In 1981 six Croatian young people claimed to have been visited by
the Virgin Mary. The visits continue to the present day, almost on a
daily basis. The sightings occur in a small town by the name of
Medjugorje (pronounced Med-ju-gory-ah) in the former Yugoslavian State
of Croatia.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the visits is the frequency
of occurrence. At last count over 2500 incidents have been reported,
making it by far the most sustained phenomena of Mary in the history
of the Catholic Church. According to the visionaries or "seers" as
they are called, the Virgin visits them for the purpose of urging
faith in God, faith in the visions, doing penance for sinners, prayer,
fasting and in more Catholic credos such as praying the rosary. The
vision also delivers secret messages to the seers. The messages are
generally apocalyptic in nature and warn what will happen if the
apparition's warnings go unheeded.
The sheer magnitude of appearances dwarf by comparison other
visitations where the Virgin is said to have appeared. These other
popular Catholic shrines include Lourdes in France, Fatima in
Portugal, and Guadalupe in Mexico. Given the frequency of occurrences
and popularity of Medjugorje, the authors of this book felt it was
high time for an Evangelical response to this largely Roman Catholic
phenomena. Cult of the Virgin is the result of their efforts.
The book is divided into two main sections, three appendixes, and
a fascinating post script.
The first part of the book, written by Elliot Miller, is
titled, "From Lowly Handmaid to Queen of Heaven." In this section
Miller explains in detail the Mary of the Roman Catholic Church. The
many doctrines that have sprouted and grown within the Catholicism
are explained in detail. Topics covered include; Mary's perpetual
virginity, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption of Mary, and
Mary's role of coredemptrix are explained and traced historically. By
illustrating what these doctrines mean to Catholicism, Miller hopes to
establish the link between Catholic doctrine the apparitions. For it
is only by understanding the Catholic view of Mary can the Protestant
reader make sense of the apparitions and the accompanying messages.
Part Two is titled, "Apparitions of the Virgin Mary: A Protestant
Look at a Catholic Phenomenon." Kenneth Samples is the author of the
second part of the book. Samples actually visited Medjugorje,
talked with the major participants, and even witnessed a session in
which the Virgin appeared to one of the seers. Samples surveys some
other sites of Marian visits including the most popular of
Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe. Other chapters include the definition
of just what an apparition is, how the apparitions affect Catholic
theology, believe and practice, and perhaps most importantly, a well
reasoned Evangelical response.
The response chapter is the most critical aspect of the book. In
this chapter Samples speculates and supports what the apparitions
really might be. Some of his conclusions may surprise you.
An interesting feature of the book is the three appendixes. The
first appendix is an interview with some of the important people
involved in the visions and the controversy surrounding them (not all
Catholics are convinced the apparitions are from God).
The second appendix is a novelty as it offers a Catholic scholar
response to Miller's and Sample's book. Father Mitchell Pacwa, S.J.,
is a Catholic apologist of repute. It is interesting to see how a
Catholic scholar structures his arguments to buttress the Catholic
Church's unbiblical doctrines of Mary.
The third appendix allows Samples to get in the last word (after
all, it is his book) as he responds to Pacwa's response. The exchange
between the two men is based on mutual respect and friendly in tone.
Perhaps the most disturbing evidence regarding the origins of the
visions is found in a book titled, "Poem of the Man-God." "Poem of
the Man-God" is an illegitimate work written by the occultic means of
automatic writing. The book was written at the turn of this century
and claims special revealed knowledge of Jesus Christ that is clearly
unbiblical. What is interesting, is that the Catholic Church has
officially condemned the book under the authority of Pope John XXXIII.
Curiously the apparition of Medjugorje has endorsed the work as useful
in devotion to one of the seers. This obvious contradiction creates a
tension within the Catholic Church regarding the origin of the vision.
This information is found in the book's fascinating post script.
While Catholics and Evangelicals share some common ground when it
comes to certain moral issues, i.e., abortion, homosexuality, etc.,
probably nothing causes the Protestant to cringe more than the
Catholic dogma of Mary. For the sake of ecumenism Mary was regulated
to the background in the sixties. She has now made a terrific
comeback within the Catholic Church and the current Pope is her
biggest cheerleader. Between ten and fifteen million people have
visited Medjugorje hoping to have their spiritual needs met. As
Evangelicals we have the responsibility of defending the reformation
and the basic tenet that Scripture alone defines faith and practice.
This book gives us the ammunition to do so.
Reviewed by Bruce Roeder 01/25/93
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