Bosnian authorities investigate desecration and fire damage at Medjugorje Virgin Mary shrine

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Authorities in Bosnia on Tuesday investigated the desecration of a Virgin Mary statue and a shrine damaged by fire overnight in a southern Bosnian village, a popular destination for Roman Catholic pilgrims.

Two years ago, the Vatican gave the green light for Catholics to continue flocking to Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary, offering its approval for devotion at one of the most contested sites of Roman Catholic practice in recent years.

The pictures from the site in local media showed the statue of Our Lady had her face and hands painted black, with an inscription in English on the pedestal that read “Devil in a skirt.”

In 1981, six children and teenagers reported seeing visions of the Madonna on a hill in Medjugorje, located in the wine-making region of southern Bosnia. Some of those original “seers” have claimed the visions have occurred regularly since then, even daily, and that Mary sends them messages.

Near the site, a banner was found displayed on a fence with the names of the seers and a message written in Polish that said: “They are fraudsters, I have proof.”

The Vatican’s doctrine office…