Pope Francis’s envoy in Medjugorje has said that official pilgrimages to the shrine are permitted – but only as long as they are focused on Our Lady rather than particular apparitions. Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Warsaw-Praga, appointed to study the needs of pilgrims at the shrine, had told Aleteia.org that there was “no problem” with official pilgrimages, before backtracking in a separate interview. Speaking to Aleteia last week, Archbishop Hoser had said: “Today dioceses and other institutions can organise official pilgrimages. It is no longer a problem.” He also said: “The devotion of Medjugorje is allowed. It’s not prohibited, and need not be done in secret.” However, in an interview with Il Giornale newspaper, Archbishop Hoser said his earlier comments were a “little exaggerated”. “It is true what I said, although perhaps it was a little exaggerated in tone,” the archbishop said. “But it is absolutely authentic that pilgrimages of prayer can be organised in Medjugorje without any problem, provided they are spiritual and do not concern the apparitions of Our Lady to the seers.” He also clarified that while bishops were free to organise pilgrimages to the site simply to pray to Our Lady, there was no authorisation relating to the apparitions. “The problem of the visionaries is not yet solved,” he said. “They are working [on it] at the Vatican. The document is in the Secretariat of State and must be expected. And of course we need a pronouncement from the Pope who was able to study the report of the commission presided over by Cardinal Ruini.” The official commission into apparitions at Medjugorje, chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, reportedly voted in favour of recognising the first seven apparitions. However, the commission’s role was to make recommendations and the Pope has not yet made any definitive statements on the subject.