Vatican Defrocks Priest of Marian Apparition

LONDON (Catholic Online) - Simon Caldwell, the ever reliable reporter for the “Daily Mail” and the "UK Catholic Herald" reports that Father Tomislav Vladic, the priest most identified with the purported apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, has been reduced to the lay state.

This action follows growing concerns at the Vatican over the claims surrounding the alleged apparitions, the behavior of some of the purported “seers” and an ongoing dispute between the local Ordinary and those involved.It appears that the now laicized priest had asked to be laicized and to leave his religious community.

We offer the following excerpt from an article written by Simon Caldwell which appeared in the Daily Mail Online on Monday:

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“The Pope has defrocked the priest at the centre of claims that the Virgin Mary has been appearing in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje.

“The Vatican stripped Father Tomislav Vladic of his priest status after an investigation into growing concerns over the alleged apparitions.

"...“The defrocking of Father Vladic means he is stripped of his priest status.

“This represents a massive blow to millions of Medjugorje followers worldwide who were hoping that the Vatican would one day legitimise the controversial shrine.

“The seers have grown wealthy as a result of their claims – and so has their town, which has boomed as a result of the ‘Madonna gold rush’.

“Some today own smart executive houses with immaculate gardens, double garages and security gates, and one has a tennis court.

“They also own expensive cars and have married.”