The Bishop's View: the Context of the “Medjugorje Phenomenon
The Bishop’s View: The context of the “Medjugorje phenomenon”: Part I Vlašić’s involvement in the “Medjugorje phenomenon” (This document was published in the bulletin of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, Službeni vjesnik, 2/2009, pp. 179-184. This translation is based on the Italian version on the diocesan website.) Just as last year, when the Holy See sanctioned the Rev. Vlašić with interdict, warning him of more severe penalties if he would not obey, once again numerous comments have appeared in the mass media to proclaim the non-connection between the “Medjugorje phenomenon” and the “Vlašić case”. If in both the letter and in reference to the two more serious penalties there is an explicit reminder of the “Medjugorje phenomenon”,[1] in which Tomislav Vlašić in involved, why is there never any connection between the one and the other? We would like to recall just that undeniable connection, from the beginning. Tomislav Vlašić, born at Socivi, 16 January 1942, was ordained a priest as a member of the Herzegovinian Franciscan province, 16 July 1969, at Frohleiten, Austria.[2] After ordination he worked for some time as a spiritual assistant at Humac[3] and starting in 1973 as superior of the residence at the Franciscan house in Jablanovac, Zagabria.[4] At the proposal of the provincial superiors, he was canonically named spiritual assistant in the parish of Capljina in 1977,[5] where he remained in service until 17 August 1981, when he moved to Medjugorje, on his own initiative, without any necessary warning and without the approval of the bishop.[6] But, according to the Reverend R.
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