Medjugorje Shrine in Bosnia Vandalised Before Gathering

The Catholic pilgrimage site of Medjugorje in Bosnia has been vandalised and a nearby altar set on fire days before tens of thousands of young people are expected to gather there, authorities said Tuesday.

Local media published images showing black spray paint covering the face of the central statue of the Virgin Mary at Apparition Hill. The words "devil in a skirt" were scrawled across the statue's pedestal.

Security camera footage published by local outlet Jabuka TV showed a man setting fire to the outdoor altar of nearby St James Church. Police told AFP they were investigating after worshippers reported "offensive messages" and a fire at the site.

Some graffiti, written in Polish and English, appeared to target people who communicate messages from the reputed apparitions, known locally as "visionaries".

The incident occurred days before the annual prayer gathering, held in the first week of August, which draws more than 50,000 young people from around the world to Medjugorje.

The Medjugorje parish office said the planned event would still go ahead and repairs were already under way. It said it had learned with great sadness of the vandalism targeting its places of prayer and called on followers to respond through "prayer, fasting, and forgiveness".

The shrine, about 140 kilometres southwest of Sarajevo, became famous after six young people reported seeing the Virgin Mary there in 1981. More than a million people visit Apparition Hill each year. In September 2024, the Vatican recognised the shrine but did not rule on the messages that the "visionaries" say they receive from the Virgin Mary.