Papal rosary given Jory Aebly spurs speculation John Paul II interceded in his miraculous recovery
Posted by dsims April 02, 2009 21:44PM
Jory Aebly hugs his mother, Debb Wolfram, during a news conference at MetroHealth Medical Center. Aebly's recovery has been called a miracle, and now there is speculation that Pope John Paul II may have played a role.
It makes a great story.
Jory Aebly's miraculous recovery from an execution-style gunshot to the head bolsters Pope John Paul II's case for sainthood.
Except that on the fourth anniversary of the pope's death, the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints hasn't said the pope will be beatified any time soon.
The Cleveland Roman Catholic diocese didn't know about the miracle claim. And the chaplain who prayed to John Paul to heal Aebly hasn't said whether he's even submitting the miracle for investigation.
"Even with John Paul II, the Vatican is going to be very careful, especially in the case of miracles. . . . It's very easy to leave yourself open to the charge of superstition if you too readily claim that instance is a miracle," said Paul V. Murphy, director of the Institute of Catholic Studies at John Carroll University. "There are people all over the world sending stories like this to the Vatican."
In February, when Aebly was shot in the head on East 12th Street, doctors at MetroHealth Medical Center believed he would die. The Rev. Art Snedeker, the chaplain at the hospital, gave Aebly the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, part of the traditional last rites. He asked Pope John Paul II to pray for and protect Aebly.
Aebly's friend, Jeremy Pechanec died. But on Tuesday, Aebly, 26, was released from the hospital, able to climb stairs and manage most tasks of daily life.
"In my mind, Jory is a miracle," Snedeker said at the news conference announcing Aebly's discharge.
The declaration -- from a priest, no less -- spurred speculation of sainthood for the late pope, mainly from WEWS Channel 5. It was then picked up by ABC's "Good Morning America."
On Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for his predecessor's beatification, the first step to sainthood. To be beatified, the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints must certify one miracle; for sainthood, two. Anyone may submit a miracle for consideration.
In 2007, the congregation began investigating the case of a French nun who says she was cured of Parkinson's disease after praying to John Paul.
Although Benedict waived the requirement that five years pass before consideration for sainthood, a Vatican official in charge of the late pontiff's case told an Italian news service he was not on the list of upcoming cases for possible sainthood.
"The church doesn't move at the same pace of the media. . . . The church moves in centuries," Murphy said, explaining that to be considered a miracle, doctors must not be able to find a scientific explanation for the recovery.
Snedeker refused interviews Thursday. But at the news conference, he explained what he believed to be the late pope's intercession in Aebly's recovery.
Years ago, when he had a private audience with the pope, John Paul II gave him a dozen rosaries the pontiff had blessed. He promised to pray for MetroHealth patients and instructed Snedeker to give the rosaries to the sick.
| East 12th Street shooting – Jory Aebly to be discharged from hospital today |
Weeks after Aebly entered the hospital, Snedeker gave him the last rosary.
"I truly believe that one of the reasons I'm here today and am able to speak to you is because of the millions of prayers that I've received from family, friends, co-workers, even people that I haven't met," Aebly said at the news conference.
John Paul canonized more saints than any other pope, Murphy said.
"Saints are really important to the church, not only because of miraculous intercessions," he said. "Fundamentally, they are examples of heroic virtue for other Catholics and Christians."
At John Paul's funeral, crowds chanted "Santa subito," or "Sainthood now."
Ever since, St. Stanislaus in Slavic Village has been praying for John Paul, who said Mass there in 1969, when he was Cardinal Karol Wojtyla.
On the third Thursday of every month, the congregation gathers to pray for the pope, to worship at his shrine and touch an ornate mitre he wore. One family believes the pope cured their uncle's prostate cancer.
The family never submitted the miracle to the Vatican, said the Rev. Michael Surufka, the pastor.
He had heard the news of Aebly's miracle that afternoon.
"I hope to see John Paul canonized," Surufka said. "However this man was healed, he's healed. That's a beautiful thing. Whether that was attributed to John Paul, that's up to them to decide."
hontogaijin says...
miracle from John Paul? i'm not sure about that. what about the miracle of modern medicine? or the amazing healing abilities that the body itself possesses?
well, whatever he believes is ok with me. i'm glad he's ok.