Vatican speaks on Medjugorje

Author

Holy Scrollers
September 23, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Good morning Holy Scrollers!

The moment many have been waiting for - the Vatican has issued a judgement on the Marian apparitions at Medjugorje. What did the Holy See say, and what does this mean for Catholics? Let’s find out…

In this week’s edition:

  • Vatican “cautiously” approves nihil obstat for apparitions at Medjugorje

  • Nuns and others take NY abortion mandate to SCOTUS

  • Catholics for Harris-Walz hold virtual meeting

  • Media takes aim at pro-life laws over death of Amber Thurman

  • and more!

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Michele.gaiga, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary: A Sept. 19 note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith gave the local bishop authority to issue the nihil obstat (“nothing stands in the way”) for the alleged Marian apparitions.

Details:

  • While the DDF did not recognize the claimed apparitions as authentic, it did acknowledge that “…the faithful can receive a positive encouragement for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal….”

  • The dicastery “authorizes public acts of devotion” and recognized the fruits of the Holy Ghost emanating thence.

  • Prefect Cardinal Fernández addressed the “weak points” of the messages and other concerns surrounding the apparitions and related persons.

  • The DDF was able to make this and 10 other judgements since May thanks to changes to investigations of alleged apparitions.

Why we care: We’ll be honest and say that while we were aware of Medjugorje and the associated devotions to Our Lady, the concerns surrounding the claims was news to us when we first heard of it last week. We have no dog in the fight, but we can’t complain about anything that brings the faithful closer to the Lord and causes them to grow in holiness, especially now that the Vatican has spoken. We’re sure the DDF has acted in good faith, but we find it interesting to consider the ramifications had they censured a devotion that has attracted some 50 million people. What are your thoughts on Medjugorje? Has it impacted your life in any way?

Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary: A group of Carmelite nuns and several other religious groups have joined forces in appealing a decision over a State of New York mandate that employee health plans cover abortions.

Details:

  • The issue goes all the way back to a 2017 suit over the mandate, where the lower courts found against the plaintiffs on the issue, followed by a SCOTUS reversal in 2021, followed by another ruling against the religious groups.

  • The mandate initially included exemptions for religious objections, but a rewording of the law only allowed exemptions for those who teach religion or hire and serve those within their faith. Groups that serve the needy (regardless of religion) would not qualify for an exemption.

  • The petition claims the mandate “imposes immense burdens on countless religious entities opposed to abortion as a matter of deep-seated religious conviction.”

Why we care: We certainly agree with the petition that this is violation of religious freedom and places an undue burden on these religious groups. Frankly it’s ridiculous that the government is so attached to anything (but especially abortion) that they’d tie up in years of legal battles a group of nuns who certainly have better things to do than petition over employee health insurance policies. We’re thankful for groups like Becket who stand in service of those fighting for religious freedom, and we’re hopeful that SCOTUS will agree to hear the case and reverse state court’s ruling.

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Source: ncronline.org

Summary: The Harris-Walz campaign hosted a virtual call to kickstart its outreach to Catholics. Featured speakers included Joe Donnelly, Sr. Simone Campbell, Anthea Butler, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

Details:

  • Some notable quotes from the call:

    • Catholics are "not defined by a single partisan organization but by our values." — Host Alex Nason (shown above)

    • "The fact is that our faith does not require the outlawing of abortion. Our faith teaches us that protecting life is what we're about." — Sr. Campbell

    • "To decide your best campaign tactic is to pick on those who are struggling ... is about as cruel and unchristian and un-Catholic as I can think of." —Joe Donnelly (referencing Trump’s claims about Haitian immigrants)

  • Speakers brought up the need for Catholics to care for other marginalized groups - the poor, the aged and infirm, victims of trafficking, immigrants, women, people of color, etc.

Why we care: Two things can be true at once - we as Catholics must care for all vulnerable groups, and abortion is a vile evil that must be eradicated. We’re not saying that Catholics must be single-issue votes, but it seems pretty clear to us that the party who downplays the severity of abortion in order to underscore the importance of other Catholic social issues is not one in line with Catholic moral teaching. Given the recent poll that showed the majority of self-identified Catholics do not accept most of the Church’s teachings and support VP Harris, it’s clear there is much work to do. Perhaps part of the problem is the feeling of political homelessness, wherein neither party really captures an individual’s beliefs so he finds himself forcing a square peg into a round hole. Perhaps many of these Catholics are in that group and find themselves coming down on the Democratic side of the aisle. How do you think we can reach across to our brothers and sisters?

See page for author, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary: Pro-abortion mouthpieces, including VP Harris, have been echoing claims that Georgia’s pro-life laws are responsible for the death of Amber Thurman, who died after taking abortion pills.

Details:

  • Thurman passed in 2022 from an infection she acquired after taking the pills.

  • Because Georgia limits abortions after 6 weeks and she was 9 weeks pregnant, Thurman obtained the pills in North Carolina.

  • Thurman had a chemical abortion in South Carolina, experienced complications, and went to the ER five days later.

  • Upon her arrival, it was discovered that the deceased fetal tissue was still in her uterus and had caused the infection.

  • Doctors did not perform a procedure to remove the remains, and as a result Thurman wound up on the operating table for 20 hours before she died.

  • While many were quick to blame Georgia’s laws for her death, others rushed to point out that the pills and inaction of the doctors were the true culprits.

Why we care: They say to fight fire with fire, but how do you fight a fire made out of lies? Even if we give our political opponents the benefit of the doubt and say they are operating out of ignorance, how do you combat eagerness for confirmation bias? People who want to believe that pro-life laws kill women now have “evidence” for their claim, any facts to the contrary be darned. It’s frustrating to feel like we have to stand on the moral high ground and “fight fair” against an opponent who refuses to do so. We wish we had a better solution that to just “keep on keepin’ on”, but that’s about all we’ve got right now. How do you think we can win this war for the unborn?

Quote of the Week

God is faithful. He does not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

St Augustine, sermon On Pastors

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