Galway Advertiser 1987/1987_12_03/GA_03121987_E1_012.pdf 

Extracted text

ON the afternoon of June 24th, 1981, fifteen years old Ivanka Ivankovic and sixteen years old Mirjana Dragkevic claimedtohave seen a vision of Our Lady at a nearby bill dosetothe village of Medugorje in Yugoslavia. Later that same day they were joined by at least four others: Vida (Vicka). Ivankovic (17); Ivan Dragkevic (16); Ivan Ivankovic and Milka Pavlovic. Everyone who has met these young people say they are ordinary teenagers who dress casually, like pop music and have a sense of humour. Yet every single day since then one or several of this group have experienced a remarkable succession of visions where Our Lady has spoken clearly to them in a friendly way. Not surprisingly these amazing happenings have stirred enormous interest worldwide. Ten million people have visited the villagetosee for themselves. There are natural phenomena associated with the visions which everyone can see; but only these young people experience the visions. The Yugoslav State is embarrassed by the whole thing, the local Catholic bishop

opposes it and the Catholic Church in general is very sceptical. Yet the Medugorje Movement continues to grow and every evening between forty and sixty priests concelebrate Mass there. And the experience is not limited to Catholics. Other religious denominations have gone and observed these extraordinary events and without any feeling of havingtoconverttoCatholicism have gone away deeply impressed and moved. In Galway there is a large number of people who have been to Medugorje and who meet regularly. When Fr. Slavko who is the spiritual adviser to the visionaries, cametoa meeting of these followers at Ballinfoile Church on Sunday, November 8th the Church was crowded. People came from all over Ireland to the meeting. Before the meeting began Fr. Slavko, speaking through his interpreter Melona Van Hapsburg, spoke to the Editor of this newspaper...
COMMUNISM, FAITH WAS GOING TO DISAPPEAR AND

THE SLAVKO INTERVIEW
The interview began when Fr. Slavko was asked if he was surprised at the events that happen daily in Medugorje? Fr. Slavko: /
AM NOT SURPRISED ANYMORE. I HAVE BEEN I HAD MY FIRST 1982. THE GERMANY, LIVING THIS REALITY FOR SIX YEARS NOW. CONTACT WITH THE VISIONARIES IN JANUARY, YEAR WHEN THE APPARITIONS BEGAN, 1 WAS IN THEN EVERYDAY IS REALLY A MIRACLE. I WAS FINISHING MY STUDIES; BUT IF I TAKE IT DAY BY DAY,

THEN WE UNDERSTOOD IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, AND THAT IS WHY WE JUST WANT TO LEAVE THEM FREE". FOR ME THIS IS A REAL MIRACLE, BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY SAY "WE MADE A MISTAKE AND WE WANT TO LET THEM FREE". IT IS AMAZING THAT THEY SPEAK LIKE THIS. FOR ME, IT IS REALLY A NEW TIME, EVEN A NEW BIRTH, AND GIVING BIRTH CAN BE VERY HARD. PERHAPS IN 50YEARS WE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY: AH! MEDUGORJE WAS IN THE MIDDLE, THIS WAS OVER, THIS WAS

THE SIX VISIONARIES

Editor: Does any of Our Lady's personality come out of these visions? I am sure there is humanity, but is there humour, for example, is there severity? Fr. Slavko: / / / UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION RIGHTLY, WE
CAN SPEAK PERHAPS ABOUT MARY'S SPIRITUALITY OR HER CHARACTER AND FOR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH ONE QUESTION THAT SOMEBODY CALLED VICKA. ASKED ONE OF THE VISIONARIES AND THEY ASKED HER: "WHICH NAME WOULD

She says: "Pray, fast, have faith"

BEGINNING! BUT IF WE TAKE IT AS IT IS NOW, IT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST RELIGIOUS PHENOMENA THE CHURCH. IN THE WORLD OR IN

Editor: Bigger than Lourdes or Fatima, do you think, at this stage? Fr. Slavko: IF YOU THINK THAT IN THESE SIX YEARS AND FIVE
MONTHS YOU HAVE CENTRES IN THE WHOLE WORLD WHERE THEY WORK ONLY FOR MEDUGORJE AND COMMIT THEIR TIME TOTALLY FOR IT AND THAT EVEN PROTESTANTS ARE COMMITTED. CONVERSION, BECOME . . THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED THEY WERE PROTESTANTS WHO DID NOT IVANKA IVANKOVIC

YOU GIVE TO MARY --FRIEND, SISTER, OR MOTHER?",

CATHOLIC, BUT THEY GO ON SPREADING THE THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN LOURDES AT THE TIME. TAKE IT AS IT IS AT THIS IT WASN'T EVEN POSSIBLE

SHE SAID, "I WOULD GIVE HER ALL THREE NAMES REALLY, BUT IF 1 HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION, I WOULD CALL HER MOTHER". I BELIEVE THIS IS THEFIRSTTHING COMING OUT OF HER FIGURE; SHE IS A MOTHER AND THIS MOTHER HAS HER QUALITIES; TO PUT IT INTO WORDS LIKE THIS: SHE IS A LOVING MOTHER AND, SHE SAID IT OFTEN, THAT SHE LOVES US IMMENSELY, WITHOUT MEASURE.

MESSAGE OF PEACE.

Education for Peace
Editor: Is there one recurring theme in her message to the young visionaries? Fr. Slavko: / BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO SPECIFIC MESSAGES. IF
WE LOOK FOR SOMETHING REALLY NEW IN MEDUGORJE, THEN IT IS ONLY HER DAILY PRESENCE, THAT IS THE ONLY NEW MESSAGE AND I SAY IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL MESSAGE, BUT THROUGH THIS DAILY PRESENCE, SOMETHING PRAY, SHE WANTS TO DO SHE WANTS TO "CONVERT, VERY SPECIFIC WITH US. FAITH",

OR FATIMA;

THEREFORE, IN ITSELF, IF YOU LOURDES. . .

MOMENT, YOU CAN SAY IT IS EVEN MORE THAN FATIMA OR

SHE IS A MOTHER WHO IS NEVER TIRED. SHE SAID IT OF HERSELF -- AND WE CAN ONLY EXPALIN THIS, WHEN WE KNOW THAT SHE LOVES, BECAUSE LOVE NEVER MAKES US TIRED. THEN SHE IS A MOTHER WHO BLESSES, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR SITUATION, BECAUSE THE WORD "BLESSING" IN LATIN COMES FROM "BENEDICERE", AND THAT MEANS "SPEAKING WELL ABOUT SOMEBODY"; SO SHE IS SOMEBODY WHO SPEAKS WELL WHO DOES ABOUT US INFRONTOF GOD. SHE IS SOMEBODY REALLY. THIS IS THE WAY SITUATION IN BLESSING MEDUGORJE, SHE

A Visible Sign
Editor: Do you think this experience is going to continue for a long time or do you think it is nearing a conclusion or do you think there is to be a climax? Fr. Slavko: EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE, EVERYTHING YOU
SAID. I BELIEVE IT DEPENDS ON US. SHE CAME TO GIVE THE IMPULSE AND IF WE GO ON DOING IT, IT WILL GO ON. WHEN SHE WILL STOP APPEARING, WE CANNOT GUESS. WE DON'T KNOWS! KNOW. IF THERE IS AN END, WE ARE CLOSERTO IT EVERYDAY; AND IF IT WILL FINISH WITH A CLIMAX? -- WHO THE VISIONARIES SPEAK ABOUT A BIG SIGN. I AM NOT SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. IF I LOOK AT IT AS A THEOLOGIAN, FOR ME HAPPENED THE BIG SIGN HAS -- ONE OF THE BISHOP. ALREADY, I TOLD MARIJA NOT THE STATE, AND

MIRJANA

DRAGKEVIC

EDUCATE US FOR PEACE, AND WHEN SHE SAYS, FAST, HAVE

THIS IS ALL PART OF HER THE EDUCATION WHO THEY

EDUCATION FOR US, HER TEACHING, TO BRING US TO PEACE. THIS IS THE SECOND SPECIFIC MESSAGE, ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO FOR PEACE, AND IT IS INTERESTING TO WATCH BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT CATHOLICS MORE AND MORE. UNDERSTAND THIS MESSAGE

NOT JUDGE US AND THAT IS THE BEST RULE OF EDUCATION, I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE BECAUSE CREATED A THROUGH THIS TOTALLY NEW "I

PRESENCE OF HER, AND OF HER BEING THE WAY SHE IS, THIS PRESENCE, ATMOSPHERE. THEN SHE IS A TEACHER. SHE SAID, "YOU DON'T KNOW

UNDERSTAND THAT WE REALLY NEED PEACE AND THAT WE HAVE LOST THE WAY TO PEACE.

REMAIN WITH YOU SUCH A LONG TIME TO TEACH YOU HOW TO LOVE" AND SHE SAID, HOW TO LOVE". SHE IS A MOTHER, A SISTER, A FRIEND, A TEACHER.

VICKA

IVANKOVIC

Lourdes, Fatima, Medugorje
Editor: How does this apparition, this experience, compare with, say, Lourdes and Fatima? Fr. Slavko: FROM ONE SIDE YOU CAN SAY IT IS THE SAME
OUR LADY BUT SHE ALWAYS WANTS THE SAME FOR US. SHE WANTS TO HELP US, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THIS IS WHY NOW, "PEACE!" TO OVERCOME THE SAYS, SITUATION. SHE DOES NOT WANT US TO DROWN, AS PEOPLE, IN OUR SITUATION, SHE BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE MUST UNDERSTAND LOURDES

VISIONARIES -- / SAID: "LOOK, PILGRIMAGES,

NOBODY COULD STOP THE NOT THE

EVERYTHING IS GOING ON MORE AND MORE SO, FOR ME, THIS IS THE GREAT SIGN AND, PERHAPS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS OTHER SIGN THAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT. I WANT TO PROVOKE YOU A LITTLE BIT, AND TELL YOU THAT PERHAPS THERE IS NO OTHER BIG SIGN", EXPLAIN TO HER WHAT IT MEANS PILGRIMAGES AND SO ON--AND 0 K. AND I TRIED TO -- THE SIGN OF THE

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MARIA PAVLOVIC

"She is a mother, a sister, a friend,, a teacher'

SHE SAID: "EVERYTHING IS PERHAPS

THAT YOU SAY, BUT I SAW THE SIGN!" SO,

THERE COULD BE A CLIMAX, A VISIBLE ONE. MARIJA SAID, " 1 SAW THE SIGN AND SHE PROMISED A VISIBLE SIGN".

THE DIFFERENCE SHE USES IN HER METHOD. IN KNOW HOW MANY TIMES -- IN FATIMA

SHE APPEARED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TIMES -- / DON'T IN ANOTHER RHYTHM, AND HERE AGAIN IN ANOTHER WAY. IT IS ALWAYS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT THESE APPARITIONS STAND AT THE END OF A CERTAIN TIME OR AT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, LOURDES WAS AT THE END OF A TIME AND AT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW TECHNOLOGICAL TIME. FATIMA WAS AT THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR -- THE LAST APPARITION TOOK PLACE ON 13TH OCTOBER, 1917 RUSSIA. -- AND THE YEAR AFTER, IN OCTOBER, WAS THE REVOLUTION IN OF COURSE, IN RUSSIA, THEY SPEAK DIFFERENTLY AFTERWARDS AND THEN CAME THE NATIONAL THE TIME OF STALIN --AND IS DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM THAT ABOUT IT, BUT WE KNOW EXACTLY THAT EUROPE SUFFERED SO MUCH SOVIET SOCIALIST MOVEMENT, EVEN GORBACHEV NOW. ON. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND A DEEP CONNECTION BETWEEN THE APPARITIONS HAPPENING AND THE TIME IN WHICH THEY ARE BUT ONE COULD SAY IT WAS LIKE A FINGER BUT CERTAINLY

Editor: It is a frightening thing? Fr. Slavko: NO, NO.

Depends on us
Editor: Our time has gone by, but is there anything you would like to add? Fr. Slavko: / BELIEVE THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT THING --
MIRACLES ONLY MAKE US AWARE OF THE FACT THAT PEACE IS POSSIBLE, BUT PEACE DEPENDS ON US. IT DEPENDS ON THIS IVAN DRAGKEVIC EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US AND SHE SAID "EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IS IMPORTANT TO ME IN MY PROGRAMME". IS OUR FOURTH VISIT TO IRELAND HERE AND I HOPE THAT THESE VISITS CAN HELP A LITTLE BIT FOR PEACE. I THINK OF IRELAND ALWAYS BECAUSE IT IS WITH AN IRISH ROSARY I PRAY EVERYDAY AND 1 % OF MY PRAYERS ALWAYS GOES ON YOUR ACCOUNT. I HOPE, WITH EVERYBODY WHO HAS HOPE HERE, THAT PEACE IS POSSIBLE.

A Beautiful Woman
Editor: How old is She? I understand She is a young girl... Fr. Slavko: THE VISIONARIES, WHEN THEY DESCRIBE HER,
SAY SHE IS A YOUNG LADY, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OLD. SHE IS2,000YEARS IS NOT A BABY ANYMORE. SOME FREEDOM TO HEAVEN UNDERSTAND. THE AGE... BUT WE MUST BE CAREFUL WITH THAT BECAUSE SHE IS NOT OLD! AND IT IS THE SAME WHEN SHE COMES WITH JESUS IN HER ARMS; HE I BELIEVE YOU MUST ALLOW IN THE THINGS WE DO NOT

THEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR OCCURRED AND SO

WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAY IS THAT SHE IS A ASKED HER, "I AM "WHY ARE YOU SO

BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AND IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE ONE OF VISIONARIES BEAUTIFUL?" SHE SAID, BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE 1

SAYING: "WATCH IT; CONVERT!" IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY NOW WHAT IS OVER AND WHAT B BEGINNING, SOMETHING IS OVER AND SOMETHING NEW IS BEGINNING. JUST DIE OTHER DAY WE HEARD THAT GORBACHEV WANTS TO LET PEOPLE OUT OF PRISON, FAITH REASONS. ONE WHO WERE IMPRISONED FOR GOVERNMENT) AND OF THOSE (I.E..

LOVE". IF YOU WANT TO BECOME BEAUTIFUL, THEN LOVE. THIS IS SUCH A DEEP TRUTH FOR ALL OF US, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, THROUGH LOVE, EVERYTHING BECOMES BEAUTIFUL.

PEOPLE SAID: "WE THOUGHT THAT WITH SOCIALISM

F R . S L A V K O B A R B A R I C , O . F . M . , has been associated with Medugorje since 1982 and is now one of its principal heralds in countries outside Yugoslavia. F r . Slavko is highly qualified in spiritual theology and psychotherapy.
JAKOV COLO