Jozo Zovko

Jozo Zovko (born 19 March 1941) is a Herzegovinian Croat Franciscan, most notable for being a parson in Medjugorje during the alleged Marian apparitions in 1981. He was very active in the promotion of apparitions around the world. He is an adherer of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Zovko was ordained a priest as a Franciscan in 1965. During the alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje in 1981, he was a local parson. The same year he was sentenced to three years in prison because of a sermon allegedly criticising the communist authorities, which Zovko denied. After being released in 1983, he became a vicar in Tihaljina near Grude, but remained in close touch with Medjugorje. It is claimed by the two seers of Our Lady of Medjugorje, Jakov Čolo and Vicka Ivanković, that Zovko himself appeared to them while in prison in October 1981. Zovko claims to have had a vision of Our Lady in April 1983.

Because of disobedience, the Bishop revoked his priestly jurisdiction, a decree soon afterward confirmed by Rome in 1989, until he moves far from Medjugorje. However, Zovko continued to be active in Medjugorje and around the world, promoting the apparitions, despite the suspension. He finally submitted to the decree under pressure from Rome, and moved to a Franciscan friary in Badija near Korčula in Croatia in 2009, and periodically lived in Graz, Austria, until he moved permanently to Zagreb, Croatia's capital in 2011, where he currently lives.

Biography

Jozo Zovko was born in Uzarići, Herzegovina and attended elementary school in nearby Široki Brijeg. He was ordained a priest as a Franciscan on 3 April 1965.[1] He was known to his colleagues by special devotions to Madonna, and often participated in catechetical summer schools as a lecturer and discussant of charismatic orientation.[2]

In November 1980, Zovko was appointed parish priest of the St. James Church in Medjugorje. At first, he was suspicious towards the Marian apparitions reported the following June, but became a fierce supporter after Madonna appeared to him as well five days later.[1]

In October 1981 he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for disrespecting the "People's Revolution" in his sermon on 11 July 1981. In the sermon, Zovko said that the people should be careful not to be seduced by the "false teaching and false teachers", which the communist authorities recognised as referring to themselves, however, Zovko defended his statement claiming it was referring to Bishop Pavao Žanić.[1]

The seers also claim to have had visions of Zovko who was under trial at the time. Jakov Čolo and Vicka Ivanković had the first apparition of Zovko on 19 October 1981. While they prayed, they saw Zovko who smiling with the Madonna. The Madonna asked them to invite youth and children to sing holy songs and pray, so Zovko can see how they "worship God and him".[3][4]

Jozo Zovko appeared to Jakov and Vicka for the second time two days later, on 21 October 1981. The Madonna told them not to worry about Zovko "because he's a saint", and that the trial would continue. However, his trial was over that very day, and the sentence was published the next day.[4][5] His sentence was reduced, and he was released in February 1983, after which he was appointed a vicar in Tihaljina near Grude. He remained in close touch with Medjugorje however.[6] He also claimed to have had visions of Our Lady of Medjugorje on 11 April 1983 while in a church.[4]

Suspension

On 23 August 1989, Bishop Pavao Žanić suspended Zovko's priestly faculties in the two dioceses of Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan for reasons not stated publicly. Zovko was accused of sexually molesting several women making the pilgrimage in Medjugorje.[7] Zovko complained of the Bishop's decree to the Holy See on 14 October 1989, only to see the Bishop's decree confirmed on 15 February 1990, with the ruling that the Bishop's sanction will remain in force until he retreats "to a friary remote from Medjugorje".

Zovko ignored Rome's ruling, and was appointed a guardian of the Franciscan friary in Široki Brijeg.[6] He continued to hear confessions, so the new Bishop Ratko Perić revoked his confessional jurisdiction as well in 1994.[8]

Zovko continued to promote the apparitions traveling around the world, and especially the United States.[6] In November 2002, director of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Boston, Walter Rossi, forbade Zovko to hold a mass there after allegations of disobedience and sexual abuse.[7] However, a few days later, Zovko still held a sermon in Boston.[8]

In 2005, the Franciscan Province of St. Jerome turned over the friary and island of Badija in Croatia to the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary for a term of 99 years. The respective provincials invited Zovko to relocate to the old Franciscan friary and oversee its reconstruction. The premises was in poor condition.[9] However, Zovko ignored the request. He finally submitted to the Roman decree after 19 years and moved to the friary in Badija on 16 February 2009. The reason behind his moving was the preparation for the establishment of a new commission to investigate the alleged apparitions, and his connection to Medjugorje was seen as an obstacle to the investigation. His official explanation was that he is moving due to the health issues.[8][10] Afterward, Zovko lived on a relation between Badija and Graz in Austria, where he would come periodically. He was transferred to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, in December 2011, where he currently lives.[11]

Zovko was played by Martin Sheen in Gospa (Madonna), a 1995 Croatian movie directed by Jakov Sedlar.[7]

Notes
  1. Kutleša 2001, p. 51.
  2. Zovkić 1993, p. 77.
  3. Kutleša 2001, pp. 112-113.
  4. Perić 2012, p. 98.
  5. Kutleša 2001, p. 113.
  6. Kutleša 2001, p. 52.
  7. Cooperman 2002.
  8. Rogošić 2019.
  9. Badija Franciscan Friary
  10. Ivković 2009.
  11. Horvat 2011.

References

Books
  • Kutleša, Dražen (2001). Ogledalo pravde [Mirror of Justice] (in Croatian). Mostar: Biskupski ordinarijat Mostar.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Journals
  • Perić, Ratko (2012). "Međugorske stranputice" [The Medjugorje side roads]. Službeni vjesnik (in Croatian) (3): 97–102.
  • Zovkić, Mato (1993). "Problematični elementi u fenomenu Međugorja" [The problematic elements in the Medjugorje phenomenon]. Bogoslovska smotra (in Croatian). 63 (1–2): 76–87.

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