Posted on 07/27/2009 9:56:04 AM PDT by NYer
This post is being updated as additional links become available. Vatican Radio has just announced this news in German. If an English version becomes available, I will provide it.
Thanks to Richard Chonak at Catholic Light, we have at least a rough translation of the decree above in which a priest - Fr. Tomislav Vlasic - a central figure in the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, has been laicized. You can read about the "severe canonical sanctions" taken last year against Fr. Vlasic by the Holy See in this link - Medjugorje: Canonical Status of Fr. Tomislav Vlašić, OFM.
The latest development, which came to light this weekend: Fr. Vlasic is now Mr. Vlasic.
Marco Corvaglia, a reader of the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, talks about the exclusive at his blog. Marco writes:
Fr. Tomislav Vlasic reduced to the lay state
Marco Corvaglia
The final word has arrived. As was reported earlier, on the 30th of May 2008, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the person of its Secretary, Archbishop Angelo Amato, explicitly asked the bishop of Mostar, Ratko Perić (in letter no. 144/1985-27164), to make known "for the good of the faithful" the contents of a declaration by that Congregation regarding Father Tomislav Vlašić.
Let us recall a brief excerpt:
In the context of the Medjugorje phenomenon, this Dicastery is dealing with the case of the Rev. Father Tomislav Vlašić, OFM, originally from that region and the founder of the association "Kraljice Mira, potpuno tvoji - po Mariji k Isusu" [...] Confirmed reports presented to this Congregation reveal that the religious priest in question has not responded, even partially, to the ecclesiastical obedience called for in the very delicate situation he faces.
In the decree of the Congregation [see circular 939/2008, dated 8 July 2008, from the Curia of Mostar] it was written that Fr. Vlašić was suspected of "heresy and schism" and accused of "spreading questionable doctrines, manipulation of consciences, suspect mysticism, disobedience to legitimate orders and violations contra sextum (against the sixth commandment, that is). This last accusation relates to an event in 1977 (therefore prior to the "apparitions"), already reported on the page "And the Gospa said, Thanks so much to Father Tomislav; he's guiding you so well."
Today, as mentioned above, the Holy See has made a definitive pronouncement. Here is the transcription (and afterward the reproduction) of the official act, signed by the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, Father José Rodriguez Carballo. The letter of the Minister General has already been sent to all the Provincials in Italy, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and forwarded by them to the Guardians in each province. The Guardians have in turn sent it on to all the daughter houses in their respective provinces. However, the document has not been distributed outside the order until now:
"ORDO FRATRUM MINORUM
MINISTER GENERALIS
Prot. N. 098714
To the Provincial Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Italy
Dear Brother Minister,
The Holy Father, accepting the request of friar Tomislav Vlasic, O.F.M, member of the province of friars minor of St. Bernardino of Siena (L'Aquila), responsible for conduct harmful to ecclesial communion both in the spheres of doctrine and discipline, and under a censure of interdict, has granted him the favor of reduction to the lay state (amissio status clericalis) and of dismissal from the Order.
In addition, the Holy Father has granted the petitioner, motu proprio, the remission of the censure incurred as well as the favor of dispensation from religious vows and from all the responsibilities connected with sacred ordination, including celibacy.
As a salutary penal precept - under the pain of excommunication which the Holy See would declare, and if necessary, without prior canonical warning - the following precepts are imposed on Mr. Tomislav Vlasic:
a) Absolute prohibition from exercising any form of apostolate (for example, promoting public or private devotion, teaching Christian doctrine, spiritual direction, participation in lay associations, etc.) as well as of acquiring and administering goods intended for pious purposes;
b) Absolute prohibition from releasing declarations on religious matters, especially regarding the "phenomenon of Medjugorje";
c) Absolute prohibition from residing in houses of the Order of Friars Minor.
For the execution of the serious measures imposed by the Holy See regarding Mr. Tomislav Vlasic, the same Apostolic See calls directly on the Superiors of the Order.
Therefore I turn to you, so that you make sure to instruct the Guardians and superiors of friaries about full compliance, by Tomislav Vlasic, with the pontifical measures regarding him, in particular relative to the prohibition of residing in any houses belonging to the Order of Friars Minor, under pain of removal from office.
Trusting in your full understanding and prompt cooperation, I greet you fraternally.
Rome, 10 March 2009.
Fr. José Rodriguez Carballo, Ofm
Minister General"
NOTE: This translation was updated to match the changes at Catholic Light on 7/27/09.
It's interesting to note that at the beginning the Minister General says that laicization was a request by Vlasic. Near the end, it talks about "execution of serious measures imposed by the Holy See" and follows with instructions to notify all of the houses. Hmmm.....
Some sources out there will continue to claim that Vlasic had long ago distanced himself from Medjugorje. Keep in mind, the Holy See stated last year when he fell under interdict that his case was being investigated in the context of Medjugorje. That is because he was a central figure in the early years as a spiritual advisor to the alleged seers. In fact, Bishop Zanic called him the "creator" of the phenomenon (see #6 in the Truth about Medjugorje). He can no more be distanced from Medjugorje than a feather from a bird.
In any event, Mr. Vlasic will forever have the mark of the priesthood, despite the lay status he now has. Pray for him, that he set his life on a straight path and follow all that has been imposed on him, lest he incur an even greater penalty of excommunication.
EDIT 7/27: I mistakenly thought the blog author - Marco was with La Stampa. He is a reader of the Italian newspaper and I have corrected this blogpost accordingly.
Further Reading:
The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
Someone posted another thread to the News Forum entitled: Pope defrocks priest over ‘visions’ of the Virgin Mary. The thread was comprised of one sentence taken from an article that appeared in The Daily Mail (UK). I feel you deserve more details than that.
ping from the other thread
Got himself into a pickle, it seems!
Thanks, Mark!
this doesn’t sound bullish for the Medugorje crowd. Did I spell that right?
Most of the Medjugorje crowd are kooks or impressionable old ladies. The Franciscans who manipulated the latter deserve nothing but scorn. Score one for the Holy See.
I think the airline industry likes ‘em.
What's the title? Is she a priest?
As does the Bosnian Division of Tourism.
A lot of the “scandal” about Medjugorje is a power struggle between the local bishops and the Franciscans, who were the only priests during the long Muslim rule and revered by the people...
so the people resented a bishop "taking their priests" away....
TO give you an idea of how rabid this feud is: I once heard the Bishop of Mostar declare that the major problem facing the church in Yugoslavia was Medjugorje. Fair enough: But when he said this, the civil war in Bosnia was in the midst of killing 100 thousand people, and ethnic Serb had destroyed many Catholic churches, and the destruction of much of the city of Mostar.
So the problem was an “apparition” that encouraged people to pray for peace and reconcile with their neighbor, not the fact that this “message” was ignored and the result was a devastating civil war...
My take is that if I lived in an area with ethnic hatred, what the hey, anything that would encourage peace should be encouraged...if that had been done in the 1980’s, how many people would be alive now?
OCDS is the acronym for the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
I agree.
As Barney Fife said: “I can go to the pickle factory, they always need a brine tester.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.