Just what is happening at Medjugorje?

The question of Medjugorje is a huge (and often heated) one, and it looks like it's about to get bigger and, well, more heated:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, announced a commission would be formed to review the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje and pastoral provisions for the thousands of pilgrims who visit the town each year.

"The commission members have not been named yet," Cardinal Puljic told Catholic News Service in a July 24 telephone interview. "I am awaiting suggestions from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" on theologians to appoint. "

But this commission will be under the (Bosnian) bishops' conference" as is the usual practice with alleged apparitions, he said. [More...]

Now, here's the other important development:

"there is currently going around the blogosphere a statement by Bishop Peric of Mostar-Duvno regarding the apparitions reported at Medjugorje, which is in his diocese."

[He makes the following dramatic appeal:]

Therefore I responsibly call upon those who claim themselves to be “seers”, as well as those persons behind the “messages”, to demonstrate ecclesiastical obedience and to cease with these public manifestations and messages in this parish. In this fashion they shall show their necessary adherence to the Church, by neither placing private “apparitions” nor private sayings before the official position of the Church.

[Jimmy Akin has more analysis.]

The Bishop's statement (and appeal) are being claimed by some as a "new litmus test" for the authenticity of the apparitions (h/t: Mark Shea).

Dom has commentary on the Bishop's statement (with plenty of combox debate).

So, between Mark Shea, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli, you should have all the links you need.

From my brief read of the situation, it seems reasonable to expect that a more authoritative judgment on Medjugorje will be issued later this fall (knowing how long these things tend to take, add the necessary grain of salt to any timescale projections).

Finally, a closing observation: the spiritual fruits of Medjogorje should always be distinguished from the authenticity of the apparitions themselves as well as the content of the messages received. So whatever happens, we don't have to worry about that. Thank goodness.

Update: Jimmy Akin has a new post today on this topic - many excellent points.