Vatican to Discuss Medjugorje Apparitions in Live Press Conference

The Vatican announced it will hold a press conference on Thursday, September 19, to discuss the spiritual experiences of pilgrims at the Medjugorje sanctuary.

The event is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Rome time (5:30 a.m. Eastern time) and will be broadcast live on the Vatican News YouTube channel.

Speakers at the conference will include Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Msgr. Armando Matteo, Secretary of the Doctrinal Section of the same dicastery; and Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director of the Dicastery for Communication.

Medjugorje, located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been a site of reported Marian apparitions since June 24, 1981, when six children claimed to have visions of the Virgin Mary. These alleged apparitions have drawn millions of pilgrims over the past four decades.

The press conference follows new guidelines issued in May by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena. Since then, the Vatican has made several statements on various reported Marian events.

In 2023, Pope Francis sent a letter to the Medjugorje Youth Festival attendees, urging young participants to avoid complacency and self-interest and to courageously pursue God’s plan for their lives.

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