The appointment of Msgr. Henryk Hoser is "indefinite". It is an "exclusively pastoral" task that "has the purpose of ensuring a stable and continuous accompaniment of the parish community of Medjugorje and of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, whose needs require special attention".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis today addressed the issue of Medjugorje, naming Msgr. Henryk Hoser, S.A.C. special apostolic visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, "indefinitely and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis", that is, until the Pope decides otherwise.
Msgr. Hoser, Archbishop-bishop emeritus of Warszawa-Prague (Poland), had already received the post of Holy See Special Envoy for the parish from Francis, a mission that recently concluded.
The Vatican stated that it is an "exclusively pastoral" task, in continuity with the previous mission, entrusted to Msgr. Hoser on 11 February 2017. "The mission of the Apostolic Visitator is to ensure a stable and continuous accompaniment of the parish community of Medjugorje and of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, whose needs require special attention ".
The story of Medjugorje began June 24, 1981 when two girls saw a woman with a child in her arms, who identified herself as Our Lady. Over the years, the two girls have joined other people who claim to have seen the Virgin, bringing to seven the number of visionaries, who claim to have visions and daily messages. The alleged apparitions were denied by the then bishop of Mostar and his successor. Faced with the growth of the number of faithful, pilgrimages and even economic interests, there have been controversies, medical examinations on the seers, and interventions by the political authorities.
In 2010 the Holy See established a special commission of inquiry, the conclusions of which, although not officially published, would have considered only the first apparitions to be authentic.
Pope Francis, who is responsible for defining the position of the Church, has not formally expressed himself, but on several occasions has appeared quite critical. Most recently, in November 25, 2016, he spoke of a Madonna who like a "post office mistress sends a different letter every day, saying: 'My children, do this and then the next day do that.' No, this is not her. The true Madonna is that which generates Jesus in our heart, she is Mother ".