The Holy See has authorized the faithful to “prudently adhere” to the presumed messages of the Virgin at Medjugorje. From now on, these messages will be reviewed by a papal delegate before publication.

The Vatican is providing its long-awaited assessment on one of the more contested aspects of Roman Catholicism in recent years: the reported “apparitions” of the Virgin Mary at an otherwise unremarkable village in southern Bosnia.

More than 40 million pilgrims from around the world have flocked to the small village named Medjugorje since 1981.

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

After decades, and controversy, the Vatican has authorized public worship at a shrine in Bosnia, where a once tranquil village has become a major pilgrimage site.

The Vatican has approved Marian devotion at Medjugorje without pronouncing on the authenticity of alleged apparitions, emphasizing positive spiritual fruits.

The Vatican said Thursday it recognised the shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, without commenting on the Virgin's "alleged messages" to the faithful, who have gathered there in the millions for more than 40 years.

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