. He said anyone, priests bishops or whoever that say I will wait and see if the church approves are "fools". This coming from one who performed an estimated 100,000 exorcisms(the minority are possessions). I will trust his discernment of spirits eons more than the very untrained and quite frankly vindictive and bitter interpretations I see here by many.

@petrus100452

"Poor bishop with such poor judgment. Fortunately, many - with better judgment - did recognize the supernatural nature of the apparitions."
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ROTFL.

@Thomas D @V.R.S.
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CONGREGATIO PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI
Protocol Number: 154/81-05922
Citta del Vaticano, Palazzo del S. Uffizio
May 26, 1998

To His Excellency Mons. Gilbert Aubry,
Bishop of Saint-Denis de la Reunion

Excellency:

In your letter of January 1, 1998, you submitted to this Dicastery several questions about the position of the Holy See and of the Bishop of Mostar in regard to the so called apparitions of Medjugorje, private pilgrimages and the pastoral care of the faithful who go there.

In regard to this matter, I think it is impossible to reply to each of the questions posed by Your Excellency. The main thing I would like to point out is that the Holy See does not ordinarily take a position of its own regarding supposed supernatural phenomena as a court of first instance. As for the credibility of the "apparitions" in question, this Dicastery respects what was decided by the bishops of the former Yugoslavia in the Declaration of Zadar, April 10, 1991: "On the basis of the investigations so far, it can not be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations." Since the division of Yugoslavia into different independent nations it would now pertain to the members of the Episcopal Conference of Bosnia-Hercegovina to eventually reopen the examination of this case, and to make any new pronouncements that might be called for.

What Bishop Peric said in his letter to the Secretary General of "Famille Chretienne", declaring: "My conviction and my position is not only 'non constat de supernaturalitate,' but likewise, 'constat de non supernaturalitate' of the apparitions or revelations in Medjugorje", should be considered the expression of the personal conviction of the Bishop of Mostar which he has the right to express as Ordinary of the place, but which is and remains his personal opinion.

Finally, as regards pilgrimages to Medjugorje, which are conducted privately, this Congregation points out that they are permitted on condition that they are not regarded as an authentification of events still taking place and which still call for an examination by the Church.

I hope that I have replied satisfactorily at least to the principal questions that you have presented to this Dicastery and I beg Your Excellency to accept the expression of my devoted sentiments.

Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone
Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
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The highlighted statement has been distorted by promoters of Medjugorje and presented in such a way as to diminish the authority of the Bishop of Mostor. Yes, the local bishop did give you his opinion... HIS OFFICIAL OPINION as one who would best know the truth of the matter and as the ordinary of the diocese empowered with the official authority of the Catholic Church with the prayerful assistance of the Holy Spirit to render such a decision.

VRS regarding the links to Peric statements after reading them, I have seen these before and and these statements are so blatantly false, and distorted, completely lies and bogus, its is very clear why all authority for declarations on these apparitions, that is the final official position of the Catholic Church will come from the commission established by Pope Benedict XV NOT by Peric. The words of Peric, show clearly he, who was not present at ANY of these apparitions, is speaking about something he heard from obvious naysayers trying to discredit it. Seen this before same old story. Nothing about the fruits. Another thing, before the fall of communism, the Bishops were being heavily threatened by the communists to stop these apparitions. Actually, much of what you are saying matches what the communist atheist government saying about the apparitions so you are aligned with these atheists in that sense. If you are basing your opinion on the local Bishop Peric you have little to nothing of he truth of what has been going on. His statement in these early days, in my opinion, were also out of fear of being imprisoned as Fr. Jozo for 3 years and tortured and nearly killed because he would not declare the apparitions false , who ultimately defended the children as they were being pursued by the communist government, who even locked up the church, kidnapped the kids and took them to a mental hospital threatening to lock them up forever, only to be declared sane and normal and they had to release them , MUCH like Fatima when the kids were kidnapped, and the persecution of Bernadette by authorities. You guys really have so little knowledge of what has occurred there, and if you are relying on what Peric or Zanic said you have little to nothing of the truth.

The late Zanic, his predecessor, was even worse. He supported them originally, then turned on them, not long after Fr. Jozo was imprisoned for "sedition" when his homily, which was being monitored by communist plants, was distorted talking about freedom from the bondage of sin, arrested and taken to the court run by communist authorities, saying he was trying to overthrow the government. Many others died in those prisons. There is a free movie "Gospa" on YouTube, Martin Sheen as Fr. Jozo, which shows, filmed in Medjugorje, what happened in those early days as thousands came and communists did everything they could to squelch it. The kids were 9-15 when this happened so any plan they to become rich from this as being threatened even their very lives, is preposterous. Both Bishops in my opinion lacked the courage to defend the faith, an God will be the final judge on that.

I have been there, late 80's prior to the war. I saw many things, very miraculous phenomena, and very persona, tremendous. These were not like mystical interior visions but phenomena undeniably miraculous. One such event was I was coming along the side of the church one day, late evening as I recall, people in unison were looking up at cross mountain (Mt. Krizevac), where the large concrete cross is. This cross, I believe 40 ft. was built in 1933, by the people, women and men carrying bucket by bucket, in bare feet for penance .. this cross was built and has the words commemoration 1900 years since the death of Jesus Christ. Anyway, many have seen Our Lady and other phenomena on this Mt. from a distance. The cross spinning, disappearing, flashing. Our Lady has said all of the signs are to awaken the faith of the people.

What I saw that day as soon as I looked up to the mountain, was a huge golden dome coming down and resting on the mountain. This was not an interior vision. The gold was a color I can only describe as not of this world, a color so beautiful and I was shocked, it was as if something was projecting this at first I thought what? At the place where the cross would be was a beautiful heavenly pink, and I could sense the presence of Our Lady in this it reminded me of a rose. In research I have done for a book I am presently working on, others, including many priests and nuns have seen this same phenomena, it is documented in at least one book I read, and when they used binoculars to see what this pink area was, they all saw Our Lady there where the cross would be. In reading the account of Fatima in Sr. Lucia's own words, in the introductory sections, many of the phenomena reported are similar to accounts at Medjugorje. For example, when Our Lady would come the sun would dim and the trees looked like the leave were all colorful flowers. Colorful images of flowers, doves and other things falling from the sky at Fatima. Many such events though different types and forms reported at Medjugorje. Miracle of the sun, seen by multitudes at Fatima and Medjugorje. the description of the sun by witnesses at Fatima, where you could look on it without hurting your eyes, like a gray disc, to me it looked like a host, and spinning, colors everywhere, pulsating, some of these in Medjugorje are on video as well though they don't so it justice. I have seen this phenomena in the US as well. One such time was this past summer, late evening here in Texas, quite an interesting picture I took shown below.

Anyway, rather than the plethora of false information posted by just a relatively few people on the internet, I suggest you read something like "The Queen of Peace Visits Medjugorje" by the late Fr. Joseph A Pelletier, A.A. from 1985, giving early accounts of what occurred. Thi book was hard to find not many copies out there but very good. Also, "The Apparitions of Our Lady at Medjugorje 1981-1983, by Svetozar Kraljevic O.F.M, edited by Michael Scanlan, T.O.R.

God bless and the peace of Our Lord and Our Lady be with you.