Posted on 01/30/2006 7:43:33 AM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -- The Vatican may have found the "miracle" they need to put the late Pope John Paul II one step closer to sainthood -- the medically inexplicable healing of a French nun with the same Parkinson's disease that afflicted him.
Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Catholic Church official in charge of promoting the cause to declare the late pope a saint of the Church, told Reuters on Monday that an investigation into the healing had cleared an initial probe by doctors.
Oder said the "relatively young" nun, whom he said he could not identify for now, was inexplicably cured of Parkinson's after praying to John Paul after his death last April 2.
"I was moved," Oder said in a telephone interview. "To think that this was the same illness that destroyed the Holy Father and it also kept this poor nun from carrying out her work."
John Paul suffered from Parkinson's Disease during the last decade of his life. His body trembled violently and he could not pronounce his words or control his facial muscles.
"To me, this is another sign of God's creativity," he said, adding that the nun worked with children.
He said Church investigators would now start a more formal and detailed probe of the suspected miracle cure.
The process that could lead to sainthood for John Paul began in May when Rome archdiocese published an edict asking Catholics to come forward with evidence "in favor or against" John Paul's reputation of holiness.
One proven miracle is required after John Paul's death for the cause to lead to beatification.
It must be the result of prayers asking the dead pope to intercede with God. Miracles are usually a physical healing that doctors are at a loss to explain.
Another miracle would be necessary between beatification and eventual sainthood.
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
May I invite you to kiss off?
I think I understand your concern, and it's a good one: you want to make sure that no creature is given the supreme adoration which belongs to God alone. In this you are right.
However, "reverence" doesn't mean only the supreme honor and veneration due to God. For example:
Joshua 4:14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
The Bible also speaks of revering God's throne, His sanctuary, and His city Jerusalem. So clearly, "to revere" can mean to honor people or even places and things associated with God.
This is an inevitable aspect of our human nature. Love for a lovable person overflows to things, places, and other people associated with that person. A mother keeps forever a little valentine card made for her by her child who died young. An American serviceman in Iraq kisses a snapshot of his wife in the U.S. There is nothing wrong with this; in fact, it would be wrong, and a kind of spiritual violence, to ridicule it or try to suppress it.
Like all things human, it can take wrong turns or get misdirected or excessive. Returning to matters of faith, I suppose that there would be some people who would want to canonize Elvis Presley or Princess Di. That's why the Church sets up a formal procedure for canonization. The idea is to keep things based on oobjective virtue rather than mere popularity; and to seek God's guidance, which is why there is the requirement of miracles which can be investigated --- and believe me, they are investigated strictly.
As an example, since 1858 there have been thousands, even tens of thousands of reported healing miracles at the shrine of Lourdes, France. The number of verified miracles? ---71.
That doesn't mean than none of those other reported healings were miracles. It just means they were not investigates; or thy were investigsted and their supernatural provenance was found to be doubtful.
I guess your delusions have taken over this discussion.
I never said that mikey boy. You "inferred" that.
You might want to go back to school and try reading.
I said "opinion" about five times.
Christ instituted the Holy Catholic Church. He gave the keys to Peter and through the inspiration and protection of the Holy Spirit protects her from error. If a panel of judges decides that a miracle has occured it is declared worthy of belief. You can choose skepticism or faith. As for determing who is a Saint, God has already chosen that person. They have entered heaven and that fact has been revealed. The Church doesn't decide who is a Saint. God does.
*Prayers of those with FAITH are answered. While Johannes Paulus Magnus is no longer with us on earth, he remains part of the Body of Christ - the Church Triumphant - and where he lives there is no "time." Eternity yes. But not time
Speak with Him about your thoughts He was wrong
Work on your Faith
I wish Rome would look into the stigamta-Rose Marie Ferron-
Welcome to Free Republic!
Thanks for trying but where did Jesus ever mention "saints"?
Wow maybe I was wrong. Maybe you are on the level with mormons.
Typical. When you don't like what you hear you just try and shut everyone up.
Well, Mr. Jones, glad I am not in your company, we can leave it at that.
But that's the difference.... Catholics do not understand God >>>
and you do? LOL, this blanket attack on Catholics is proof that you are not Christian at all. And why are you "looking" for a thread with the word "pope" in the title coming here to flame? Are you lonely?
Really? Just you and those who worship with you understand God, and then only for the last 450 or so years? And what of other Protestant denominations? Your group is in agreement with all of them? With all of them as to what is holy and how it is decided and who decides it? What if you disagree with one of them? Even the Anglicans and Episcopals who also have Saints, holy people as designated by the leadership in the church, saints worthy of prayer and intercession? I don't think you've thought it through. Or your bigotry is aimed only at Catholics.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.