At the end of 2021, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Aldo Cavalli Apostolic Visitator with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje. A few months later, Cavalli visited Medjugorje where he spoke about the phenomenon of Our Lady’s apparitions.
In an interview with the Radio Mir, Cavalli emphasized that he had never been to this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), but that many people from Italy, as well as his parish, had arrived in Medjugorje.
”Why do so many people come here?”
”Upon my return, I always noticed one very deep thing: they came back full of goodwill, filled with faith, filled with a desire to live well. I noticed many positive things. But I’ve never been here. So when the Pope appointed me, at the age of 75, I was pleased. And I was glad to come here and I came gladly, very gladly,” Cavalli expressed.
He points out that during his arrival in Medjugorje, his primary task is to talk to the Franciscan friars.
”They are the ones I first met. And I saw that they love this place. They gladly confess, they gladly preach, they are at the disposal of the grace of God. And that is very positive. This morning I saw the church, the places where people come and I always get one deep question: Why do so many people come here? And there is one deep “why”. They don’t come for fun, but for other reasons. I have always noticed that they come with the desire to meet the Lord, to pray, and to be in the company of the Virgin Mary,” the Archbishop explained yesterday.
What does his arrival in Medjugorje mean?
He also stressed that during his departure, Pope Francis spoke to him about Medjugorje.
”The Pope hosted me very nicely. He told me a few words about Medjugorje. He told me: “You go there, be there, calm, peaceful,and balanced, be there and follow the people. And that’s it,” said Cavalli.
During the interview, Archbishop Cavalli also spoke about what his arrival means for the continuation of the ministry of the Apostolic Visitator in Medjugorje.
”The Pope represents the universal Church and therefore sends an envoy, and the envoy with the Pope represents the universal Church. This means that the universal Church is attentive to this phenomenon, very attentive. I saw in the parish house one picture, a beautiful picture, very deep, located in the office of the apostolic visitator. It shows Medjugorje, the church, this church is a sign in the whole world… Medjugorje is on it, Mary is shown, as well as the whole world close to Mary, and the rays that go from Medjugorje to the whole world,” Archbishop Cavalli concluded.
E.Dz.
