A cardinal close to Benedict XVI has signalled his support for the controversial Marian shrine of Medjugorje.
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna indicated that Pope Benedict himself might one day visit the spot where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to a group of local children. Speaking on his return from a three-day visit to the shrine in Bosnia at the turn of the year, he told journalists in Vienna that the time had come to integrate the “Medjugorje phenomenon” into the Church’s ordinary pastoral work.
Asked in an interview with the Bologna-based daily Il Resto di Carlino what he would tell Pope Benedict XVI about the trip, he said: “The Pope does not need my advice. He knows very well how important the Virgin Mary is for the Catholic Church and he is a fervent devotee. He has visited many Marian shrines and I think one day he might even come here.” He added that Medjugorje could “become something very important and profound”. (read more)
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna indicated that Pope Benedict himself might one day visit the spot where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to a group of local children. Speaking on his return from a three-day visit to the shrine in Bosnia at the turn of the year, he told journalists in Vienna that the time had come to integrate the “Medjugorje phenomenon” into the Church’s ordinary pastoral work.
Asked in an interview with the Bologna-based daily Il Resto di Carlino what he would tell Pope Benedict XVI about the trip, he said: “The Pope does not need my advice. He knows very well how important the Virgin Mary is for the Catholic Church and he is a fervent devotee. He has visited many Marian shrines and I think one day he might even come here.” He added that Medjugorje could “become something very important and profound”. (read more)
Christa Pongratz-Lippitt9 January 2010
