A pilgrimage should center on prayer, the sacraments, and Christian life. Read the Vatican’s actual note rather than relying on promotional claims about visionary access.
Medjugorje · YOUR QUESTION, ANSWERED
Is Medjugorje approved by the Catholic Church?
Partly. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith note “The Queen of Peace,” published September 19, 2024, granted a nihil obstat for the spiritual experience connected with Medjugorje. This allows the associated public devotion and pilgrimages while not declaring the reported apparitions supernatural. Those two judgments should not be confused.
Related questions, answered
What does the Church's nihil obstat for Medjugorje mean for pilgrims?
The nihil obstat granted on September 19, 2024 means pilgrims may go to Medjugorje, pray there, and take part in its devotions with the Church's permission, and parishes and dioceses may organize pilgrimages; it does not declare that the apparitions are supernatural, and no Catholic is required to believe in them. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's note states that pilgrimages are made to encounter Mary and Christ in prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, and adoration, not to meet the alleged visionaries. Pilgrims should therefore judge a program by its Mass, confession, and Rosary, not by promised apparition times.
Source: Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: The Queen of Peace (2024)
Sources & further readingDicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: The Queen of Peace (2024)
Official sources cover institutional information. Suggested pacing and itinerary choices are planning guidance. Check current arrangements for your travel dates.