I've had a remarkable experience in the past twenty four hours. It included the first true feeling of peace (which began upon going to sleep last night, awakening this morning and is continuing throughout this day). It is the first time I have felt this way in years, and certainly the first peace I have had since discovering Y2k long ago. I'm not going to elaborate, except that it began with a revisit to this site.

Peace Link

Much has changed since I first learned about it in 1990. Much has changed since the last time I visited it. I was astonished. I hope this may be of help to you. Begin by exploring the links at the bottom of the page. If this is helpful to you, please report back here.

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999

Answers

This might be a better way to open the door.

For some, it might be better to start here

Either way, there may well be some folks who know something we don't.

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.

What is this?

-- huh? (not@here.com), December 08, 1999.

You'll soon get blasted by the anti-Catholic, anti-religion, & even the anti-Medjugorje crowd. Like vultures to a kill...

But thank you, anyway.

BTW, today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception; but you knew that, didn't you?

-- may God have mercy (on@us.all), December 08, 1999.

Yes I knew that, and it matters not if anyone blasts me. What matters is that by posting this, someone may be helped.

-- if you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.

OFF TOPIC. DELETE.

-- (delete@delete.delete), December 08, 1999.

I'll weigh in for the anti-Medjugorgje crowd:

The Bishop of Mostar, in whose diocese the supposed "apparitions" of the Blessed Virgin are said to occur, has repeatedly and unequivocally condemned them as frauds. As Local Ordinary, he has sole canonical competence to make this judgment. His first statements were issued in the mid-tolate '80's. He has never waivered in hjis opposition to this scam. A Vatican Commission was empanelled to review events in Medjugorge, and of 13 panelists, 11 voted that "nothing supernatural" had been taking place there. The other two abstained from voting, or were absent. Oops. It used to be that was the same thing as saying "GAME OVER". Now, however, everyone does it's own thing and the Medjugorge "Gospa" keeps on blathering on 10-12 years later.

The true "SIGN" of what's going on in Medjugorge is the WAR which broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina a few years ago. That war is spreading all over the Blakans now, and will continue to. It is the direct opposite of the result of trye apparations, such as those at Fatima in 1917, in which the Virgin promised "In Portugal, the dogma of the faith will always be preserved ..." in as a consequence of which, Portugal has been preserved from most of the effects of the last two World Wars.

Amen.

Sorry. No one will be helped by this crap.

>"<

-- SH (sqirrel@hunter.com), December 08, 1999.

This is not peace, it is war. The war in former Yugoslavia, to be exact. http://www.double-cross.com/Medjugorje.html

This site claims that Medjugorje is a fund-raising scam, and has been used to funnel money to the Bosnian Croatian army. War refugees in a nearby camp are not benefiting from this.

If you truly have faith, you do not need an apparition, and you do not need to travel to a country in the middle of a religious war.

-- doubter (doubter@nowhere.not), December 08, 1999.

-- SH, You are absolutely correct that the Bishop of Mostar was originally less than inclined to accept that what is happening there belongs in the same category as Lourdes, Fatima, etc. You are also absolutely correct that a Vatican Commission was empanelled to review events in Medjugorge. You are absolutely INCORRECT in stating that the panel voted that "nothing supernatural" had been taking place there. In fact the panel's ruling was that they COULD NOT ESTABLISH that "something supernatural" WAS taking place there. Big difference. If you'd like to know what the Vatican NOW thinks about Medjugorje, go visit Father Finelli's Railroad Page at:

Father Finelli's Railroad Page

or check out this link:

Letter from Rome

Doubter, You are a piece of work. I visited your link and I saw a whole bunch of undocumented accusations. (Nice graphics, though). Regardless, blessings upon you and your family. The bottom line is this, in my humble opinion. There IS a positive universal creative force. Most of us call it "God." There IS ALSO a negative universal creative force. Name it what you will. I do not wish to dignify it by naming it. Both of these forces are at work in the hearts and souls of each and every one of us every day. I started this post, because today--in some strange way that I hope to understand in the future--I was given a wonderful gift. It came to me at a most unlikely time. The gift was peace in my heart, for the first time in years, and most especially after having researched Y2k for over a year. I cannot explain it beyond that. I hope some of you will visit these links and report back with peace in you OWN hearts, a peace based upon trust. Regardless of our religious pursuasions, we are all God's children. That is but one of the messages from Mary at Medjugorje. Judge those messages by their fruits. First you have to discover them. Peace be with you.

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.

To the top

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.

One little P.S. to this:

Today, December 8, 1999, is a holy day of obligation for Catholics. It is implied that one should go to mass.

This day celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

I certainly did not know what the heck that meant before I planned to go to mass this morning.

The only thing I knew before experiencing what I have experienced in the past twenty four hours, was that my daughter was conceived on December 8th, many years ago, on the same day that I received a blessing by a protestant pastor, in his humble home, given to me in gratitude for some good works I had done for his church. I don't even remember his name. All I know is that when I was searching for answers, shortly after I moved to a new town, I tried to help his tiny church using the skills God had given me, and he blessed me for my effort.

As I understand it, December 8th is a holy day of obligation for Catholics, because it is the day that the "Virgin Mary" was herself conceived. This doesn't mean that her parents didn't "do it." It just means that she was conceived and later pronounced by the Catholic Church to have been "without original sin."

I have Jewish friends who tell me that the word "virgin" in the original language of the time meant "maiden."

I don't know. I am not a religious scholar.

All I know is what has happened to me in the past 24 hours.

Peace be with you.

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 08, 1999.

To the top.

-- because (you@may.like it), December 09, 1999.

I am glad that you have found peace. I wish that the former nation of Yugoslavia had found peace. Belief in God did very little for peace in the Balkans.

God gave you a brain and critical reasoning powers, so that you could know when you are being taken for a ride.

-- doubter (stilldoubting@nowhere.now), December 09, 1999.

I'll toss in my two pence. I discovered a much deeper faith in Jesus through Medjugorje. I learned to pray the Rosary, yes, but far beyond that I learned what 'prayer from the heart' really is, and why Mary so much wants us to turn to her son, Jesus, in trust and confidence. As for the anti-Medjugorje crowd, I was saddened recently to learn that Thomas Fleming, editor of Chronicles Magazine, had joined in. I would like to ask Tom, a recent convert to Catholicism (as am I), whether he has ever prayed the rosary? I would ask any Catholic on the forum--when was the last time you prayed the rosary? It is THE most efficacious weapon against satan in these End Times. Y2K? Not worried about it. Jesus is Lord of History, and His word is Truth. No one who has ever placed their trust in him has ever been disappointed. It's your choice: ask Jesus, in His mercy, to show you his love for you. He stands at the door to your heart, knocking softly, and will do so till your last breath. Open the door. Time is short, in my estimation. (not 'cause a Y2K, either, gentlefolk)

-- Spidey (free@last.Amen), December 09, 1999.

The rosary is a major good thing, whatever your view is of Medjugorje. For me, the jury on Med. is still out. Doesn't matter; I hope to be saying my rosary when the final verdict comes in.

What does "to the top" mean?

-- thank (you@in.advance), December 09, 1999.

Spidey,

I never understood what "prayer from the heart" was either, until December 8, 1999.

For anyone else, just a tidbit to pass on:

Peace, again, is the message here. Amazing coincidence [or not] that my journey into peaceful territory occurred on the same day as events that are the subject of the following story. I did not know in advance. Really.

[Begin Report]

Associated Press Newswires

Pilgrims gather in Alabama field to hear message from Jesus' mother

By JAY REEVES

Associated Press Writer

12/08/1999

STERRETT, Ala. (AP) - As hundreds of people knelt around her Wednesday, a woman who claims to have daily visions of the Virgin Mary looked skyward for a few moments, bowed her head and delivered a message she said came straight from Jesus' mother.

The words relayed by Marija Lunetti were simple: "Do not forget that I am your mother and that I love you."

But the message had a profound impact on the pilgrims who came to an Alabama field to be near Mrs. Lunetti, one of a half-dozen people known worldwide as a visionary from Medjugorje , Yugoslavia.

"I've been waiting my whole life for this," said John Garrity of Cheverly, Md. "It's a miracle."

Mary Macias was overcome with emotion as Mrs. Lunetti spoke. "I just cried, my face was wet. I prayed for my family. It was just wonderful," said Mrs. Macias, who traveled to the pasture with three friends from Albuquerque, N.M.

As many as 3,000 people, mostly Roman Catholics, gathered in the field about 20 miles south of Birmingham on the first of five days of public apparitions by Mrs. Lunetti. While tourism officials had expected tens of thousands of people, the crowds could grow as the weekend nears.

Mrs. Lunetti, who now lives in Italy, was one of six young people who claimed the mother of Jesus appeared to them in 1981 in the town of Medjugorje in Yugoslavia, now called Bosnia-Herzegovina. The messages continued, and the group developed a worldwide following.

Mrs. Lunetti says she still has daily visions from Mary, just as happened when first visited Alabama in 1988. Her return trip was arranged by Caritas of Birmingham, a large Roman Catholic mission that grew on the site where her visions occurred then.

Mrs. Lunetti, now 34, is among three members of the original group still reporting daily visions.

Speaking through a translator over a public address system, Mrs. Lunetti said Mary appeared to her in the field dressed in gold and wearing a crown topped with 12 stars.

"Our Lady extended her hands over all of us and prayed over us for a long time," said Mrs. Lunetti, speaking in her native Croatian. She wore a gray down coat in the morning chill.

Afterward, Mrs. Lunetti handed out thousands of religious medals she said had been blessed by Mary during the apparition, which lasted about 1 1/2 minutes.

More than 25 million pilgrims have visited the mountainous village of Medjugorje , and believers describe the apparitions as one of the most important events in history. Critics claim the messages are repetitive and too simple to truly come from Mary.

The Vatican has taken no official position on whether the visions are genuine.

The visions first occurred in Alabama when Mrs. Lunetti accompanied her ailing brother to Birmingham, where she donated a kidney to him during an operation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her trip was arranged by Caritas founder Terry Colafrancesco, who had made pilgrimages to Medjugorje .

Thousands were on hand on Thanksgiving Day 1988 when Mrs. Lunetti claimed to see Mary in a pasture beside Colafrancesco's house in rural Sterrett. Afterward, Caritas mushroomed into a multimillion-dollar complex built on 150 acres in the wooded valley where the visions occurred.

Virtually unknown in mostly Protestant Alabama, Caritas mails newsletters to about 220,000 people in more than 110 countries. It operates a travel agency that takes hundreds of people to Medjugorje annually.

[End of Report]

Peace be with you all in the days ahead.

-- If you only knew (how@much.you are loved), December 09, 1999.

Hi, If you only knew.
I feel compelled to respond to this. I appreciate what you're trying to do, even if I don't agree with the details. In my opinion, Christianity, along with many other religions that are essentially similar, is about being good to one another (or, if you will, loving one another); the rest is just varying interpretations, formalities and ideals based on experiences. I find it incredibly tragic that so many kind but stubborn people have quarreled, and do quarrel, over technicalities. That written, I "say" peace be with you. Peace be with all of you.

-- mil (millenium@yahoo.com), December 10, 1999.

Greetings to one and greetings to all. Seeing as the web site, Double-cross.com, has been included in this thread, I feel compelled to contribute.

Yes, Medjugorje has been proclaimed as 'the supernaturality is not proven' and the opposite, 'the non-supernaturality is not proven'. However it is fact that the Bishop of Mostar, Msgr. Ratko Peric, has stated that Medjugorje is not true and the apparitions are a fraud. It is true that the Vatican has not made a hard statement regarding Medjugorje. It is also true that Medjugorje promoters, supporters and groups continue to promote Medjugorje as true and continue to release false-statements said to come from the Pope himself. It is fact that the Pope has never, officially, un-officially or privately spoken upon Medjugorje. Contact the Vatican and speak with their office to find out more, Double-Cross.com conducted interviews with members of the Vatican who confirmed that the Holy See has never spoken of Medjugorje.

It is fact that in Medjugorje their was a hidden weapons store based behind Caritas warehouse. It is also fact that many Medjugorje promoters have raised large amounts of money to this day, cannot be accounted for. Even the Bishop, Msgr. Ratko Peric, of Mostar, who should be informed of all, and any monies coming into his diocese has no clue where all the money that is raised, worldwide, has gone.

It is fact that Slavko Barbaric and Sr. Emmanuel Maillard recently lied to over 700 pilgrims in Medjugorje, see the site on December 25th for the Christmas present they do not want you to see.

It is fact that the alleged 'visionaries' have, financially made significant gain in their continued promotion of Medjugorje and that over the many years, going onto 19 now, have lied in many instances, which includes twisting and altering words that the Gospa has allegedly spoken. These are, Maria Pavlovic once said that Our Lady told people to go out and buy a specific book. After this the book sales rocketed... two weeks later she denounced the statement saying that even though she (Maria) said buy the book, those were not the exact words of the Madonna!

Fact, at one point the Gospa told Mirijana that she would not longer receive visions. The visions stopped. Then, when Mirijana and her husband ran into financial problems, Our Lady decided to re-appear to Mirijana, thus contradicting her previous statement, which was given 12 months prior?!

If anyone who reads this would like to provide evidence contradicting information upon the Double-Cross website, you are all advised to do so. E-mail myself webmaster@double-cross.com with this evidence. And yes, Double-Cross.com does hold factual evidence that is fully accessible to certain legal authorities, regarding everything that is on the web site. We do not pose false claims, but questions in each document posted which, we hope, would instigate a response from people to answer what they, you think of the questions.

If Medjugorje is as true as it claims. Why is it, there is still segregation and hatred in that region. I speak of the fact that a 'message' from Medjugorje in the late-1980's was that 'all religions are equal'. Then a something happened, called a Civil-War. After the breakout of war, a new 'message' from Medjugorje was given... 'all other religions are wrong, the catholic religion is the only true religion'.

I leave you all with this final thought. Do not close your mind, just because people claim something as fact. Open it further and look around you. Double-Cross.com has been disregarded as a group of anti-Catholics... and satanic worshippers by a large number of individuals named in our web site. Are the statements true.. we know they are not, yet the people who give those statements will never provide evidence to back their statements, we, on the other hand, have gladly provided evidence to them for ours. Over the years people on the Double-Cross.com web site have threatened legal action against us.. in over 4 years not legal action had ever been filed.

Regards to you and yours, Happy Holidays.

Patrick webmaster@double-cross.com

-- Patrick (webmaster@double-cross.com), December 10, 1999.

To If you only knew:

After my initial negative reaction to your piece, I felt like I suddenly understood. You have somehow hit on the universal goddess worship. The feeling of peace and being loved is what a baby gets from its mother, and what is lacking for us when we grow up. We need to project those feelings onto a higher being, but it is hard when our image of God is a stern patriarch. That is what people are searching for from Mary.

Its just the multi-million dollar tourist center that sticks in my craw.

-- doubter (doubtingmore@somewhere.now), December 10, 1999.

Greetings to one and greetings to all. Double-Cross.com has been closed for some time now.... why? Did we get shut-down by the 'legal action' I posed during my posting in 1999? Was our information false and we decided to close-out in lieu of handing over 'alledged' evidence? Is Medjugorje true? Has there been further developments in our investigation in the past 5 years..............

..... Double-Cross.com is returning, under a different name, but we shall be returning - we shall post the original information and evidence for those to follow the back-story and the players in the Medjugorje game. There will also be A LOT of new information - Should the players be afraid? Will their attorneys be working over time in scare-tactis litigation? Is the public going to be outraged by new evidence from 5 years of new investigations?

Coming soon. Regards to you and yours.

Patrick webmaster@double-cross.com

-- Patrick (psynnottdc@hotmail.com), November 09, 2004.