Bishop Zanic’s first published statement

On August 16, Bishop Zanic published his first statement on Medjugorje defending the apparitions in the official newspaper of the Croatian Bishops Conference, Glas Koncila, “Voice of the Council.” Bishop Zanic was quoted saying:

“The public expects us to say something about the events in the parish of Medjugorje, where six children claim the Madonna appears to them… It is certain that the children have not been ‘talked into’ anything, and have not—certainly not by the Church—been encouraged to speak falsehoods. Everything indicates that the children are not lying… When the Jews tried to silence the Apostles, according to the Acts of the Apostles, a teacher of the Law, highly regarded by all the people, Gamaliel, said to the Jewish assembly, ‘If their purpose or activity is human in its origins, they will destroy themselves. If, on the other hand, what they say comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them. You might even be found opposing God!’”(Acts 5:38-39)