date: 27.04.2005.
Milan Vukovic, a Doctor in Law and Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, declares: “As a Cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger had never pronounced an unfriendly or hostile word, forbidding or contradicting the apparitions of Medjugorje”. (Vjesnik, Wednesday, April 27, 2005.)
“As Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Joseph Ratzinger had never and nowhere pronounced an unfriendly or hostile word, forbidding or contradicting the apparitions of Medjugorje, a phenomenon that has united the whole world, because Medjugorje is a divine and not a human intervention!
As a lawyer, I have defended Fr. Jozo Zovko who was accused in 1981 in Mostar for having participated in the construction of this phenomenon. I have published two books of my observations, and about the imbecile accusation, and its results: “Čl. 133 KZ SFRJ nad Međugorjem” (1990) and “Obdareni milošću – Dvadeset godina poslije procesa fra Jozi Zovku” (2000).
I describe the statement of Cardinal Ratzinger in the context of the words of the president Tudjman (published in Press Bulletin No 61), who answered to the journalists during his visit to Medjugorje: “Again I repeat that, on the occasion of my last conversation with him, Pope John Paul II said that, on the occasion of his visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, he would like also to visit Medjugorje.”
This testimony of the president Tudjman is the occasion for me to quote the statement of the Cardinal Ratzinger that “On the basis of the investigations, so far it cannot be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations. … For places of apparitions which are still under investigation, official pilgrimages are not permitted.” Which does not mean that it cannot be changed in the future.
This is the usual practice of the Church in similar cases. Holy Father’s desire to visit Medjugorje, according to the testimony of president Tudjman, indicates a conclusion that Medjugorje, in the perspective of the new world order of the former Pope – the civilization of love – had an important place.
According to the monthly “Nasa ognjista” XXI (1991) No 10, the departed Fr. Slavko Barbaric speaks about his encounter with Cardinal Ratzinger in Linz, during a meeting of more then 300 priests who discussed their experiences of confessions in Medjugorje. He had a longer conversation with Cardinal Ratzinger about Medjugorje. Fr. Slavko, with great sense of responsibility, says that Cardinal Ratzinger told him: “The Church does not want to repress anything that is bringing good spiritual fruits”. Concerning the apparitions, he underlined that “at present he cannot say either yes or no. The Commission of the Bishop’s Conference will continue with its work”.
Cardinal Ratzinger spoke in an inspired way about Medjugorje also in 1991. On the first page of Neue Bildpost from September 8, 1991, he announced the soon solution of the question of Medjugorje and he promised that in any case he will strive to declare Medjugorje a place of pilgrimage and of prayer.”
“Let us walk in truth”, used to say the deceased Cardinal Kuharic, “because it is far better to write the truth then to invent it.”
