Millions have flocked to Medjugorje. What should we make of claimed visions of the Virgin Mary?

Last week the Vatican welcomed what it calls “abundant spiritual fruits” in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje, but has stopped short of validating the claimed Marian apparitions that have reportedly taken place there in recent years. Heather Tomlinson explains the full story

An obscure village in a remote region of Bosnia has made international headlines after the Vatican officially approved it as a site of pilgrimage. If you don’t have much contact with the Catholic Church, you might never have heard of Medjugorje, and have even less chance of pronouncing it (roughly Medj-oo-gor-ee-ay). Here’s what you need to know.