Pope Francis allows devotion to Medjugorje, where Virgin Mary said to appear

FILE PHOTO: Photo shows site where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared in an apparition in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina June 25, 2020 REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has approved a Catholic spiritual devotion centred in Medjugorje, a town in Bosnia that has been steeped in controversy over whether the Virgin Mary appears to local people, the Vatican said on Thursday.

The Vatican's doctrinal office said that Francis was not declaring that messages given by the alleged apparition of the Madonna were authentic. Rather, it said the pontiff was recognising there were "positive fruits" for Catholics in the spiritual experience tied to the town.