Cardinal von Balthasr shared these thoughts in an interview with the Jesuit priest and author Richard Foley, himself an influential proponent of Medjugorje.
As the Catholic Church undertakes an international investigation into the apparitions of Medjugorje and its messages, von Balthasar’s views on the subject become very important, for his words on faith and theology were never taken lightly in the Catholic world. An example of this exists in what happened in 1988, when Pope John Paul II designated von Balthasar to be a cardinal. Von Balthasar, unfortunately, died a few days before the consistory was scheduled to take place. Notwithstanding his untimely death, the Church still recognized him as a cardinal. At his funeral, von Balthasar’s lifelong friend and former student, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, gave the eulogy, explaining why John Paul II made the Swiss theologian a cardinal:
“What the pope intended to express by this mark of distinction, and of honor, remains valid. No longer only private individuals but the Church itself, in its official responsibility, tells us that he [von Balthasar] is right in what he teaches of the faith.”
These powerful words, delivered on behalf of the highest authority of the Church by his successor, tell us that von Balthasar’s theology on the Catholic faith is correct. Consequently, von Balthasar’s praise of the apparitions and messages of Medjugorje as being authentic to the Catholic faith must also hold high value for the faithful.
Receiving the universal approval of the Church through both Pope John Paul II and, at his funeral, the future Pope Benedict XVI, solidified von Balthasar’s already distinguished career as a theologian. Both popes regarded his theology with the highest respect and esteem. Eventually the Church expressed its gratitude for von Balthasar’s contributions to theology and faith by issuing him the Vatican ’s prestigious Paul VI Prize in theology. Von Balthasar was reportedly John Paul II’s favorite theologian and, later, also became a lifetime friend of the Polish pontiff. Similarly, years before Cardinal Ratzinger became pope, he co-founded the international Catholic journal, Communio, with von Balthasar and with other big names, like the French Jesuit Henri de Lubac and the German Cardinal Walter Kasper. Now published in seventeen foreign editions, Communio has become one of the most influential journals of Catholic thought.
Theologically von Balthasar had much in common with Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, being a champion of Christian orthodoxy. As MinistryValues has observed in a previous article, John Paul II, like von Balthasar, was also infatuated with Medjugorje. Von Balthasar, however, did not only comment on the subject in his expertise as a Catholic theologian but also in his role as archbishop. Noticing the fruits of faith in Medjugorje, he strongly defended the visionaries and the apparitions against unsubstantiated attacks.
“What a simply sad document you have dispatched throughout the world! I was deeply hurt to see the office of Bishop degraded in this fashion. Instead of having patience as You were advised by Your superiors, You thunder and hurl jupiter’s arrows, blackening renowned and innocent people, worthy of Your respect and protection. You repeatedly come up with accusations which have been proven untrue a hundred times over.”
A couple of such accusations included Bishop Zanic’s claim that the Medjugorje visionaries are guilty of fraud and hysteria. Even Archbishop Frane Franic of Split noted that such erroneous accusations ignored the findings of separate teams of Yugoslav, French, and Italian doctors who thoroughly examined the visionaries, in ecstasy, and found no evidence of fraud or hysteria whatsoever.
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