July 9, 2025, marks a significant turning point for the faithful devoted to the Virgin of Zvir in Slovakia. The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, has officially granted a *nihil obstat*—meaning "nothing stands in the way"—for the Marian devotions linked to these alleged apparitions. This is a prudent but significant decision, which does not formally recognize the supernatural origin of the events but authorizes public worship and invites the faithful to approach it without danger to their faith.
It all began on August 5, 1990, on Mount Zvir, near the Slovak village of Litmanová, in a region of Greek-Catholic tradition. On that day, as Central Europe was slowly emerging from the yoke of communism, three children went to pick blueberries: Iveta Korčáková (11), Katarína Češelková (12), and Katka's younger brother, Miťko (9). Frightened after hearing mysterious noises in the forest, they took refuge in a log cabin.
It was there, in this simple and remote place, that Iveta and Katka claim to have seen a luminous woman, dressed in white, wearing a blue cloak and a veil, a crown, and a rosary. This figure, whom they recognized as the Holy Virgin, is said to have then accompanied them to a Calvary site, before kneeling and making the sign of the cross.
The children told everything to their parents—who did not believe them—and to their priest, who asked them not to spread the story. But the girls continued to return to the site of the apparitions, where the Virgin is said to have delivered messages to them, calling for the prayer of the rosary on the mountain.
Very quickly, pilgrims flocked from all over Slovakia. Some claim to have witnessed a solar phenomenon, reminiscent of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. A nearby water source was also besieged, reputed for its healing virtues.
From 1990 to 1995, the two young girls received and transcribed regular messages, until the Virgin, on August 6, 1995, announced that there would be no more visible apparitions, but that she would remain present on Mount Zvir.
After these events, Ivetka entered a religious community in central Slovakia, where she took the name Maria Goretti. She left religious life nine years later, returned to her village, and then moved to the United Kingdom after her marriage. Katka, for her part, settled in the United States with her family.
Mount Zvir falls under the Eparchy of Prešov, within the Slovak Greek-Catholic Church, in union with Rome. From the early years, Bishop Ján Hirka launched an investigative commission, later continued by Archbishop Ján Babjak. In 2004, the latter officially established the site as a place of prayer and consecrated a chapel to the Immaculate Conception. In 2008, Mount Zvir became an official pilgrimage site.
Since 2009, liturgies have been celebrated there daily, and confessions are heard. Every August 5—the anniversary of the first apparition—attracts a considerable crowd, as do the Sundays following the first Fridays of the month.
In May 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published new norms for evaluating alleged apparitions, replacing the old criteria dating from 1978. It is no longer mandatory to declare whether a phenomenon is or is not of supernatural origin; a new category has been introduced: the pastoral *nihil obstat*. This allows for the authorization of public worship if nothing opposes the faith or morals.
It is in this context that the current Archbishop of Prešov, Bishop Jonáš Maxim, petitioned the Dicastery in February 2025, noting the many spiritual fruits born of the pilgrimage. In May, he formally requested the *nihil obstat*.
In his letter of July 9, 2025, Cardinal Fernández expressed certain reservations about two messages transmitted in the early 1990s: one stating that "the cause of all illness is sin," the other suggesting that "almost all the inhabitants of a region [the Persian Gulf] are damned" following the Gulf War.
These formulations are deemed unacceptable by the Dicastery, which prohibits their publication. However, they are interpreted as confused expressions, pertaining to a personal spiritual experience, but not representative of the general message.
On the other hand, other messages are highlighted, particularly those recalling that the love of Christ is the source of happiness, and that closing oneself off from Him leads to failure and suffering.
This green light does not formally recognize the supernatural origin of the apparitions, but it authorizes public worship and informs the faithful that they can participate in this devotion without fear of doctrinal error. Archbishop Maxim will publish a compilation of the messages, expunged of the problematic passages.
The Vatican finally specifies that these apparitions must be accompanied pastorally, to help souls live the Gospel of Christ through a spirituality centered on the Virgin Mary, prayer, conversion, and trust.