Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Cardinal Ruini: Commission “still far from being able to publish an official judgement…”

Cardinal Camillo Ruini - Head of the Commission on Medjugorje


I've been observing some news floating in Croatian press recently. Some of that news has been making it into other languages in various forms.


On June 14, 2011, Cardinal Camillo Ruini who is heading the international Commission on Medjugorje responded to an inquiry concerning a definitive judgment with the approaching 30th anniversary of the alleged apparitions.  Cardinal Ruini responds:
the Commission of inquiry is “still far from being able to publish an official judgement” concerning the alleged Marian apparitions of Medjugorje.


That comes from a blogpost at the website of retired University of Montreal researcher, and editor of The Hidden Side of Medjugorje, Louis Belanger, who is fluent in several languages.


You will want to keep an eye on his Medjupedia homepage in English or French because he is planning on discussing that 1986 document Bishop Peric added to the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno website I mentioned the other day (from the International Medical Association of Lourdes concerning testing conducted on visionaries in the early 80's). Louis writes:


After a long “health break”, I will come back soon to the important critical text published by Mgr Ratko Peric on the website of his diocese


It will be  interesting to see Belanger's thoughts.  He conducted,  "the study of paranormal phenomena while teaching at the Faculty of Theology of the Université de Montréal and at the Department of religious studies of the Université du Québec à Montréal."   He took an interest in the case of Medjugorje and traveled there.  Belanger captured an interesting moment while filming the visionaries in Medjugorje back in the early 80's.




VISIONARY IN ROME?


There are reports in Croatian press that visionary Ivanka Invakovic-Elez is in Rome.  This information came about through an Otvoreno.ba online news article which claims her husband admitted as much in a phone interview.  I offer here, a loose translation/paraphrase of the relevant paragraph:


"...Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez, one of the visionaries, is in Rome.  Her husband, in a telephone interview with us, said that he could not say a word about his wife was doing in Rome because everything about the subject involved an oath which is like the seal of confession."
If she is being interviewed, and/or tested, I think that is pretty good news.  It shows the Holy See is going all out in it's investigation, leaving no stone unturned.


OTHER INTERESTING PEOPLE IN ROME


The report also menions that she is there with Fr. Mijo Nikic, SJ - professor with the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, Archbishop Zelimir (Zeljko) Puljic of Zadar (formerly of Dubrovnik), and Dr. Mato Zovkic, the Vicar for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue in the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna (think Sarajevo). 


While Nikic is already being consulted by the Commission, I must say that I am very happy to see Archbishop Zeljko Puljic (not the same as Cardinal Puljic in Sarajevo) and Dr. Zovkic involved.  More on that later. I suspect those names may be triggering some thoughts that Mr. Belanger is soon to offer, so I'm going to wait.


Stay tuned.  In the meanwhile, pray for Cardinal Ruini, his Commission and all involved in the process.  May the Holy Spirit guide them to truth, and grace them with all that is needed to help everyone affected. 


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