We talked about many things—some I can share, some I cannot—and soon I felt completely at ease in his presence. He spoke with such love that I could have talked with him for hours. “Please ask the pilgrims in Međugorje to pray for my intentions,” he said. “I will, Holy Father,” I assured him. “I know all about Međugorje. I’ve followed the messages from the beginning. Please, tell me what it’s like for you when Our Lady appears.” The pope listened intently as I described what I experienced during apparitions. At times, he smiled and gently nodded his head. “And when she departs,” I concluded, “I feel so much pain, and all I can think of in that moment is when I will see her again.” The pope leaned towards me and said, “Take good care of Međugorje, Mirjana. Međugorje is the hope for the entire world.” The pope’s words seemed like a confirmation of the importance of the apparitions and of my great responsibility as a visionary. I was surprised by the conviction in his voice, and by how his eyes sparkled every time he said the word Međugorje—not to mention how well he pronounced the name of the village, which had always been so amusingly difficult for outsiders to say. “Holy Father,” I said. “I wish you could see all the people who go there and pray.” The pope turned his head and gazed towards the east, releasing a pensive sigh. “If I were not the pope,” he said, “I would have gone to Međugorje a long time ago.” I will never forget the love that radiated from the Holy Father. What I felt with him is similar to what I feel when I am with Our Lady, and looking into his eyes was just like looking into hers. Later, a priest told me that the pope had been interested in Međugorje from the very beginning, because right before our apparitions started, he had been praying for Our Lady to appear again on Earth. (197-8).
Prodigal Catholic 