'Moving Madonna' hailed a miracle

[emad]

Mobile phone reportedly captures statue taking "human form"

(ANSA) - Acerra, July 25 - Pilgrims are flooding to this small town near Naples where dozens claim to have seen a statue of the Virgin Mary move and take "human form" .

Several witnesses said they saw the marble-and-plaster statue at the town's Saint Peter's church miraculously move its legs and knees on Saturday. One person took a blurred mobile-telephone image that appears to show the statue's legs are a fleshy, human colour. Strangely, this transformation does not appear on photos taken at the same time with ordinary cameras .

"Yesterday evening I saw the ear lobe extend and become flesh, just like the nose, which assumed a pinky colour," said Maria, one of the witnesses. "The gown turned into a veil, showing all the legs." "The legs gradually became more prominent and then the knees moved forwards, until they stretched out the folds of the white dress," said Domenico, 45. "It's not the power of suggestion. Many of us really saw it." There are rumours that one pilgrim managed to record the statue moving with a video camera. When the news of the supposed miracle broke, several local people said they had seen the statue move previously. "The Madonna had already moved other times, but you couldn't say anything," said Anna. "We had to wait until the bishop found out, otherwise no one would have believed us." Volunteers from the Civil Protection Agency, who were drafted in to maintain order at the church as thousands of faithful came to pay homage, are among those who claim to have seen the 'miracle'. However, parish priest Don Oreste Santoro said he has not personally seen anything out of the ordinary and the Catholic Church remains sceptical. "Out of instinct I don't believe it, but I will evaluate all the documents I'm given to decide whether a commission (to evaluate if a miracle has taken place) should be appointed," said Acerra bishop, Monsignor Giovanni Rinaldi .

The work in question is 1.6 metres high. It was made specially for the church, which only opened its doors in December, and stands on a pedestal at the side of the altar. It depicts the Virgin Mary holding a rosary and a cross and wearing a white gown that clings to her body line. "I have a statue that is the same, but smaller," said Rinaldi .
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2005-07-25_851681.html

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. sure would like to see a video

and a better picture of this.
until then......meh

[Orsino]

7. Check out "Lucky Star."

The Church, as usual, is years behind the times. We knew she was pretty miraculous in the early eighties!

[SheepyMcSheepster]

8. lol

you had me going for a second.
i was thinking "what is this lucky star? is it some movie or church? can i see videos of these claims by doing a search for lucky star"

i was two seconds from putting "lucky star" into google.

hehe.

:crazy:

[Missy M]

2. Well I'm surprised the Virgin Mary would make her appearance by...

showing her legs. How risque.

[arwalden]

3. Oh Brother!

:eyes:

Kooks!

[Shell Beau]

4. I don't even know how to respond to that!

[emad]

5. From The Independent: 'She's upset about the terrorism'

Pilgrims flock to see Naples' 'moving' Madonna statue
By John Phillips in Rome
Published: 26 July 2005
SNIP:

Some parishioners speculated the apparitions might be a sign of the Madonna's displeasure at the recent terrorist attacks around the world. Whatever the case, local ecclesiastical authorities are not excluding that the apparitions may be authentic.

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article301670.ece

MORE like she's pissed off with Dumbass..........

[StopTheMorans]

6. doesn't the mother of God have better things to do?

there's a war in Iraq, funding for the mentally ill, homeless, and education are being cut domestically, not to mention all of the bullshit going on around the world, and the mother of God is wasting her time doing this? good fucking grief...