Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, apostolic nuncio, from his position as special apostolic visitor of the parish of Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and has appointed in his place Monsignor Francesco Cavina, bishop emeritus of Carpi. This was announced on October 31 by the Holy See Press Office in its bulletin, which specifies that the appointment is made «for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis«, that is, at the disposal of the Holy See. The formula is the same with which his predecessor was designated.
Cavalli, who turned 80 last October 18 and has spent a large part of his ecclesiastical life in nunciatures in various countries, had been chosen by Pope Francis in November 2021. He inherited the position from Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser, the first visitor to the parish, who died in August 2021, and Vatican News also recalls that Medjugorje has become in the last forty years one of the most visited Marian centers in the world.
A prelate without an assignment since his resignation in 2019
Cavina presented his resignation from the government of the diocese of Carpi in 2019 and since then had not received any other assignment. His departure was surrounded by controversy in Italy, as the blog Messainlatino maintains that he was forced to resign due to rumors and a campaign against him, and that he was even subjected to wiretapping. The appointment therefore represents his return to a position of first importance for the Holy See after several years away from any office.
The Medjugorje dossier, back in ecclesial conversation
The change comes after a summer in which the matter has once again occupied a prominent place, the media reported in August that a consultation carried out in 2016 among 33 cardinals, bishops and experts linked to the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith would have yielded a wide majority against the supernatural origin of the supposed apparitions, according to documentation released by Italian journalist David Murgia. Shortly afterwards it was reported that six of the 21 members who spoke out against supernaturality considered that the phenomenon should be attributed to a diabolical intervention. Added to that discussion was the opinion piece published in these pages on the history of Medjugorje as a case of synodality and disobedience.