Medjugorje

In Medjugorje the age of miracles isn't over: it is alive and well and is big business. The Catholic boom town in the Bosnian hills now rivals the better known Fatima or Lourdes. There were eight appearances of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, yet since 1981 there have been 33,000 at Medjugorje, where she appears practically every day. The Vatican is currently investigating the validity of the claims.

Meanwhile the pilgrims keep rolling in and spending their money. The town is also a hotbed of Croat ultra-nationalists, who some say are using the religious fervour to boost their own political influence in the region. Allan Little investigates the political sensitivities around Medjugorje.

Producer: Paul Vickers.