Pilgrims pray around a statue of Mary on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje. Disagreement remains among readers of this newspaper about whether it was appropriate for Pope Francis to approve official pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
In an IC poll, Facebook users were asked: “Do you think that Pope Francis should have approved official pilgrimages to Medjugorje given that the alleged Marian apparitions have not been authenticated?”
Out of 363 votes, 209 respondents said that Francis was right to make the move, in opposition to 154 voters who thought the pilgrimages should not have been approved. This represents a 57.5% vote in favour of the new Vatican position.
The Pontiff made the announcement earlier this month. Pilgrimages to the site can now be officially organised by dioceses and parishes, meaning that they will no longer take place only in a private capacity.
One commenter on the poll said: “If people go there and pray, then it can only be good.”