Italian Statue "Weeps Blood"

BBC ^ | 3/6/02

[marshmallow]

Thousands of believers have flocked to the Sicilian city of Messina after a statue of the revered Padre Pio began shedding tears some think are blood. A passer-by noticed that the statue seemed to be crying late on Tuesday night.

Police are to analyse the red liquid coming from the statue's eyes

He called a local priest who was unable to wipe away the red substance leaking from the eyes of the statue in the centre of the city, according to the Italian news agency Ansa.

The suspected miracle was reported on the evening news and sparked mass interest in the statue of Padre Pio who will be made a saint by the Pope in June.

Though claims of weeping statues are not unusual in Italy, the popularity of Padre Pio has made this a special case.

More than 2,000 people rushed to the statue overnight in the square in front of the Church of Madonna of Pompeii.

Stigmata

Police have taken a sample of the liquid coming from the two-metre (seven-foot) bronze statue for analysis. Padre Pio de Pietrelcine is one of the most revered religious figures in Italy.

He was considered the first priest in centuries to show the stigmata - the wounds to hands, feet and side suffered by Jesus at his crucifixion.

He has an enormous following and the monastery where he died in 1968 at the age of 81 attracts seven million visitors a year - similar to the numbers who go to France's Lourdes shrine.

[randog]

No big thang--I gotta a statue of Elvis that sweats profusely.
;>)

[VikingsRazeAVillage]

Armageddon on the way.........perhaps?

[proust]

pious bump.

[theophilusscribe]

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[The KG9 Kid]

Revised headline:

"Hollow Italian statue has plastic tubes in eyes powered by common fishtank aereator that spurts fake blood --- Thousands of superstitious country simpletons insist it's a miracle."

[Frozen Dead Guy]

padre pio bump

[spectre]

Padre Pio has helped me out of alot of rough times.

sw

[AdA$tra]

I thought you were in Nederland!

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

Why do people fall for this crap year after year around the world. Its always some B.S. fraud with the bleeding or sweating statues, the image of Jesus, Mary, or Joe Montana (significantly less common) on the side of a building, in the mud, on a window - when the sun is juuusst right. In my opinion - its about a two-foot walk from this stuff to giving your credit card to Miss Cleo to tell you your future.

Religious faith is fine but it hinges on pathetic to run around looking for "a sign" everywhere. Strong faith requires no magic acts from God.

[AdA$tra]

If Miss Cleo was a real psycic, would she ask what your name is when you call?

Many of these catholic apperations seem to have at least some basis in truth. IMHO

[El Sordo]

Just couldn't resist getting a new name?

[steveo]

Strong faith requires no magic acts from God.

so true

[DallasMike]

A few years ago, there was a Hindu statue here in Dallas that cried milk. I'm not kidding! It was later determined to be a simple physical phenomena.

[MomwithHope]

Padre Pio has helped me more than a few times also. A great saint who is still hard at work.

[marshmallow]

His canonization will be a day to remember.

One of the great saints.

[potlatch]

A lactating Budda?

[Jeff Chandler]

Hey, you leave Miss Cleo alone!

[Jeff Chandler]

Sometimes she even surprises herself!

[Jeff Chandler]

Or is that "amazes herself"? Oh, well, I love her commercials.