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MEDJUGORJE AND LA LADY OF LIARS: REASONABLE DOUBTS ABOUT THE APPARITIONS AND THE SEEDICENT SEERS

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«It is not worthy of the" seers " fare, as they have done since the early days of the "apparitions", very disturbing pronouncements, that do not correspond to the truth but deceive the faithful " [from the report of Ratko Perić, Vescovo di Mostar-Duvno, May 2017].

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Author
Ariel S. Levi di Gualdo

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VIDEO CONFERENCE ON “MEDJUGORJE PHENOMENON”

Channel of Patmos Island

MP3 AUDIO ONLY WITHOUT VIDEO

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Even though knowing that nothing is worth documents and evidence for those who have chosen to slip into fideism and reject any real data; even knowing that the fideist uses the weapon of defense of sophisms and the falsification of facts, at the end of this article I will report a part of S.E's report. Mons. Ratko Perić, Bishop of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, under whose jurisdiction the Parish of St. James of Medjugorje is located. It will be the Bishop himself who will explain how the self-styled seers have lied since the beginning of the story, manipulated the texts and continued to lie over time.

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During two different broadcasts of Straight and Reverse broadcast on Rete4 and conducted by friend Paolo Del Debbio, the journalist Paolo Brosio, who has been wandering around for years talk show to speak of his conversion in my opinion questionable - and I say questionable because a conversion produces faith, it does not throw the pseudo converted into emotional fideism, in fanaticism and in business [see previous article, WHO] ―, repeatedly pressed by me he came to the end to declare that the then Bishop of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, S. AND. Mons. Pavao Žanić, he was a man colluded with the secret services of the old communist regime of the former Yugoslavia [episode of 5 March WHO by the minute 02:09:45]. These slanders pronounced in that television context by a subject who presumes to defend the authenticity of alleged apparitions of the Madonna from bishops and priests who dare to be doubtful about the authenticity of this complex and at times disturbing phenomenon, have already been previously published by Paolo Brosio in one of his books by 2011, thanks to the lying complicity of the pseudo seer Marija Pavlović. Soon after, il Brosio e la Pavlovic, they were promptly denied by the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno [see text in Italian, WHO].

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After the transmission of the 5 March, Bosnian confreres who have been following our magazine for years, two of which consecrated priests by the late Bishop infamous by Paolo Brosio, they asked me to defend the memory of this "authentic and holy man of God, deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, faithful servant of the Church and truth ". So they sent me rich documents on the now unmanageable case of Medjugorje, in which it is proved how the self-styled seers lied immediately and several times. After this introduction of a mostly historical nature, I will leave the floor to S.E. Mons. Ratko Perić, of which I have reported the final part of a recent report dating back to 2017.

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Who reads me and knows my writings, you know how severe I have been towards the ecclesiastical authorities, not hesitating to accuse them if necessary of an unknown spirit, in some circumstances even cowardice. But, in light of this story, the facts and tragic historical events lead me to say that the Church, with the case of Medjugorje, found herself managing the unmanageable. So not only that, has some justification, because of reasonable justifications it has many. However, these are justifications from 2001 they have now lapsed, as we will now try to summarize with some "pills" of Balkan history ...

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... in that Balkan region there have always been serious problems among the Franciscan Friars Minor, the diocesan bishops and the secular clergy of the place; problems that have their roots back in history. Without going into this speech that would require a separate historical treatment, suffice it to say that the Franciscan Friars Minor of that region, not only have they repeatedly rebelled against bishops and their religious superiors, Why, when the Holy See intervened on several occasions, they did not hesitate to reiterate their rebellion. So that, on several occasions, the Holy See was forced to impose excommunications and to "reduce to lay state" various obstinate religious in their disobedience. Last in series order to be excommunicated for heresy and schism and then discharged from the clerical state in 2012, it was the Franciscan Friar Minor Tomislav Vlašić, that from 1981 al 1984 he was deputy parish priest of the parish of Saint James of Medjugorje, exerting a strong influence on the then young self-styled seers. Several times the Madam, in the messages given during the alleged apparitions, would have supported and blessed the work of this religious in opposition to the Bishop of the Diocese, magnifying its quality and endow it through the pseudo seer Marija Pavlović. One thing is undoubted: today it remains to be clarified how, the authentic Blessed Virgin Mary, he could have supported and supported the work of a Franciscan priest who has been guilty of various crimes: from disobedience to the manipulation of people, from violation of the vow of chastity to economic trafficking in violation of the vow of poverty.

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This difficult management situation it is part of a socio-political structure that to call terrible is an understatement. Indeed, the alleged apparitions of the Madonna, call in local language Madam, they begin in June 1981, under the communist regime of Yugoslavia, just a year after Josif Broz's death, known as Marshal Tito. Any kind of intervention by the Holy See on an internal issue in that country, although of a purely religious nature, it could have created tensions with possible completely unpredictable implications, which could have been used as a pretext by the regime, with who knows what implications and consequences. In the years that followed, the different ethnic groups of that geographical area, kept for long years at bay by the iron fist of Marshal Tito under a communist dictatorship, after his death they began to start a growing ferment, reaching the climax of the tragedy between the 1991 and the 2001 with the bloody Balkan war.

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We remind those who lacked historical memory that the atrocities consumed in those territories were so heinous that, The press and international televisions were unable to document images of violence as unheard of as gruesome with photos and videos. That of former Yugoslavia soon assumed the characteristics of a war of "ethnic cleansing" with the mass extermination of civilians, regardless of women, Children and the elderly. The violence was almost always characterized by a hatred that induced the torturers to torture and torture the victims with cruel sadism. First under a communist regime heading towards gradual collapse, then with the outbreak of a fratricidal war in the decade that followed, how could the Church ever have intervened on the Medjugorje phenomenon?

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... and so it was from the beginning of the phenomenon when the Church could begin to study it to try in some way to intervene, Twenty years had passed, while the pseudo seers spread the messages received from the apparitions of the Madam, that from the beginning of the event to today it is estimated that they have been around 40.000.

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In 2001, the Balkan war ended, the Holy See did not bother to intervene, while the phenomenon assumed ever greater proportions and by now involving millions of faithful scattered around the world. This is also thanks to the very questionable work of Radio Maria that, in the omissive neglect of the Ecclesiastical Authority, for years it had already presented the phenomenon as authentic through the voice of Father Livio Fanzaga, that not only spread the messages of Madam, much worse: he used them - and still uses them today - as material for catechesis. Like this, without the Church uttering even a faint moan, Father Livio Fanzaga, from the microphones of a Catholic station followed by millions of listeners, it spread the cult of an entirely new religion: the religion gentlemen-medjugoriana. Only in 2010, I spent almost thirty years, a phenomenon now out of control, the mild Pontiff Benedict XVI decided to commission a study commission, entrusting the presidency to Cardinal Camillo Ruini.

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After four years of work, In the 2014 the Commission delivers its final written report in compromise style newspeak to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which in response breaks it to pieces, not failing to complain that the text is "approximate and accommodating", not free from "inaccuracies", but above all that he did not take into account the "complex history of those territories" and "the opinion of the local bishops". Before that against relationship, the Supreme Pontiff is certainly in a situation of evident embarrassment. E perhaps not wanting to blame the Commission of Cardinal Camillo Ruini and reason to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith or vice versa, instructs a third commission formed by trusted theologians to examine the report of the Commission and the counter-report of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that had literally destroyed it. In this way the Supreme Pontiff tries to save the incomplete work directed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini and at the same time save that of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, of his prefect and of the scholars who had examined and then rejected the report of this Commission. And so, saved as the saying goes goat and cabbage, the Supreme Pontiff, ten years have passed since the assignment given by his Supreme Predecessor to a Study Commission, it has been careful not to give any official answer about the authenticity or not of the Medjugorje phenomenon. These are the proven and documented facts, all the rest are only interpretations or free talk.

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Having illustrated everything, let me now pass on a pertinent example: if I had been the prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, before the Supreme Pontiff who after the opinion of the competent dicastery presided over by me, had appointed a group of theologians of his trust to verify if by chance he had not exaggerated in giving such an opinion to the work of that Study Commission, in response I would have resigned from office, not failing to say to the Supreme Pontiff: “If Your Holiness believes that the opinions of this Congregation called until recently the supreme, must be examined and judged by others, I have no reason to stay in my place, but above all it is this same dicastery that has no more reason for existing. Therefore begging your Apostolic Blessing, I give you my resignation letter”… Simply said,: the Church is now in total disrepair precisely because there are no more men in prominent places who reason and who act decisively and virile in this way.

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The "compromising" and "accommodating" element typical of a subject navigated in politics such as Cardinal Camillo Ruini, was to speculate that the first seven apparitions might be true, however, not all subsequent and related data messages. Needless to say: such a political compromise choice, in a matter of doctrine and faith that so delicately invests the sphere of Mariology, not only is he unhappy, because it seems above all to take into account only from 1981 following, all the Bishops of that ecclesiastical region had always expressed themselves, decisively and unanimously, against the supernaturality of the event, documenting that the self-styled seers had repeatedly lied from the beginning. And by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, of the bishops who knew the communist regime, who were often subjected to hours of humiliating interrogation and threats in police posts, who lived through the war, who risked their lives and saw their people exterminated like slaughter, they would have deserved all the respect due to authentic witnesses of the faith.

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When the Commission's file presided over by Cardinal Camillo Ruini it was published years later in 2019 by two journalists, Saverio Gaeta and David Murgia, the ones that in a completely improper way I have renamed as i fanatic Medjugoriani, they began to extrapolate what was never written in that text, for example by spreading the false news that the Church approved the first seven apparitions; absolutely false news, but considered by them absolutely authentic.

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Uselessly, with my articulated writings published on social media I tried to deny everything, clarifying that the report of a study commission is not an official act of recognition and that the Church has never pronounced on the authenticity of the apparitions. I also explained that the much magnified and numerous conversions that took place there, considered by many to be an irrefutable proof of the authenticity of the phenomenon, they are not proof of anything, because it has always, God's grace, to recover a soul he can use the most unthinkable situations and places, even of places where the worst sins are committed. So imagine if the grace of God, to recover lost souls, it does not use a place like Medjugorje, where many people go sincere and devoted to pray. In fact, it is not necessary to start from the authenticity of specific events, because the manifestation of the divine through the apparitions is by no means a necessary requirement, nor much less required, to cultivate a true and authentic Marian devotion. but yet, to the fanatic medjugoriani, one cannot really understand these elementary data, which are not related to vague opinions of myself or of other priests and theologians, but which constitute the real fundamental pillars of the deposit of our faith.

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My reasonable explanations based on historical criteria, theological and logical, certainly not about aversions towards Medjugorje, that I don't have, they soon clashed with large numbers of people who responded with assaults and insults, blind to every call and invitation to reasonableness. All this led me to touch another tragic reality: around the phenomenon of Medjugorje there is also a form of fanatic fideism that involves a large number of people, which do not at all represent small and isolated groups, or so called “almost limit”, but unfortunately they represent large groups of people. Many of these people lack the perception of the basic elements of the Catholic faith, because the Medjugorje phenomenon, in them it does not produce faith but fideism, it does not produce devotion but fanatical devotion that becomes even insolent, insulting and aggressive towards anyone who dares to question their idol to certain people. This without detracting from the fact that, as it was specified from the beginning and as I repeat again: many people visiting Medjugorje converted and changed their lives, all through the grace of God, not for the authenticity of the apparitions and the banal and repetitive messages given for three decades by Madam. Messages defined as "banal and repetitive" by the Commission itself chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini who, beyond the "accommodating style" adopted, could not fail to underwrite three basic data: the banality of the messages, the ambiguous relationship with money by the alleged seers, their poor spiritual formation and their search for protagonism. The Commission ahe also warns that some of the pseudo-seers have also lied several times, in particular he indicates one that he defines as "the least reliable". Obviously none of these contents detract from the slightest i fanatic medjugoriani, for which there is only one data: "The Church recognized the first seven apparitions". But as I repeat, it is an absolutely false fact: first, because an advisory commission has no power to recognize the supernaturality of the event in any way; second, because the Church has never issued any pronouncements to date.

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I fanatic medjugoriani they live on rumors, of hearsay and authentic legends that thanks to social media are spread by many sites and blogs created mostly by people who speculate on the phenomenon of Medjugorje also at a financial level. These people, of practices that are always very ignorant of doctrine and faith, but precisely for this reason they are particularly arrogant and aggressive, to the gullible for whom reasoning seems to constitute an unnecessary effort which can be done without, they usually pass off legends about the devotion of the Holy Pontiff John Paul II, or the fact that he had even said to "approve the phenomenon" and "have no doubts about the authenticity of the apparitions" (!?). However, these are genuine falsehoods, although unfortunately, attempt any kind of reasoning or invite certain people to the critical and analytical sense, it will always result in lost time. It would be enough to ask ourselves: if like them they falsely spread around, the Holy Pontiff had believed and even approved this phenomenon as authentic, because he has never officially defined him as such in twenty-six years of pontificate? But also to this i fanatic medjugoriani they provide an answer by stating: "The Church never pronounced because the phenomenon of apparitions is always going on". What to say: blissful historical ignorance! Of course, if the Church has pronounced several times and above all in a negative way, in the face of phenomena always in progress, crushing them if necessary from birth, preventing them from moving forward and developing to the point of causing serious deception and damage to the faithful. Anyhow, if according to legend the Holy Pontiff John Paul II was "convinced of the authenticity of the apparitions", because his successor never commissioned a study commission that has come to nothing, that we saw the whole work dismantled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, while the Successor's Successor commissioned a third commission, finished the work of which the Church has not expressed any pronouncement on the authenticity of the phenomenon of Medjugorje?

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A short example to illustrate the extent of the serious problem: for daring to talk about the Medjugorje phenomenon, I have been overwhelmed by hundreds of insulting messages written by people who as well, in front of me, I don't say they would never hold a public theological confrontation, but they would not even manage to emerge unscathed from a discourse based on the foundations of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. When for good pastoral heart and to offer corrections I tried to answer, the replies received were of an unheard of insolence: emeritus and profound ignorant on the most basic bases of Catholic doctrine, they invited me to study and not to say nonsense. A quel point, both in my quality of priest and in my quality of theologian, I had to take note that it was not possible to dialogue with poor people who falsify historical data, that extrapolate from the documents of the Church or from the speeches of the Supreme Pontiffs a phrase that they then manipulate to make the Church and the Supreme Pontiff say what they have never said, affirmed and recognized. But above all, I have nothing to answer to the kind of people who earn money by organizing pilgrimages to Medjugorje or by selling rambling and ungrammatical devotional booklets they have written and published. How could one discuss and respond to people who, on the basis of gratuitous slanders, do not hesitate to tarnish the memory of men like the venerable Bishop Pavao Žanić, to defend their idol? And how many they are, between them, those who boast amazing conversions and narrate extraordinary miracles, they built their own economy by selling santini & dreams on the mirage of Medjugorje? [example: WHO].

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Always on that television program of 5 March, to Paolo Brosio I remembered the figure of the very tender Maria Goretti, died just a teenager in the 1902 for an attempted rape, pronouncing with his last yearning for life words of forgiveness for his murderer, Alessandro Serenelli, which yes, who later converted seriously! And with the elderly mother she was present at the ceremony in San Pietro when Blessed Maria Goretti was canonized in 1950. But, Mother Assunta, poor peasant woman from the Agro Pontino era, from such he lived and such he died, so much so that at his death he provided the Church for his burial. And today, Mamma Assunta and Alessandro Serenelli, they are buried in the building of the same church: the mother of the Saint and the repentant murderer, converted and redeemed. Request: it is possible that the self-styled seers of Medjugorje, who for almost four decades would have daily apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, they find nothing better to do than to open hotels and lead lives based on luxury? I admit with deep regret that in the face of all this I find it truly distressing that the Holy See followed undaunted not to pronounce on the authenticity or otherwise of the phenomenon, almost as if we had never received a mandate from Christ God to guard and protect his flock, first of all by false prophets and bad teachers.

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Except for sincere people, devoted and in good faith which I have already dutifully mentioned several times, including those who go grateful to Medjugorje every year to pray, because visiting one day that place they then returned to the faith and within the Church, you want to know from whom the great hard core of those whom I have not appropriately indicated as faithful is made up, but how fanatic medjugoriani? The big part - and I repeat the big part, not sporadic or borderline cases - unfortunately it is made up of people looking for tangible sensationalism; it is made up of people who until yesterday used to go to the fortune teller to have their tarot read, or who were fooled by tele-barkers. And these people - which I repeat are many - have only changed their object, passing with the exact same superstitious magical spirit from the fortune teller to the Madonna of Medjugorj.

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Such a fact, perhaps someone intends to hide it under the pitiful cover of the … popular belief of the simple? Let's not joke. The popular faith of the simple, it is completely different. The popular faith of the simple, souls always loved by God and creatures privileged by the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is that of the Mexican Indian Juan Diego who goes to the Bishop with the tilma on which the image of the Guadalupe's Virgin, it is that of Saint Bernadette, that of the tender shepherd children of Fatima, but certainly not that of the hoteliers seers bivouacking between villas, luxury car and good life, carrying out as a profession that of making the most worn-out Madonna in the entire history of the Church appear around the world.

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Another proof brought as irrefutable: priestly vocations. And on this speech yes, that a serious and thorough investigation should be launched, because it is known and well known that numerous so-called Medjugorian priests, they were also very problematic in terms of faith and doctrine, because we came to the priesthood in the wake of fragile emotions. Not a few bishops later found themselves having to fight exalted and unmanageable priests who put forward the Madonna of Medjugorje and then later, in the background, the Holy Trinity, but always in total function of Madam. Statistically, the abandonment of the priesthood by these "Medjugorean priests" has always been very high, some of which also ended up in charismatic sects and Pentecostal Protestant groups. Not to mention the new realities of religious life founded on “charism of Medjugorje”, because the bishops of the various Italian dioceses who then found themselves having to fight with certain subjects and with not a few damages they brought within their dioceses, they could have a lot to tell and above all a lot to document, starting from those of several suburbicarian dioceses of Rome.

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Unfortunately sad reality, is that after the work of a first commission, after the counter-report of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after the Supreme Pontiff against any form of clericalism commissioned a third study group, giving as just explained a solemn slap to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Church to the test, now on the threshold of 2021, date that will mark the fortieth year from the beginning of the alleged apparitions, it has never and in no way pronounced itself. And we priests, than the so-called Church field hospital we are the emergency room workers, we don't really know what to answer, every time people ask us about the authenticity of the Medjugorje phenomenon, while at the same time we risk being made the object of the worst defects by those faithful who, convinced instead of absolute authenticity, a prete “critic” towards this phenomenon, well that goes go the war trying to turn against him as many people as possible, after stamping it: “enemy of the Madonna”.

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In my humble opinion, I think I can say that the Church today, in this moment of deep crisis and decline that passes through it, it will never even pronounce, leaving us in trouble, emergency first aid workers from Church field hospital. Of course, to the Supreme Pontiff, known and severe flogger of clericalism, one would ask: the clerical Church, it is the one that gives clear and precise answers, if necessary without fear of unpopularity and mass protests, or that which does not assume its responsibilities and which always remains suspended between saying and not saying, in vain attempt, indeed quite impossible, to please everyone and not to please anyone at the end?

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Only the Supreme Pontiff Francis I, with clear and decisive words, could explain to us what he means, when he complains about the scourge of clericalism, because unfortunately, we who are not clerical, perhaps wrongly, or perhaps because they are not sufficiently wise, from the stench of the worst wave clericalism, ambiguous, easygoing and fearful, sometimes we feel really submerged. It's surely, the Supreme Pontiff, by his special state grace, having received from Christ God sent as his vicar to earth, it could explain in a masterly way to all of us that clericalism is never wisdom and prudence, less than ever cunning by low-ranking politicians. Clericalism, it's clericalism and that's it, based as such on the total lack of assumptions of responsibility that always leave others with rigor, but above all the whole Church, in very serious trouble. They leave us priests in trouble, to which people ask, in the emergency room of the Church field hospital, of the answers that we cannot give, because only the wicked priests, poorly formed and especially self-centered, heedless of all the basic laws that regulate the life of the Church, they can take the very serious responsibility of issuing their own staff motu proprio and declare the phenomenon of Medjugorje authentic; phenomenon that never the Church, until today, declared and defined it, leaving for this reason, all of us, in serious and deep trouble.

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From the island of Patmos, 20 April 2020

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Ratko Perić

Vescovo di Mostar-Duvno

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[…] Il Vescovo Pavao Zanic [N.d.R 1918 – 2000, predecessor of the Bishop author of this report] he inherited the "Herzegovinian case" both as coadjutor and as ordinary of Mostar-Duvno. Having the utmost confidence in the decisions and decrees of the Holy See, he tried to resolve the tangled case in order to consecrate himself to other enterprises in pastoral life. Therefore, assuming the government of the Diocese, faithful to the Successor of Peter, he insisted on the Apostolic See that the said decrees were actually implemented in Herzegovina. St. John Paul II showed this understanding of the situation presented by Bishop Žanić who put his authority into play by authorizing the Congregation for Religious to dismiss from the Order of Friars Minor those who did not obey the dispositions of religious superiors and the Holy See, without granting him the possibility of appeal to the ecclesiastical court.

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In the ranks of the Franciscan fathers, in particular the aforementioned two chaplains of Mostar, they were disobedient to ecclesiastical decisions. From the beginning they hindered the pastoral life of the new parish of the Cathedral of Mostar. It is here that the voice of the "appearance" of Medjugorje intruded in an unusual way, attacking Bishop Žanić, faithful servant of the Holy See, and protecting the disobedience of the two chaplains of Mostar.

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The 24 June 1981 the story of the Medjugorje phenomenon begins, in the village of Bijakovići, parish of Medjugorje, where a group of four girls was formed: Vicka and Ivanka Ivankovic, Mirjana Dragicevic e Marija Pavlovic - e due ragazzi: Ivan Dragicevic and Jakov Colo, among the 10 e i 16 years - who claimed to have apparitions of Our Lady every day. The parish priest of Medjugorje was Friar Jozo Zovko, O.F.M, the parish vicar Friar Zrinko Čuvalo, O.F.M. So began the “Medjugorje phenomenon”.^[17]

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Among the first "messages" of the apparitions there was also what immediately proved the disobedience of those involved, and from December of that year the “appeared” openly sided with the disobedient and against Msgr. Žanić, diocesan bishop, competent authority of the Church.

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1^O – Immediately at the beginning of the "apparitions" - wrote Msgr. Žanić to the Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia - «Fra Nikola Radić, general delegate of the Order of Friars Minor for Herzegovina, he told me a few days after the apparitions in Medjugorje began: “A friar came to Široki Brijeg, and says that Our Lady appeared in Medjugorje, and said that the friars are right!"The friars who defend Medjugorje have transformed it in defense of their disobedience against the Bishop and against the Holy See, and in defense of their material interests ". ^[18]

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Nonetheless and despite various other oddities, deception and manipulation, Bishop Žanić was opened, in the first few months, to the alleged "apparitions", always cautious about the subjectivity or supernaturality of the "apparitions". but when, the "appeared", called "Our Lady of Medjugorje", he began to blame the Bishop himself, who was a Marian not any more, he took the position of blatant negator of the authenticity of the "apparitions". We follow the chronological process of the attacks of the "appearance" of Medjugorje against the Bishop:

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2^O – the 19 December 1981 the "seer" Vicka in hers Agenda ^[19] he noted:

«I asked about the Herzegovinian problem, in particular as regards Fra Ivica Vego. Gospa said that the most culprit for these disorders is Bishop Žanić, of Fra Ivica Vego said that he is not guilty, but the Bishop has all the power. He told him [N.d.R. Madonna] to stay in Mostar and not to leave ». E, always under the same date, Br. Tomislav Vlašić, in Chronicle of the parish of Medjugorje,^[20] he asked the “clairvoyant” Vicka and noted:

«Literally what Our Lady said? He said the bishop is guilty of the unrest in the diocese, or that in the last cases (lie down a Ivica [Vego] and John [Prusina]) makes bad moves? Vicka replied that Our Lady said that the bishop made the wrong moves, but that cannot literally repeat it ". Vicka, attentive to the distinction of Father Vlašić, adapts to the phrase as Father Vlašić suggests it. He hears it from the "Madonna", although I cannot "repeat it literally"!

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3^O - the 3 January 1982, nell’Agenda of Vicka we read: «The bishop does not put order and therefore he is guilty. He will not be a bishop forever. I will show justice in the kingdom ". The "Madonna" thus threatens the diocesan Bishop through his "seer". Under the same date, in Chronicle di Padre Vlasic, O.F.M, it is written: «The young people had the vision. The most important thing is what aroused the interest of the Bishop. Indeed, at my suggestion, to verify the authenticity of the response of the Madonna del 19 December 1981 about the chaplain, I asked the visionaries to ask again about it ".

Answers of the visionaries:

1. «Our Mother has sent a message to the dear Bishop saying that he has been a while’ precipitous in his decision and that we must once again reconsider and listen to both sides. […]. The Bishop makes disorder and therefore he is guilty. He will not always be the Bishop, I will show justice in the Kingdom ".

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4^O – January 11 1982 we read in the Chronicle of the parish: “They asked again about the two chaplains of Mostar, and Our Lady repeated twice what she had said before ". And therefore also what he said about the Bishop.

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5^O – 14 January 1982 the “clairvoyant” Vicka expressly lies to Bishop Žanić. In Supplement to “Information” of the official Bulletin of the Dioceses, bishop Žanić, after the interview with i “fortune tellers”, recorded on tape, writes: "The day 14 January 1982 the boys came to me, they said that Our Lady sent them (Vicka I., Marija P., e Jakov Br.). (…) Our Lady said that you have been precipitous in certain things. This said. (…)

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Says the Bishop:

"Someone told me that you had some message for the chaplains of Mostar".

The "seers" respond:

«We didn't have any».

exclaim:

"No?»

Then I ask:

«What chaplains?»

The "seers" respond:

«Those of Mostar».

I add:

"There was nothing".

Answer:

"Someone will have told me wrongly".

They argue,:

"Someone wrongly sends it to you and you hear it wrongly".

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Bishop Žanić continues to document in his memory: “In the course of the conversation I asked the boys a few more times: "There is still something for the Bishop?… Remember something about me again "... Their response was negative».^[21]

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6^O – 20 January 1982, by 'Agendaa on Vicka: «Madonna, what will happen with the Bishop? His, will change his attitude? Our Lady replied: “I don't want to hurry. I wait to see if he will yield following my messages sent to him through you "». According to Chronicle, on the same date, the "Madonna" however declares that: «The Bishop was hasty in the decision».

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7^O – 3 April 1982, Bishop Žanić publishes what has been recorded on tape: "The day 3 April 1982 Vicka I came to me. e Jakov Br., sent by the Madonna. Viking Afferma:

"Our Lady scolded us because we didn't say everything last time ... She talked about this case and smiled saying that she would have pacified everything by herself ... I have no idea what it is ... and she smiled. (…)».

I ask:

«Because you didn't say the names of those friars who want to hunt?».

Replica Vicka:

«She said of those friars that they too like to work in the Church like everyone else, celebrate mass, priests are not at all guilty, she also said their names, and I didn't know them and I saw them later ... Prusina and Vego. She says they are not at all guilty, twice he repeated it. Jakov also heard it, Marija was there too ".

I ask:

'He told you this about them before you came to me last time (the 14 January 1982), and scolded you for not telling me?».

Vicka replies:

"Yup. So she scolded me three times because I didn't come and I didn't say ... ".

But I'd argue:

"Again we didn't understand each other (I insist that the contradiction with the answer be perceived well 14 January 1982). Our Lady told you to tell me before you came to me last time?»

Vicka replies:

"Yup. But I didn't say it, and she scolded me for not doing what I had to do, and I talked a lot, but I couldn't remember ... Then she [Madonna] he said: I think this is a great shame to forget, this quarrel between the friars and the priests. People calm down, but there is nothing for them to do…»

Afferma Jacob:

«She said that this is a great blow for the Church».

Afferma Vicka:

"Every day she tells us something ... even she says that she has not proceeded rightly".

Afferma Jacob:

«That you were wrong too, since he did it ".

Afferma Vicka:

«That there are certain mistakes, and what do I know ... »

Ask the bishop:

"In what?».

Vicka replies:

«In this Franciscan case».

The Bishop asks:

"What mistake do you think I made?».

Risponde Jacob:

«She refers to something in the Franciscan case between the friars and priests».

The Bishop asks:

«And you know what it is?

Risponde Jacob:

"I do not know".

The Bishop replies:

«I would like to correct myself if I knew what I did wrong, but I obey the Pope, and what the Pope commands I do it ".

Vicka replies:

«You too must obey someone, but I would obey the Madonna more than my mother ... of course I would prefer to obey the Madonna than the Pope, Certainly!»

The bishop replies:

«Our Lady cannot speak against the Pope ... You must also be careful and have doubts if she says something against the Bishop».

Vicka replies:

"There is no doubt. I feel it just as I feel it now (recorded to a tape recorder)».

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***

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Then Bishop Žanić continues: "When I communicated it to Fra Tomislav Vlašić, who works pastorally in Medjugorje, he told me that Vicka is quite impulsive, precipitous ... [and added]: “Between Christmas and New Year she told me that Our Lady had told her that the Bishop is guilty of everything in Herzegovina. I told her it can't be like that ... "I told him: “You didn't have to say anything, but only send it to the Bishop. This is a manipulation of the boys ... ".^[22] [the Bishop said to Father Vlašić].

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Such lies of the "seers" and these manipulations of the manipulator Vlašić were clear evidence for Bishop Žanić so as to induce him to take a resolute stance on the non-authenticity and the lies of the Medjugorje phenomenon.

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8^O – 15 April 1982, on the Agenda of 1983 we find the expressions of the "Madonna", written by Vicka with her own fist: «The bishop is guilty here and there are many who support him».^[23] In Chronicle the date of 15 April 1982, it was not delivered to the Curia.

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9^O – 26 April 1982, nell’Agenda of Vicka we read: "The bishop - he says [Madonna"] - he has no true love of God for the two of them ", «What the Bishop does is not according to the will of God», «The Bishop does not do according to the grace of God». In Chronicle the date of 26 April 1982.

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10^O – 27 June 1982, la Chronicle reports: "To the question: The Bishop objects that you said that Fra Ivica Vego and Fra Ivan Prusina are not guilty. He feels it as if you were not the real Madonna because you do not respect the dispositions of the superiors. You want to explain your attitude to us? He answered: “We must respect and obey the superiors. But they too make mistakes; they must repent and correct them. The bishop, and even more those who give him suggestions, with their attitude they damage the faith ... "».

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An unclear role in this whole affair it was that of the Slovenian Jesuit father Radogost Grafenauer,^[24] quoted by Bishop Žanić in his report: «Towards the end of January 1983 venne that Padre Joy Joy Grafenauer, S.J., with the intention of investigating the Medjugorje phenomenon. He listened to about twenty tapes recorded and decided not to go to Medjugorje stating "since there is no Madonna there". At my suggestion he went there and after a few days he returned as a "convert" of Father Vlašić. He brought me some pages of the text, he threw them on the table and said:

"There, Bishop, what Our Lady tells you ».^[25]

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We now report from that report the conversation between Father Grafenauer and the "seer" Vicka Ivanković.

Padre Grafenaur:

«You told the Bishop that he is to blame and that those two [Vego and Prusina] they are innocent and can exercise their priestly duties?

Vicka:

"Yup".
Padre Grafenaur:

«They can hear confessions? Our Lady spoke about it?»

Vicka:

"Yup".

Padre Grafenaur:

«If Our Lady says this and the Pope says that they cannot ...»

Vicka:

«The Pope can say what he wants: I say things as they are ".^[26]

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We now report from that report the conversation between Father Grafenauer and the "seer" Vicka Ivanković:

Padre Grafenaur:

«Our Lady said that the Bishop is guilty?»

Mary:

"Yup".

Padre Grafenaur:

«As soon as Our Lady says that the Bishop is guilty, one immediately begins to doubt that it is the Madonna ... That is, the fact that the visionaries are saying that the Bishop is guilty ... »

Mary:

«This has been said to us by Our Lady».

Padre Grafenaur:

«This provokes revolt in Hercegovina and these are not good fruits. People will get angry at the Bishop and will defame him; how Our Lady can do such a thing? The Church knows that Our Lady is good and that she would not do such a thing ».

Mary:

«Our Lady said so to us».^[27]

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***

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Conclusion. From these points elaborated on the basis of the literal words of the young people who present themselves up to now as "seers" of the same "Madonna", and from those of their "spiritual guide", it appears that the "appearance" of Medjugorje attacked a strenuous announcer of the truth about the Mother of God and, instead, he defended various forms of disobedience and immorality. Indeed he continued to do so until 1985 (The end of August 1982, the 29 September 1982, the 17 January 1984, the 14 November 1984, the 5 January 1985).

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Bishop Žanić showed up for his 23 years of episcopate as a man of full moral integrity, listened to preacher of truth, tireless administrator of the holy sacraments and courageous pastor, ready to die for the truth and for his flock.

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It is not worthy of the Madonna to be used as “post office manager” to answer a series of inappropriate and manipulated questions from “fortune tellers” and their "spiritual guide" with regards to “Herzegovinian case” of centennial duration.

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It does not honor Our Lady present it as a manipulator, with his holy person, aimed at interfering in the ordinary government of the Holy See and the diocesan bishop of Mostar-Duvno, regarding the jurisdiction of the pastoral activity of priests.

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It is not worthy of Vicka rearrange his diary, writing his imaginative experiences of the 1981 and the first half of 1982 nell’Agenda the 1983.

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It is not worthy of the "seers" fare, as they have done since the early days of the "apparitions", very disturbing pronouncements, that do not correspond to the truth but deceive the faithful.

Mostar, 2 May 2017

+ Ratko Perić, bishop

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OFFICIAL SOURCES AND DOCUMENTS:

^[1] Pavao Žanić, free design, 1959-1982: the papal appointment was the 9 December, communication to Don Pavao Žanić on 28 December 1970, the publication on 4 January 1971.

^[2] Tomo Vuksic (edited), The truth is liberating. Proceedings of Bishop Pavel Zanic [The truth makes us free. Miscellany of Bishop Pavao Žanić], Mostar, 1992.

^[3] Ilija Drmic, "Silver Bishop Jubilee" (The Bishop of the silvery jubilee), in: Church on stone, no. 5/1996, pp. 5 e 12.

^[4] T. Vuksic, on. cit., pp. 35-40. Translation of the Latin text of the Supreme Pontiff: "As we know, the distress of the situations and the difficulties of your pastoral ministry have made the load even more bitter, but you never lacked intrepid faith, rather, Your love for all has grown greatly, an exemplary devotion and your diligence in the choice and education of those called to the service of the Lord ".

^[5] Crucified Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Destruction of Catholic Sacred Objects in Bosnia and Herzegovina [The crucified Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The destruction of Catholic religious buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina], Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Mostar, Zagreb, 1997, p. 208.

^[6] See. http://md-tm.ba/clanci/le-apparizioni-dei-primi-sette-giorni-medugorje

^[7] See. http://www.md-tm.ba/clanci/il-dodicesimo-anniversario-della-morte-del-ve…

^[8] According to Vicka's Diary (III), in data 28 February 1982, the "Madonna" said to the "seers": "You can thank Tomislav very much for guiding you so well", the copy at the diocesan Curia of Mostar.

^[9] P. Žanić, The current position (unofficial) of the Episcopal Curia of Mostar regarding the events in Medjugorje, 30 October 1984, no. 22.

^[10] In 2012 Tomislav Vlašić, after the reduction to the lay state, announced to be part of a group, called "Central Core", Of 49 beings chosen by God in the universe, together with his collaborator Stefania Caterina.

^[11] http://www.versolanuovacreazione.it/

and also:

http://www.fortezzadellimmacolata.org/appuntamenti

^[12] Marko Perić, Herzegovina affair [The Herzegovinian case], Mostar, 2002. The diocesan link, in Croatian:

http://www.md-tm.ba/sites/default/files/hercegovacka_afera.pdf.

^[13] Voice of the Council (fortnightly of Zagreb), 14/1975, p. 4.

^[14] The original Latin of Pope Boniface published on Journal of Friars Minor, Rome, II/1989, pp. 85-89.

^[15] The pontifical decree Pope Boniface, English version:

https://cbismo.com/index.php?mod=vijest&vijest=648.

^[16] Archive of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, prot. 160/76, the 10 May 1976.

^[17] Dražen Kutleša (edited), Mirror of Justice [justice mirror], The diocesan Curia of Mostar on the alleged apparitions and messages of Medjugorje, Mostar, 2001, randomly.

http://www.md-tm.ba/sites/default/files/ogledalo_pravde.pdf

See. also:

http://md-tm.ba/clanci/le-apparizioni-dei-primi-sette-giorni-medugorje

^[18] S. AND. Žanić a S.E. Alojzij Šuštar, Vice president of the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia, the letter of 24. XI. 1983, prot. 1172/1983.

^[19] V. Ivankovic, Agenda 1983. It is a photocopied calendar of 11 pages with notices written by Vicka, in his own hand, on the "messages" of the "appearance" to disobedient religious, Ivan Prusina and Ivica Vego, chaplains of Mostar, with these seven messy dates: 19-XII-1981; on 3-I-1982; l’11-I-1982; on 20-I-1982; 26-IV-1982; on 29-IX-1982; The end of August 1982; 15-IV-1982; 16-IV-1982. The copy was delivered by Vicka to the Curia of Mostar on 17 May 1983, and is kept in the Diocesan Archive of Mostar. You see: Nikola Bulat, The truth will set you free [The truth will set you free], Mostar, 2006, pp. 52-56 e 99. All the text in Croatian, compared with the extracts of p. The joys of Grafenauer, Ibid, pp. 100-114.

^[20] Tomislav Vlašić, Chronicle of Apparitions in Medjugorje Parish, 1981 -1983 [The Chronicle of the apparitions in the parish of Medjugorje]. This is the Chronicle, conducted and handwritten by Brother Tomislav Vlašić since 11 August 1981 al 15 October 1983; the original in the parish office of Medjugorje, the copy was delivered by the author to Bishop Žanić il 16 November 1983, preserved in the diocesan Curia of Mostar. On the authenticity of the Chronicle see the article by N. Round, on. cit., pp. 23-33.

^[21] “Supplement to 'Information'” [Supplement to “Information”], in: Official Gazette [Official bulletin], 2/1982, p. 2. Published as a brochure in: Croatian, Francesca, English, italiano, German, no. 7; P. Žanić, Medjugorje, in Italian, Mostar, 1990, no. 7.

^[22] Supplement to “Information” of the official Bulletin of the Dioceses, 2/1982, pp. 2-3; P. Žanić, Medjugorje, 1990, no. 8.

^[23] Nell’Agenda by Vicka Ivanković, 15. IV. 1982; N. Round, on. cit., Mostar, 2006, pp. 105-106; The diocesan link of the book, in Croatian:

http://www.md-tm.ba/sites/default/files/istina_ce_vas_osloboditi.pdf.

^[24] Radogost Grafenauer came from Medjugorje to Mostar on 2 February 1983 and delivered several extracts from the documents available in Medjugorje to Bishop Žanić, referring to the "Herzegovinian case" and to the two chaplains of Mostar, see the Croatian text N. Round, on. cit., pp. 57-59.

^[25] P. Žanić, Medjugorje, in Italian, Mostar, 1990, no. 9, p. 5.

^[26] P. Žanić, Medjugorje, in Italian, Mostar, 1990, no. 10, p. 6.

^[27] P. Žanić, Medjugorje, in Italian, Mostar, 1990, no. 12, p. 7.

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"CHURCH OPEN» (from the thirteenth to the sixteenth episode) — THREE MEDITATIONS AT THE GATES OF AN Easter Triduum AT YOUR WAY ONLY IN CHURCH HISTORY: A CHURCH ALWAYS FORCED OPEN AT THIS TIME TO CELEBRATE IN CAMERA

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We offer our readers this valuable new video of our esteemed brother John Zanchi, priest of the Diocese of Arezzo, so that it can also serve as an effective and wise antidote to all those who unfortunately, at this time of extraordinary crisis and emergency, They have nothing better to do than argue, often in harsh and aggressive tone, against decisions taken by our bishops for safety reasons to protect public health: suspend the sacred celebrations and in many cases close the churches. Recall that the Church, during crises and emergencies, It has never been saved by the controversy of those who stand for all time the most faithful among the faithful or to the purest of the pure, but the unit. Someone has written these days that "the bishops are committing suicide the Italian Church". Unfortunately he did not understand anything of the essence of the Catholic faith: the church “if suicidal” attacking the bishops, instead follow them and support them in a moment of so severe test.

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VIDEO SHOOTING AND ASSEMBLY BY THE ISSUER TELESANDOMENICO (AREZZO)

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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John Zanchi

Welcome to the fourteenth episode of Open Church!

Not only in Italy, but also in other parts of the world, the Church has kept open the stone churches and made of brick and has also come up with new ways to remain close to the people. Today we mention a way of being church that even during the pandemic should not struggle to find new ways to stay opened: we speak of the Church committed to do penance, especially during Lent.

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The Ash Wednesday, the first reading of the Mass, Holy Church has reminded us of the Three works of the Lenten penance: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Let us dwell on the latter: Lent Christians practicing penitence also through fasting and abstinence from meat collectively Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and then by only abstinence every Friday of Lent. Even in the public penance days we just remembered, the practice of fasting and abstinence from meat is not practiced in church, but each in their own home, in the bosom of his family, or even in the workplace and at school.

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the pandemic therefore it has no impact on the practice of fasting and abstinence, that they are possible in this Lent as always. I raise this issue because I have noticed that in various press and issued ecclesiastical provisions at this time we are concerned about giving rules and tips on how to handle emergency many aspects of church life, but almost never, if ever, there has been concern to remind the faithful that they could continue practicing as always fasting and abstinence; perhaps because these penitential practices, after he disappeared from the horizon Social, They have become unimportant for the Clergy and the people entrusted to it? On the contrary, in my humble opinion, this emergency requires not only to remind everyone of the meaning and value of Christian penance, but also to give precise provisions on exceptions to fasting and abstinence, always provided for various categories of persons, as they would present the poor, medical and welfare, patients quarantined, etc, etc.

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In this tragic juncture, from the many official expenses by ecclesiastical words - often excellent - I do not think, however, that it emerged the call to live the present sacrifices as an opportunity to do penance for their sins and come renewed in the spirit to celebrate the upcoming Easter. For example: the granting of new indulgences from the Holy Father the Pope could be a suitable opportunity to do so, but it does not seem to have been seized by the proper authorities. Let me be clear that I will not stir up any controversy against anyone, but only help to say an additional word to the many that are said currently.

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The penance as a virtue and can be practiced by the classical works of penance it is at the center of the Christian faith, as the Word of God teaches and as the Saints have always implemented. Nowadays the collective forms of ecclesiastical penance are reduced to a very mild form of fasting to prepare for Holy Communion, fasting and abstinence in only two days of Lent, abstinence from meat on Fridays in Lent and abstinence from meat or other work penitential choice in the other Fridays of the year; is therefore not just the case that the works of ecclesial penance be taken for granted and neglected in the common consideration of Christians. In a society like ours, where sin is passed off by virtue, there is even more need for Christians to give public testimony of penance for their sins and others'. In a society like ours, where in front of the public disasters it tend to rely almost exclusively on human strength, there is even more need for Christians to give public witness first invoking divine help, required through the prayer of supplication and intercession, fasting, the charity (which is authentic Christian charity only if the fruit of prayer and fasting).

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This exceptional Lent It coming to an end; Also the pandemic sooner or later it will pass with its tragic toll of death and suffering; but the difficult times and the great sacrifices that still await humanity can only be tackled with a renewed and strengthened human spirit even from Christian penance. Our domestic confinement even last for several days. Among the many things we can do to occupy profitably spent time in the house forcibly, invite listeners to read and meditate on the following and always current text: Italian Episcopal Conference, The Christian meaning of fasting and abstinence (4 October 1994). A reading that not only helps us to live spiritually this difficult present, but alerts us to face the difficult time that will be a Christian.

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Today and in the Future church but always remains opened to help men to do penance for their sins and attain eternal salvation; "It is the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, upright and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify a people that are his, zealous of good works " (Tt 2, 11 – 14).

A resent the next episode of Open Church.

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 3 April 2020

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XV BET

VIDEO SHOOTING AND ASSEMBLY BY THE ISSUER TELESANDOMENICO (AREZZO)

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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John Zanchi

Welcome to the fifteenth episode of Open Church.

In the stone churches and remained open brick, sign of the church that remains opened even in time of a pandemic, Clergy continues to celebrate the Liturgy, especially the Holy Mass, to the glory of God and for the good of the living and the dead. The faithful can attend church only individually but, while they are housebound, every day can be a viewing of many Masses, often the one celebrated by their parish priest. We reflect briefly on the value of such a practice, exposing the simple arguments of common sense. First, it must consider that nothing can ever replace the personal participation in the Liturgy, especially at the Holy Mass; television broadcasting is a simple service offered to those unable to attend church personally, for example due to illness, of old age, the distance, etc.

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In normal times, Sunday the unable to attend the Mass in fact be exempt from the Sunday obligation and does not absolve seeing a television broadcast of the Mass; But it remains for them the divine obligation to sanctify the party by listening to the Word of God, personal prayer, Spiritual Communion, the rest, The works of charity. The unable can then be helped to do so by television link with a Christian community gathered to celebrate the Eucharist.

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Due to the personal and social limitations imposed by tackling pandemic, the vast majority of the faithful is unfortunately currently unable to personally attend the Holy Mass and the television connection even with only the celebrating priest at that time can be helpful in nurturing their spiritual union with the Lord and with His Church, as possible in an exceptional situation. For this ecclesiastical law it requires that the commentary of the Holy Mass is broadcast live and never delayed, because if there is no contemporaneity between those who celebrate it in a church, and those who watch and listen from home, It fails spiritual union with the liturgical act that takes place in a certain place. The Rosary is not a liturgical celebration and then I can ask him to help me mentally also follow an audio-video recording; but the Holy Mass is the liturgical act par excellence and guardarne a recorded commentary is equivalent to establish a framework that depicts the celebration of the Mass, nothing more.

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It must therefore remain clear to all who watch a TV show is not equivalent to participation in Holy Mass; what you see and hear on the television screen is not the Mass but only an electronic commentary of it, nothing more; as well as privately read the texts of the Missal and Lectionary is not to attend Mass, it is not even watching someone on television that celebrates. On the one hand, we must thank God, which giving us the intelligence and skill, He puts us in a position to take advantage of the mass media, by which in this emergency the vast majority of the faithful may be helped to join spiritually in the liturgical celebration. On the other hand we must ensure, so it does not take root in the common mind the erroneous message that get comfortable in front of the home television can certainly replace the personal participation in the Liturgy celebrated in the church with the clergy and other faithful, with the result that then, when we will again go to church without danger, Masses are more deserted than before, because many have become accustomed to making viewers.

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, many priests are exploiting with enthusiasm the possibility of transmitting the live commentary of the daily Mass: thus they remain close to their faithful and continue to prendersene pastoral care; perhaps many priests are heard now celebrating in solitude than before. However, It should be recalled that to celebrate a televised Mass not just put into operation a camera any; it is essential to safeguard the sanctity and dignity of the liturgical action, because otherwise there is a real risk of being counterproductive and that viewers from changing the channel! While those who go to church does it on purpose, the commentary of a Liturgy is not only watched by well motivated loyal, but it falls under the eye even of those who are ill-disposed toward the Christian faith or who are not Christians and that can pass more or less time on TV channel during Mass televised and can be removed, instead attracted, as a liturgical act sloppy and a rhetorical preaching.

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Even in normal times, it particularly to the Bishops directions and monitor the progress of the television broadcast of the Liturgy, especially in this exceptional situation, and increasingly now with the approach of the Easter Triduum, the heart and summit of the whole liturgical year.

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Pure multiplication proportion of the number of Masses broadcast on TV at all hours of the day can be counterproductive in the long run, if it were a manifestation of a more clerical leadership in search of an audience before which to perform instead of souls to serve. God forbid that, to manage the liturgical emergency caused by the pandemic, dematerializing the Church and the faithful flock from scattering in the tide of anonymous viewers! The priests know that even in the time of a pandemic to the faithful there to ensure only the Mass, but also the other sacraments, especially Holy Communion, Confession, the Anointing of the Sick, Sacraments no less important just because they are not televised!

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In the days of Easter imminent there will be decent televised Masses and sermons authoritative (beginning with those of the pope and of individual bishops) it falls to priests, especially parish priests, First give spiritual comfort of Communion and Confession and, under current conditions, this requires more dedication and creativity than simply broadcast a Mass of Facebook, however laudable.

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I conclude by pointing out the general attention workers of television and the many volunteers videographers, which with their work make possible liturgical commentary; though invisible, by the royal and behind the cameras, even in time of a pandemic help us to remain a Open Church.

A resent the next episode of Open Church.

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 4 April 2020

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XVI BET

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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John Zanchi

Welcome to the sixteenth episode of Open Church.

Just ended It was another Sunday with stone and brick churches open only outside of liturgical celebrations, performed by the clergy without the presence of the faithful, join spiritually through direct commentary spread by television, the value of which I mentioned in the last episode of this column.

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For the faithful, only spiritually join the Holy Mass celebrated elsewhere is currently a necessary but painful deprivation, especially during Holy Week. This year the faithful also had to give up for now to bring in their own homes palms blessed in churches, which there remain, however, kept in waiting, completed the health emergency, everyone can go and take.

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On Sunday just passed bears the title of palm trees, the Lord's Passion; This title reminds us of the meaning of the blessed palm: 2000 Years ago, for the crowds of Jerusalem, the joyful branches were a sign of their faith in Christ the Savior, faith but did not survive the test of next Friday; Today the branches blessed are the sign of our willingness to be public witnesses of Christ the King and Lord and to follow him to the cross, however,, for reaching out to share his glory as the Risen. If, then, we live in union with Jesus and this heavy cross of the pandemic, we will experience in our daily lives also the power of his resurrection and when the blessed palms will enter our homes, It will indeed be a sign that we are faithful disciples of Christ and, to his coming in the end of time, He will welcome us into His glory.

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The Mass of Palm Sunday, the Lord's Passion is one of the most frequented by Christians, because the sign of the branches blessed draws the faithful. It must be stressed that the climax of the Mass is certainly not the blessing of branches, but the Eucharistic consecration and Holy Communion, because the Eucharist is the sacramental participation in the redeeming sacrifice of the Cross. In this time of a pandemic the vast majority of the faithful can not receive Holy Communion in the sacramental form and had to settle the so-called spiritual communion. This is also one of the ways in which the church remains opened for the faithful.

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Now I say a few words to help you understand the value and the way of spiritual communion: spiritual communion is a practice approved by the Church; The Ecumenical Council of Trent (Decree on the Eucharist, 11 October 1551) defines that there are 3 ways to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist: only sacramentally (who communicates in a state of mortal sin and then "eats and drinks judgment", cf. 1Cor 11, 29), only spiritually (it is the case that interests us now), sacramentally and spiritually together (for the faithful who communicates God's grace). The spiritual communion is therefore possible because, if he routinely God gives His grace to men through the Sacraments, But God is not bound to the sacraments, and may grant communion with him in another way.

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The end of the Eucharist It is not the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, but transformed in Christ who receives them. To this end there is not enough material reception of the Sacrament, if we remain obstacles to our union and assimilation to Christ the Lord. The Saints have always recommended the spiritual communion; We listen St. Teresa of Jesus: "When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can communicate spiritually, Wherefore it is very advantageous in you ... So it gives a lot of love of Our Lord " (Way of Perfection, 35). Spiritual Communion is to have a burning desire to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist and sanctifying grace, which; a sixteenth century Jesuit theologian thus explained: "Like when you have very hungry, He devours the flesh with eyes, so you have to eat with the eyes of spirit that heavenly meat ' (Manuel Rodríguez, Practice of Christian Perfection, (II), 8, 15).

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The effectiveness of desire proceeding from faith can make up the time of Sacramento; we know, for instance, that if the water baptism is impossible, the baptism of desire is an open door for salvation. Spiritual Communion must necessarily be made in the state of grace, because it is a manifestation of a spiritual desire powered by a living faith; those who are spiritually communicated in a state of mortal sin and with the decision to stay there, would commit another sin and would not receive any spiritual fruit.

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In the present situation, who was conscious of being in mortal sin, First of spiritual communion must make an act of perfect contrition, for example reciting the Act of Contrition, with which they recognize his sins before God and renunciation of all attachment to sin; contrition is perfect because it necessarily includes the firm purpose of just can receive the Sacrament of Confession. The act of spiritual communion can be accomplished by praying with spontaneous words, or reciting one of the usual formulas; one of the best known is the one composed by Saint Alphonsus Maria de 'Liguori, easily available on the Internet. Let us remember that the prime time for a spiritual communion is the time of the Mass; you can associate the time at which it is celebrated.

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This kind of devotion It must above all be a complement to our usual Communion and can help during times when it is more difficult the Sacraments; in normal times this can happen for example due to an illness or during holidays. If the interior dispositions are perfect, the effects of spiritual communion will be the same or even better than those of a sacramental Communion made distractedly.

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It is said of St. Angela Merici that, when it was banned daily Communion, There she made up for with frequent spiritual communions during Mass and sometimes she felt flooded with graces similar to those that would have received if he had communicated with the sacramental species. Eucharistic communion, moreover, does not invariably produce an increase of habitual grace, since the latter is related to the interior dispositions of who you communicate, which can also prevent the spiritual effect of the Sacrament received: for instance, It distracted the automatism with which so many are talking blithely does not bring them any real benefit, but an additional fault.

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Until the recent past, sacramental communion was very rare and the use of spiritual communion was very frequent. If in the past there were few sacramental communion and frequent spiritual communions, today there are far too communions sacramental (often carelessly or, worse, unworthily), without the indispensable spiritual disposition. This depletion of Santa sacramental Communion is an opportunity to rediscover the practice of spiritual communion, waiting to be able to return easily to receive Holy Communion sacramental.

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Remember the way, the value and the way of spiritual communion, it is necessary to note that we have already entered into Holy Week and one of the general precepts of the Holy Church is confession and Communion at least at Easter, ie within the next Pentecost, this year celebrated on 31 next May. Because no one knows when they will be again celebrated Holy Mass with the people it is urgent to facilitate the faithful as possible to confession and receive Holy Communion outside of Mass sacramental, moreover, provided mode and practiced under certain conditions even in normal times. The rest, in the churches remained open the Clergy continues to offer every day the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Also to be able to donate to the dying as Viaticum, and to all the faithful who find themselves in the disposition to receive it; spiritual necessities must remain available, as are those essential materials.

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Many bishops and priests You have already taken action because their faithful can safely confession and communion at Easter time and we hope that many are those who will benefit. In this regard I note that in recent days the Prime Minister's Office has changed to be less restrictive the norms given previously by the Interior Ministry, establishing that:

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"The access to places of worship is allowed, as long as you avoid gatherings and make sure the distance between the goers not less than one meter. You can reach the place of the worship close to home, meaning such a shift as far as possible in the vicinity of their home. They can be also achieved places of worship on the occasion of journeys are still allowed, ie those determined by proven business needs or needs and which are located along the route already planned, so that, in the case of control by law enforcement, It can display or make the planned self-declaration '.

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The way is thus open because even in a time of pandemic least once during the time of Easter the faithful receive the Easter sacraments. The spiritual communion instead you can every day and even several times a day, especially when the believer is spiritually united to the Holy Mass celebrated in a particular church, looking at the live commentary transmitted with a television medium. Especially at Easter church It does not close but remains opened.

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 6 April 2020

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