Free Republic

Pope defrocks priest over 'visions' of the Virgin Mary The Pope has defrocked the priest at the centre of claims that the Virgin Mary has been appearing in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje. The Vatican stripped Father Tomislav Vladic of his priest status after an investigation into growing concerns over the alleged apparitions. Father Vlasic was named as the 'creator' of the phenomenon by Pavao Zanic, the local bishop at the time the apparitions began in 1981.

Released : Monday, June 11, 2007 2:29 PM SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina-A bus carrying Americans to a Catholic shrine in southern Bosnia collided with another vehicle Monday, injuring 27 passengers and the Bosnian bus driver, hospital officials said. "We are currently accessing the injuries and all I can say now is that three people sustained serious injuries, possibly life-threatening," said Dr. Lidija Lincender of Sarajevo's Kosevo hospital. The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said the American group were from Wisconsin. Twenty of the injured were hospitalized in the Kosevo hospital, and another seven were taken to the General Hospital, the embassy said. Bosnian...