Pope Francis has exhorted the tens of thousands of young people who have gathered on Medjugorje this week to follow the Blessed Virgin Mary’s example, who draws us nearer to Christ.
The pope stated that “it takes courage” to be like Christ in a message at the Medjugorje Youth Festival that was made public by the Vatican on August 2.
“Beloved, do not be afraid. Go to Him with all that you are carrying within your heart. He is the only Lord who offers true refreshment and true peace. Follow the example of Mary, his and our Mother, who will lead you to Him,” Pope Francis said.
“Entrust yourselves to the Stella Maris, a sign of hope on the rough seas, who guides us towards the harbor of peace. She, who knows her Son, will help you to imitate him in your relationship with God the Father, in compassion for your neighbor, and in the awareness of what we are called to be, children of God.”
The pope’s message was read aloud on the second day of the 33rd Medjugorje Youth Festival, which is taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina from August 1 to 6. Archbishop Aldo Cavalli is the papal representative in Medjugorje.
“At this moment, in the heart of summer, the Lord invites you to take a vacation with him in the most special place there is — your heart,” the pope said in the message that he signed on July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Medjugorje Youth Festival, also known as “Mladifest,” is focused on prayer and includes daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and a candlelight procession.
The theme of this year’s festival is inspired by Christ’s words in the Gospel of Matthew: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Pope Francis said that the Lord knows “how difficult life can be and that there are many things that strain our hearts: many disappointments, various wounds from the past, burdens that we carry and injustices we bear, many uncertainties and worries.”
“Jesus tells us, ‘Come to me and learn from me.’ This is an invitation to move, not to stand still, frozen and afraid before life, and to rely on Him. It sounds easy, but in dark moments it becomes natural to close-in on ourselves. Instead, Jesus wants to pull us out, so He says, ‘Come.’ The way out is via relationship, in looking up to the One who truly loves us.”
Since the start of the reported Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, many people have flocked to the city for pilgrimage and prayer. Some have claimed to have witnessed miracles there, while many others maintain that the visions are untrue.
The alleged apparitions began on June 24, 1981, when six youngsters in Medjugorje, a town in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina, began to encounter what they said were apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
According to the supposed visionaries, the apparitions communicated a message of peace for the globe, a call to conversion, prayer, and fasting, as well as specific mysteries concerning future events.
Three of the original six youngsters, who are now young adults, are claimed to still see apparitions every afternoon since not all of the “secrets” meant for them have been revealed. These apparitions are said to have persisted virtually continuously since they originally occurred.
A nearly four-year-long study into the doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the Medjugorje apparitions came to a close in January 2014 when a Vatican committee turned in a report to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Pope Francis approved the planning of pilgrimages to Medjugorje in 2019, despite the Church’s ongoing deliberations over the veracity of the apparitions. Since 2020, the pope has addressed a yearly message to the Medjugorje Youth Festival.
“Dear young people, while you are resting in Jesus Christ during these days, I entrust you all to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our heavenly Mother, so that, through her intercession and with her example, you may take upon yourself the gentle and light yoke of following Christ,” Pope Francis said in his message.
“May the gaze of God the Father who loves you personally accompany you every day, so that, in relationships with others, you can be witnesses of the peace that you will receive as a gift.”