Miracle attributed to Paul VI approved!

Don't tell me I told you so?

Didn't I break the news?

It was in 2012 when I heard the news that the process for the pope's beatification was being fast-tracked, no!  Express Lane tracked!  And a few weeks ago, I broke the news that Paul VI is set to be beatified with word coming out of Rome that a miracle has been approved with no scientific explanation for the inexplicable healing of a fetus!   Yes, an unborn boy!


***
From this source.

Giovanni Battista Montini's beatification is near: this morning cardinals and bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously approved the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Italian Pope from Brescia, who died in August 1978. The year which marked the canonization of two Popes – John XXIII and John Paul II – will also be the year of Paul VI’s beatification. In the next few days Pope Francis will be promulgating the decree on the miracle attributed to the late Pope and the date suggested for the actual beatification is 19 October. The beatification is expected to take place in Rome on the occasion of the concluding ceremony of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family: [I told you so!]  it was Paul VI himself who established the Synod in September 1965 in response to a request made by the Council fathers. It should be noted that next August will mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Paul VI’s first big encyclical, the “Ecclesiam Suam”, which he wrote and edited entirely by himself.

The miracle attributed to the intercession of Paul VI was witnessed in the United States in 2001. It involved the healing of an unborn child, which was found to have serious problems and a high risk of brain damage: the foetus’ bladder was damaged and doctors reported ascites (presence of liquid in the abdomen) and anhydramnios (absence of fluid in the amniotic sac). All attempts to correct the problem proved futile and in the end the doctors said the child would either die in the womb or it would be born with severe renal impairment. Abortion was offered as an option but the mother refused. Instead, she took the advice given to her by a nun who was a friend of the family and had met Montini: she decided to pray for Paul VI’s intercession using a fragment of the Pope’s vestments which the nun had given her.  [And some people just keep relics for themselves, even using it for scrupulous reasons, or for bragging rights!]

Ten weeks later the results of the medical tests showed a substantial improvement in the child’s health and it was born by Caesarean section in the 39th week of pregnancy. The case was presented to the former Postulator of the Cause, the Jesuit Paolo Molinari – who passed away last week - in Rome. Faith weekly Credere revealed that the diocesan inquiry was launched in 2003 and all witnesses agree that the case in question cannot be explained scientifically.

The child has made it to thirteen and his health is constantly monitored to ensure that his psychophysical state is normal. Doctors are especially keeping an eye on the child’s renal function. On 12 December last year the medical consultation of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints headed by Professor Patrizio Polisca, confirmed the impossibility of explaining the healing and the dicastery’s theologians gave their approval last 18 February. Benedict XVI promulgated Paul VI’s heroic virtues on 20 December 2012.


***

Someone said "There is a rush to canonize these Vatican II popes!  The pope is in fact canonizing Vatican II!"

Wha???

So what about Paul's "Humanae Vitae"?  Nada?

How about Pius XII?

A miracle is being investigated.  What is so amazing about this is it involved not just Pius XII, but also John Paul II!

Read it here.

An atheist helps the Church in declaring new saints!

Meet Dr. Jacalyn Duffin, MD, an atheist who wrote two books about medical miracles brought about by candidates to sainthood. Her investigations helped canonized them.

In a Wikipedia entry:

"Upon her return to Canada, Duffin settled in Ottawa where she took on a contract to review a set of slides, which she assumed were to be used in a malpractice suit. She was given no information about the patient, but identified the young woman as suffering from acute myeloblastic leukemia, “the most aggressive leukemia known.” As the slides were from some 5+ years earlier, she assumed the patient as deceased, as that form of leukemia kills usually within two years. Instead, she found that the patient had, after a relapse, gone into remission and was doing well some five years on. Duffin's testimony was to be used by the Vatican to determine whether Marie-Marguerite d'Youville (1701 – 1771) had performed a miracle and was worthy of canonization. According to Duffin, “They never asked me to say this was a miracle. They wanted to know if I had a scientific explanation for why this patient was still alive. I realized they weren’t asking me to endorse their beliefs. They didn’t care if I was a believer or not, they cared about the science"

You can read her own account of that miracle, how she judged the case only through the lens of a microscope.   She has also written two books about the medical miracles documented in the different canonizations.

She remains an atheist. Now that is one miracle let us hope for!

The talking Sto. Niño of Mactan!

From Cebu Daily News of the Inquirer.

***



Thousands of people lined-up to get a glimpse and touch a ‘talking doll’ in barangay Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City.

Three-year old Neñil Balermo told his friends Charmel Arellano, 6, and KJ Ace Arellano, 4 about the talking doll he saw on the beach of Sea Breeze neighborhood.

When the three went back to place where Balermo saw the ‘doll’ the elder Arellano picked it up. Upon careful observation the girl did not take any interest and was about to throw it to the shore when the ‘doll’ spoke again.

“Ayaw ko ninyo ilabay kay buotan ko (Don’t throw me away because I am good),”  was how the children recalled hearing from the ‘doll’ whose texture softened like that of a human. They heard a few more sounds but it was already inaudible.



Junito Balermo, father of Neñil said that when their attention was called about the ‘talking doll’, they investigated and saw that the ‘doll’ was actually the image of the Sto. Niño or the child Jesus.

Junito and other adults who heard of the story in the impoverished community thought a miracle had happened.  [They had to emphasize that the place was impoverished.  Wait now.  These anti-Catholics would then say "Gutom!  Kung ano ano naiisip!"  Bah!]

They built a makeshift chapel in the neighborhood for the image. Word spread quickly and people have been lining up to touch the image and the three-year old boy.

Since Friday, the boy did not have a decent sleep according to his parents because believers also want to touch and kiss him. [What the?!?!]  Some even brought him food.

Balermo saw the doll Friday morning. It was the day when the yearly ritual of bathing the replica of the original image of Sto. Nino was held at the Basilica del Sto. Niño to close the Sinulog festival.  [Hmmm...]

Fr. Benjamin Balsamo parish priest of Sto Niño parish in Mactan said they still have to get more data and verify the claims of the children.


***

So the anti-Catholics would say...

"Someone accidentally left the image floating in the sea for the bathing!"

And the voice?

"Poverty leads to hallucinations!"

And then someone would come forward and in a squeaky little voice claim "Ako si Sto. Niño".

Run away.......get a broom....and then *whack*

Images being found and proven to be miraculous are becoming "common" to Filipino Catholicism.

This was how the revered image of Cebu was found, the Lady of Antipolo, the Virgin of Manaog, Ina Poon Bato, the King Child of Tondo...

Miracles do happen.

Always.

Pit Senyor!

Marian Miracle in Cebu? Filipino Freethinkers expertise AGAIN needed

From the Philippine Star.

***

CEBU, Philippines - Hundreds of devotees flocked to the St. Augustine Parish in Poblacion, Alcantara, a town in southern Cebu, after the image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary reportedly moved its head to the right, facing Bohol.  [See the photos above.]

Alcantara resident Bebe Quiroga, 63, who is a member of the Parish Pastoral Council-Worship Committee, [ugh....] told The FREEMAN that they were amazed upon seeing the head of the image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, which originally was facing front, [as all images do] face to the right, in the direction of where Bohol is. Quiroga said they tried moving the head back to its original position but could not do so.  [Some moved the head?  But they "cannot".  It was stuck or what?  What is the image made of?  Did they make a switcheroo?]  

The image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was placed in front of the altar of the church because it is the Rosary Month and residents would pray the Rosary every dawn and at 6 in the evening.

Residents immediately linked what they called a “miracle” to the earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol last October 15, which killed over a hundred and destroyed buildings, mostly decades-old churches in Bohol.

Quiroga believes the “miracle” is Mother Mary’s message to Filipinos to have faith and believe in God.

“Wala gyud matay-og ang imahen though gibutang ra kini sa lamesa during sa linog last week,” she said, adding she expects more devotees to visit their church.  [What now?  Sorry I can't understand that.  Anyone care to translate this for me?  I think she meant the image did not fall though it was placed on a table during the quake.  Am I right?]

Parish Youth Coordinating Council (PYCC) president Russell Guardina, 21, said that it is not the first time that they noticed the head of the statue of the Virgin Mother move its head.

“The head of the statue first moved last October 15, during the earthquake but the following day it went back to normal and the second time was this morning (yesterday),” she said.  [The parish priest did it!  The parish priest did it!!!]

Guardiana’s statement was corroborated by Samantha Delarita, 19, the PYCC secretary.

Delarita told The FREEMAN that parish priest Fr. Peter Monteron, who is out of the town for a recollection, was already informed about what happened.  [Oh....he did not do it.  Sorry Freethinkers.  Next suspect!!!]

Cebu Archdiocese Episcopal Vicar Msgr. Esteban Binghay, when told of the reported “miracle” said people should “remain objective.”

In a phone interview with The Freeman yesterday, Binghay said the archdiocese is still waiting for the details about the alleged “miracle” from the parish priest, adding that it is the parish priest’s responsibility to make initial investigations about such occurrences.  [Will a statement come out?  ABANGAN!...ang susunod na Teletubbie na eeksena.]

SPO1 Jared Llenos and PO1 Madrid Aparre said that early yesterday their station received a call from Alcantara Vice Mayor Beatrice Caburnay requesting for police assistance at the church.

“Among nakita nga samok kaayo og nag-iyahay og unhanay para makagakos og makaduol sa birhen. Amo dayon silang gipalinya para malikayan ang kasamok tungod kay nag abot-abot naman ang mga tawo,” Aparre said.  [I think she meant, it's so chaotic, it's like talking to Teletubbie, asking Google Liturgist about Liturgy, and trying to decipher the English of the War Freak Eastern Hierarch.........and trying to make sense out of what the Filipino Freethinkers are talking about....and making sense out of what Fr. Genaro Diwa teaches about Liturgy.....and trying to find meaning behind the teardrops....and....I better stop.]

Elizabeth Tabanaw, a resident of the nearby town of Moalboal, said that upon hearing the news of the “miracle”, she, together with her relatives and her baby, went to the St. Augustine Parish to check if the news was true and at the same time, to pray.

“Mga around 1:00 p.m. mi naabot taas kaayo ang linya naabot na sa gawas sa church unya 3:00 p.m. na wala pa gyud mi maabot sa birhen,” she said, adding the movement of the head of the statue was indeed a miracle.

Fr. Herardo dela Victoria of Ginatilan said he also went to the church upon hearing the news.

When asked if the movement was a miracle, he said this is still subject for investigation. However, he added that personally, he thinks that the movement is a message for Catholics, reminding them of the Holy Mother’s mandate.

Msgr. Binghay said it is understandable for people to think that the alleged movement of the image was a miracle because of the disaster that recently hit Cebu and Bohol. He added that this may be taken as a “subjected perception” caused by the fear of the people of the recent disaster, especially with the continuing aftershocks. 

But Binghay said that if the reported “miracle” is true, it would be a wonderful sign. For now, however, Binghay said there is a process that needs to be followed and people need to be objective while waiting for the report of the parish priest.

The St. Augustine Parish acquired the image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in the 1980s. — with AJ de la Torre/QSB (FREEMAN)


***

Determining miracles follow a rigid process in the Church.

Compare that with the reported miracles of healing that usually happen during charismatic and evangelical prayer meetings like that from Eddie Villanueva and Wilde Almeda....IMIN end IMIN....

Yeah he speaks like that.  That's Amen and Amen.  Maybe African twin saints.  I don't know.

Anywho...

While Filipino Freethinkers, bunch of brats who'd blame all the bad things that happened to them and all around the world to the God who did not heed their prayers, or what they actually meant was the God who does not follow their bratty and bitchy whiny wishes, are all dismayed that a major disaster that hit Cebu and Bohol, and destroyed the historical churches and cost lots of human lives cannot even dampen the faith of the Boholanos and Cebuanos.

Maybe they need more load for their broadband for them to continue their attacks against the Catholic Church.

No surprise there.  RH was made into a law and their financial sources have stopped sending them money.

Now that is their god!

Made of elastic, no reusable rubber!


PS:  To the Boholanos out there.  Watch out for Teletubbie. He'd pose near that statue.  Wear a veil and imitate the pose of the Virgin....then he'd post it on Facebook.

My advice.  Find the nearest sink hole and..................





Report it to Phivolcs.

You ha!

Miracle after the quake?

I have received this via email.

How true is this?

Did this really happen in Cebu?

From this link.

***

On the day after His Holiness Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, while commemorating the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, hopefully contemplating the yet unfulfilled request of Mary to consecrate, with all the world's bishops, Russia to her Immaculate Heart, and to release the Third Secret, lest God punishes the world with a great chastisement, a miracle occurred in the Philippines.

A large earthquake hit the southern Philippines. It's epicenter was the island of Bohol. It also occurred in the nearby island of Cebu. The death count is 160+, and 250+ injured. The people noticed a pattern. The main buildings to collapse were the old churches. In several of these churches the only thing that remained standing was a statue of Mary. Here is one story: http://johnib.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/in-the-ruins-of-the-philippines-earthquake-two-holy-statues-stand-alone-bringing-faith-hope/

Yet, the most profound sign came from the most visited Marian Shrine in the Philippines on the island of Cebu, called Mama Mary shrine. There is a large, miraculous statue of Mary in this shrine, that has cried and cured many pilgrims. In the same church there is another statue of Mary, that appears to be Our Lady of Fatima. It has a base with the word "Portugal" on it. This base is continuous with the statue. They are one piece. The base cannot be detached from the body. Otherwise the statue would be broken into two pieces.

Here is the great miracle, which seems to be a message, a warning from Our Lady of Fatima. Right after the earthquake, pilgrims noticed and cried out in alarm that this statue had changed. Mary was now facing the wall, with her back to the people. But, the base itself, molded to the body of the statue, was still facing forward with the "Portugal" inscription!

I will try and upload the pic asap (not working from my phone).

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!  May Pope Francis and the world's bishops do as Our Lady requested.

***

Anyone of our friends in Cebu want to confirm this picture and story?


UPDATE:  7:32PM.  Here is the original post of the one who took the picture of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima via her Facebook account.  The post is in Cebuano.  Thanks Patrick!

The remains of St. Vincent de Paul

When his remains were exhumed for the first time in 1712, his body was found intact.

This exhumation was done in 1960, only his skeleton was left, the decomposition blamed on an underground flooding.  The 1737 exhumation for his canonization already found his body in this state.

The photo above was during the removal of the bones for "re-arranging" in time for the saint's 300th death anniversary.

His bones are now encased in a wax figure.

His heart, though, remains incorrupt...the heart of the Great Apostle of Charity, in a side altar in the Apparition Chapel in Rue du Bac, where the Virgin Mother revealed the Miraculous Medal to St. Vincent's daughter, St. Catherine Laboure.

PS:  one of his sons was the architect of the liturgical revolution...

New miracle c/o Bl. John Paul II?

From Andrea Tornielli

***

There is a presumed miracle that has been attributed to the intercession of John Paul II. The Postulator of the Cause, Mgr. Slawomir Oder presented this inexplicable case of healing to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints headed by Cardinal Angelo Amato, a month ago. The dossier is now in the hands of the medical commission. It all took place in the utmost secrecy and confidentiality. But Amato himself and the Archbishop of Cracow, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz - who had been Pope Wojtyla’s personal secretary and a big promoter of his canonization – had already discussed this three weeks ago. The Polish pope’s “inner circle” therefore hoped Wojtyla would receive the title of Saint by 2013.

A reliable source has confirmed to Vatican Insider that a step forward has been made, even if the alleged healing has not yet been examined by the Congregation’s medical commission, headed by Dr. Patrizio Polisca, Benedict XVI’s personal doctor. As is known, in order for a beatification to take place, the Catholic Church needs to guarantee and recognise a miracle attributed to the intercession of the candidate for sainthood and this miracle needs to have occurred after the death of the person who performed it. A second miracle needs to be confirmed in order to move up a step from beatification to canonization, an act proclaimed by the Pope, which implies infallibility and makes the worship of a saint universal. The second miracle must have been performed after the individual’s beatification. In the case of Wojtyla, it took place after the ceremony on 1 May 2011 in the presence of a huge crowd.

It is now up to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to assess the case and  decide whether the case presented has the necessary attributes for the medical commission – composed of various specialists called to give their thoughts on the scientific inexplicability of the healing - to approve it. Wojtyla was beatified for having healed a French nun, Sister Simon Pierre, who worked in a hospital’s maternity ward, from Parkinson’s disease. She had the same syndrome as John Paul II. The sisters prayed for the Pope when he passed away. And Sister Marie Simon Pierre was suddenly cured. The procedure for the recognition of this case of healing was not at all easy because it is difficult to give a precise diagnosis of certain neurological illnesses. Not all the doctors consulted gave their approval even though the Congregation’s final assessment was positive.

Could Benedict XVI’s shock resignation slow down Pope Wojtyla’s canonization process? In theory not, because the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will continue its work as normal until 28 February. But the Conclave and the first steps taken by the new Pope could justify any delay there may be to the dates expected by the Polish Pope’s entourage. What is certain is that the late Pope is a step closer to sainthood. But it is not possible to predict the exact time frame for the process yet and we still have to wait for the doctors in the “saint factory” to make their assessment and pass the dossier on to the theologians and cardinals.

***

As Fr. Z once advised, we need to ask the prayers of those who are in line for canonization.  They need to prove their cause by asking a miracle from God.

And you don't need a relic for this.  Just a photo of the venerable is good enough.  There are numerous cases of miracles attributed to the saint by just having the photo placed on a sick person, like the case of St. Pius X and even our own Filipino saints, Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod.

So...

STOP COLLECTING THOSE RELICS!

Why you MUST WEAR your Brown Cloth Scapular all the time!

Father John Higgins shares a true story about the power of the Brown Cloth Scapular.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good BBQ with friends? When I was asked to a young couple’s home for a Young Adult Ministry Home Mass and BBQ I packed my Mass kit and off I went. I arrived about 6:00 pm with a hearty appetite and was greeted by about 15 young people. Then the phone rang and everything changed. I had to drive about 10 miles to a hospital where there was an emergency call.

I drove quickly, thinking that the nurse in charge of the ER, Anne, would be waiting for me. I knew her and her husband and children from the parish. When I walked in I could see paramedics at the foot of the only occupied gurney there, so I hurried and walked in. “Sorry, Fr. John, you’re too late. He’s gone.” Anne said, smiling. She had a lot of compassion, but also understood that I’d come as fast as I could. They were removing wires from an older man. I noticed that he was wearing a Brown Scapular, one of the old cloth ones. I reached and said “He’s wearing an old fashioned Scapular”. When I touched it there was a beep from a monitor, then another. The nurse, Anne, said “What did you do?” I said “Nothing!” She and another nurse jumped to work, reconnecting wires and calling for help. The Paramedics stood with their jaws dropped. The patient opened his eyes and said (in an Irish accent) “Oh, good, Father. I’ve been waiting for you. I want to go to Confession.” I nearly fell over. I’d done nothing but seen and touched his Scapular. The next thing I knew they were working on him. He didn’t get to go to Confession, but I gave him an emergency absolution as they worked. One of the Paramedics asked if I was OK and sat me in a chair.

A couple of weeks later the man came to me for Confession and told me that the doctor couldn’t figure out what happened and had to tear up the Death Certificate he’d already started to fill out. The Paramedics had come to see him in the hospital and shown him their notes. At the bottom of the page they’d written the time and place of his death and then in big bold letters had added “BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE BY GOD”.

Miracles still happen. And no, I didn’t do it. It just happened according to God’s will. Why does He intervene in some cases and not in others? I really don’t know. I haven’t figured that out yet. But I do know that God has worked miracles in my life, the most important for me not being what He did for someone else, but what He has done over and over to bring me back from sin and death, through the Sacraments into His Covenant Relationship.


That man still had to die a natural death to be raised from the dead into eternal life. The resurrection Jesus offers all of us is eternal too. And that’s what we look forward to at Easter.

Father Higgins

***

That is why I personally prefer the cloth scapular rather than the brown plastic ones and even the Scapular medal.

Look who is also wearing his.

I read once that up until he died in 2005, he was wearing his Brown Scapular. When he was being operated upon by the doctors after he was shot in St. Peter's Square, he asked his doctors not to remove the scapular.

Make sure that you are properly imposed with it ok, using the approved ritual and formula.

By the way, Fr. Higgins has his own Facebook account. :)

I really pity the Bible-totting "Christians" who do not have anything on their hands like these powerful sacramentals that Holy Mother Church has given us.

They are channels of God's blessings, indeed.

And our Blessed Mother has made her promise also.

Wear yours, ALWAYS!

In case we forget..

Yesterday was the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

I wear mine all the time.  And it was imposed on me using the Traditional Ritual.

Yup, there is a special rite.

I will post it here as soon as I find it.

The symbolisms of the Medal is a Catechism in itself of our Faith, and numerous blessings that our Lady promised and I have personally experiences and received...ineffable.

So, are you wearing one?

For more about the Miraculous Medal, click here

"Come to the foot of the altar. Here graces will be shed on all who ask for them. Graces will be shed especially on those who ask for them."

- Our Lady to St. Catherine Laboure'

Another miracle by Pius XII?

CASTELLAMMARE DI STABIA, Italy — Maria Esposito was ready to give up. Wasted away at 42 kilos (92 pounds), she couldn’t bear another dose of chemotherapy to fight the Stage IV Burkitt’s lymphoma that had invaded her body while she was pregnant with her second child.

But as she and her family had done since she was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of cancer in July 2005, Esposito prayed to the man who had appeared to her husband in a dream as the only person who could save her: Pope Pius XII.

Esposito survived, cured after a single, six-week cycle of chemotherapy — a recovery that, she says, stunned her doctors and convinced her that the World War II-era pope had intervened with God to save her.

***

Hold on to your hats folks. The case is still being investigated. And of course there are your usual skeptics.

Nope. Not the usual anti-Catholic ravening pack of wolves. But her....(drum roll please!)

The patient's OWN BISHOP.

Migraine attack.

Read more here.

Ven. John Paul II may be beatified within the year!

Incorrupt bodies of Saints

This is the body of Blessed Ildefonso Schuster, the Cardinal - Archbishop of Milan during World War II, after his body was exhumed in preparation for his beatification on January 28, 1985. Schuster was beatified on May 12, 1996 by Pope John Paul II.

Now his body is displayed at the Duomo. His face is covered with a silver mask as an Italian tradition.

For other photos of other incorrupt bodies of saints, click here.