The issue of Marian apparitions in Medjugorje stirs considerable controversy among the faithful and those outside the Church. Some are convinced of the events' authenticity, while others harbor significant doubts.

Beth Racine had just come out of church after confession in Medjugorje and was leaning against a wall when something caught her eye. A disc covered the sun. She saw swirling colors to the sides — red on one side and white on the other — that made her think of the image of Divine Mercy.

The Vatican gave Catholics the green light to continue visiting the Bosnian village of Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary some four decades ago. The Vatican's doctri

In June 1981, six children aged 10 to 16 claimed that the Virgin Mary appeared to them on a hilltop near the town.

After 40 years of studies, commissions and contradictions, the Vatican finally approved the spiritual devotion of the faithful at the Marian site at Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in a document issued on Thursday.

The Vatican issued a long-awaited note on the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It did not say the apparitions were authentic but acknowledged spiritual fruit.

Since the alleged visions, Medjugorje has evolved into a significant pilgrimage destination, attracting over a million visitors each year to the town, which has a population of just over 2,000.

Pope Francis has expressed some doubts on the messages, commenting in 2013 on the Virgin Mary’s particularly chatty nature at Medjugorje.