Saint's Dried Blood Liquefies in 'Miracle'

Reuters ^ | September 19, 2002

[nickcarraway]

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - The substance many Neopolitans believe is the dried blood of their patron saint liquefied right on cue on Thursday, in a twice-yearly "miracle."

Thousands of faithful crammed into Naples cathedral to see the blood of the fourth century Saint Gennaro turn from powder to liquid, which they see as a good omen for the city and the world. The miracle has been recorded almost without fail for the past 600 years -- on September 19, the saint's feast day, and on the first Saturday in May. When the blood has remained dry, tragedies have followed.

Scientists have confirmed that the substance inside the closed vial is blood but cannot explain why it regularly turns to liquid.

Cardinal Michele Giordano told the congregation this year's miracle was particularly good, because the blood had liquefied in less than an hour.

"It's an extraordinary event, also because you can clearly see that the blood has changed color and there's more of it," Girodano said holding up the glass vial.

Disaster has struck at least five times after the blood failed to liquefy. In 1527 the plague killed 40,000 people and more recently in November 1980 some 3,000 people died in a massive earthquake that struck southern Italy.

[Desdemona]

Why is miracle always in quotes?

[RobRoy]

Since this is one of those weird, useless (as in - turning dry blood in a jar into wet blood is not exactly on a par with turning water into wine or healing the sick or parting the red sea all with practical application - kind of like tears coming from a statue), I'm going to guess this is a Catholic thread.

The international Catholic "culture" stuff sure shows up in a lot of tabloids. Why is that?

That someone even associates this tripe with Christianity deeply offends me and does not appear to help the spread of the gospel.

I could be dead wrong on this thing, but I can't help but wonder what Peter or Paul would of thought of this sort of thing. Imagine, they've just healed a sick person and given God the glory. Then someone walks up to them and says, "hey, that vial of dried blood just miraculously turned wet. Looks like we're in for some good times."

Do you really think they would have said, "Praise be to God."

I think they might have said something along the lines of, "Man, who has persuaded you to believe our God is a God of such cheap trickery? Who has ascribed this event to good or bad times, and why did you believe him?"

My gosh, people are gullible.

[RobRoy]

>>Why is miracle always in quotes?
I know what you mean. If we could visualize the thoughts of journalists, there would put quotes around the word God also, to show that they don't believe in Him either - only in themselves.<<

Heh, heh. It's in quotes because it appears to be a silly claim. I know the article says: "Scientists have confirmed that the substance inside the closed vial is blood but cannot explain why it regularly turns to liquid."

Sorry, that's not enough. What scientists? What tests did they perform?

Let me put it this way, and I quote (but I don't remember who): "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

That is why the word "miracle" is in quotes, and any respectable reporter outside The Sun would do the same.

[Desdemona]

"Scientists have confirmed that the substance inside the closed vial is blood but cannot explain why it regularly turns to liquid."

This is why it's a miracle. It's been happening for hundreds of years

[sinkspur]

My gosh, people are gullible.

Some people are also very superstitious.

[RobRoy]

Exactly!

[RobRoy]

sez who.

[RobRoy]

>>Let's call this what it is, the protestant hatred of God and all things of God is blasphemous and pathetic - and emanates from only one source: satan. <<

Let's not - because that is not what is going on here, at least from me. (no more afternoon coffee for you, though)

Btw, what is that big silver thingy it's contained in? It looks pretty old.

[RobRoy]

>>Let's call this what it is, the protestant hatred of God and all things of God is blasphemous and pathetic - and emanates from only one source: satan. <<

Let's not - because that is not what is going on here, at least from me. (no more afternoon coffee for you, though)

Btw, what is that big silver thingy it's contained in? It looks pretty old.

HOLY COW MAN, I JUST VISITED THE LINKS. THIS THING IS SICK, SICK, SICK!

Have any of the people that believe this stuff ever read the Bible? Do they actually believe, in the context of what the Bible says about God and Jesus, that this thing is anything other than a hoax, albeit a really old one?

I saw satans head in a cloud on the cover of The Sun once, while I was waiting in the checkout line...

[sinkspur]

Oh so on top of all your other faults you are a protestant heretic also?

Whereas some people are merely superstitious, others act as if they founded the Catholic Church.

[RobRoy]

>>St. John Nepomucene Neumann<<

Who's he, and why should I give credence to anything he says.