[bluecross]

supposedly saying...

This is the trap easily fallen into, taking what is supposedly said as gospel, and then trying to make sense of it against what has actually been said.

The Commission has spoken, so has the Pope (personally), but he hasn’t declared anything officially –– yet.

Mirjana once said that much of what has been written about Medjugorje in books is not factual.

Interesting that the Commission made no mention (yet) of the messages associated with the seven apparitions.

[Prodigals]

an exit question, it seems that the apparitions have been given a great boost to their belief by the Holy Father. How is it that we will almost have no belief soon? (This based on Vicka supposedly saying that the sign will come at a time when hardly anyone believes).

And here you have touched on the key to understanding what is currently happening.

On one hand, there are some who's analysis of the situation has suggested that the current actions by the Vatican will increase belief in Medjugorje by many more souls.

On the other hand, as you have pointed out, one of the key players in the Medjugorje saga has said that belief in Medjugore must fall and erode away before the final act is played out.

They both can't be right. So should we believe them? Or her?

If we ascribe error to her on this one point, and say that she must be mistaken and we that can't believe her about the erosion of belief prophecy, then which else of her words and actions over the past 36 years should we be suspicious of? Indeed, how can we be sure that she is not mistaken about seeing Our Lady at all from day one? Some will say that we can at least be assured of this because the Church has now validated (somewhat) the first 7 visits, and from this we can know that Vicka at least had a real visit from Our Lady for a few days.

This action the Church is currently engaged in can only produce one of the two possible trajectories. Where does that leave us? This leaves us to know with certainty that surely one belief camp is very wrong about the future of Medjugorje from this point forward.

[HOF_13]

To be perfectly honest I wasn't shocked. I knew Pope Francis doubted the apparitions.

I have many thoughts at this time, but to be honest I am going to follow the Church on this one. Note that the Church is not telling us to completely reject Medjugorje. But the Church is about the Sacraments and LIVING the Sacraments. The Five Stones of Medjugorje teach us that, prayer, fasting, confession, daily mass, scripture lead us to holiness, to happiness to Jesus.

I was never troubled by the frequency of the apparitions, I always felt that if Sr Faustina and many mystics saw the Lord/Lady more than once it could happen plus times have never been as sinful as these, perhaps not since the times of the Ark.

I am going to detach myself slightly from Medjugorje but not living the sacraments. I will continue to read the messages. But I have never made these messages the centre of my faith, that would be dangerous and that is why I pray all those shattered recognise that despite the results of this comission, JESUS LOVES THEM, HE WANTS YOU, if medjugorje or any other apparition is false it doesn't diminish god's love for you.

On another note, (here's where I get cheeky). I fully obey and respect Our Pope, but some things have worried me e.g his recent saying to have less children due to climate change. Ehh what? Say that to the millions of people who didn't practice contraception and struggled to put food on their tables for 8,9, 10 children. I have been having a lot of dreams lately that the Secrets are near, I don't know how near, it felt like it was going to before the next five to seven years. I always read that the secrets would begin when belief in the apparitions was crushed.

But then again I don't know anymore. I don't claim to have all the answers anymore.

I visited Medjugorje in 2012 and no I didn't hear a voice of Jesus, or see the sun spin or have a life shattering experience, but I know I received graces.

I have also visited Lourdes and Knock and received graces.

I do know that Jesus loves me and I will serve him through daily mass, daily rosary, my other daily prayers, fasting on wed and fri, reading of the bible, and confession.

[Brahms&Liszt]

Hof,
Where has the Pope said dont have as many children because of climate change?
I have never heard that.
I cannot believe that is what he really said. Be extremely careful what you read in the catholic/non catholic press. I always go by what he actually said

[HOF_13]

Hi Just google Pope Francis Fewer Children and there's hundreds of news reports on the same story.

Whatever you want to say about the media, not everything is "fake news" and they didn't just pluck this story out of thin air.