He has confessed that he was the man responsible for the acts of vandalism that recently targeted several places and statues in Medjugorje.
Bartłomiej Włodzimierz Krakowiak — according to statements reported by his lawyers — essentially admitted that he had defaced statues of the Gospa, as the Virgin Mary is known locally, with inscriptions including “the devil in a skirt,” and that he set fire to the outdoor altar of St. James Church in Medjugorje. The suspect also showed no sign of remorse.
For this reason, prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina requested that he be remanded in custody.
During his first hearing, Krakowiak reportedly said: “I am certain that the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje and the statements of the visionaries are frauds. I did not want to hurt anyone. I only wanted to draw public attention and express my convictions. After gathering and researching evidence, I became deeply disappointed with Medjugorje.”
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is convinced that Krakowiak did not act impulsively, but had allegedly planned the acts for several months.
On the institutional front, I am struck by the silence of some Vatican circles. It is true that the parish issued an official statement, but I would have expected — perhaps naively — at least a comment from the Apostolic Visitor, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli. I would also have expected some intervention from the Holy See. To be fair, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi did speak, but in his role as president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference.
Just as a provocation: what if all this had happened in Lourdes? Or Fatima? Or Aparecida, or Guadalupe? I find it difficult to imagine that the reaction would have been the same.
We should also note the statement by the Diocese of Mostar, signed by Bishop Petar Palić. The statement obviously condemns the act, but contains a particularly interesting passage:
“Regardless of the differing opinions that exist on certain questions concerning Medjugorje, which the Church prudently judges in its own way, nothing can justify hatred, violence or the desecration of a place of prayer.”
But wasn’t the matter supposed to have been resolved by the new Vatican Norms issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith?
And what exactly are these “differing opinions on certain questions concerning Medjugorje” that the Church continues to judge prudently?
If only we knew.
Originally published in Italian on Il Segno di Giona on July 31, 2026.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Murgia is an Italian journalist, author and member of the Pontifical International Marian Academy. His investigations have brought to light the world of self-styled holy men and false healers. The New York Times described him as a “formidable investigator of the sacred.” A commentator for Rai and Mediaset, he was the first journalist in the world to publish in full the secret Vatican dossier on Medjugorje. He lives and works in Rome.
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