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Inside a Roman Catholic church in New Mexico, a 7 foot bronze statue of the Virgin Mary seems to "cry" according to church leaders.
The sculpture, known locally as Our Lady of Guadalupe, is not crying human tears; an investigator from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces says that his "tears" have the same chemical makeup as olive oil treated with perfume – a substance that, blessed, would be chrism, a sacred oil used in the Catholic Church to anoint the parishioners. But, say church leaders, the rare event has prompted people everywhere to come for conversions, confessions and to watch the statue of the Mother of God crying.
The question, says an expert, is not just how it goes or, if it happens naturally) but how people react to the phenomenon and why they may want to believe it.
"The Catholic Church has a long history of believing in supernatural signs," John Thavis, who wrote the 2015 book "The Prophecies of the Vatican," said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "There is a kind of curiosity and enthusiasm when something like this happens because it seems to confirm the traditional belief that God works in our own world and sometimes the supernatural is visible in our world."
It began on Pentecost Sunday May 20, when parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Hobbs noticed that there seemed to be tears streaming down the eyes of the Virgin Mary, Judy Ronquillo, the director of church affairs, told the Washington Post. She said the statue continued to "cry" the next day – something she has said since then several times in a row.
Ronquillo translated questions into Spanish for the priest, Reverend Jose Segura, who said that years of priesthood, he has never seen anything like this and he first struggled with to believe that it was real. But, Segura said, there are cameras in the church and no explanation made by the man could be determined; "There was evidence of that, he said, it would not allow to continue, according to Ronquillo.
"It's something extraordinary for him," said Ronquillo about the priest. "There is no word for that."
"There was a moment when he did not believe," she added, "but now he believes."
Photos and video released by the church statue with what appears to be liquid in the eyes and on the cheeks, mouth and chin. In one photo, it seems that the trail of tears could have started on the upper eyelids.
Deacon Jim Winder, Vice Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, said that there was enough liquid – about 500 milliliters – down the statue. He said that he and other investigators had examined the statue and the surrounding area, including the ceiling, and that there was no sign of alteration.
Winder said the investigators had also spoken to the Mexican manufacturer, dispelling all theories that the statue – which is cast in bronze and hollow – can be leaking or secreting some substance.
The investigators collected about 5 milliliters (or a teaspoon) of "tears" and had them tested, Winder said. He said the results showed that he had "the same chemical fingerprint of olive oil treated with some kind of scent" like chrism, but he added that it was clear – not the brownish color associated with most of the olive oil.
"We do not believe that chrism oil was taken from the church and used to adulterate this statue," said Winder. But he added that church officials have no answers. "We have no explanation for that."
Catholic church officials do not seem so concerned about why the statue of the Virgin Mary seems to cry from oily tears or where tears come from – God, Satan or the Lord. man – but, said Winder, the diocese oversees the response of the community. "In all honesty, it's the most important thing – that people are encouraged to come closer to God," said the deacon. Winder said, "We want to judge this phenomenon by what comes out of it." Wrote about the Vatican and other religious issues, said when apparent supernatural apparitions occur in the church, reports draw Catholics, who come to seek favor for their prayers, believing that God can "provide a direct link and people want to take advantage of Thavis says that in these situations, the Vatican usually allows the phenomenon to be played without the endorsement and that he expects the same thing from local bishops because events "often turn out to be hoaxes or are explained by science." "But it can take years to find the answer," he says, "and there are other times when, despite a thorough investigation, no explanation can be found.
Winder, with the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, said that at this time, the investigators have found no evidence that the events were of human origin, but they still monitor the situation.
is not made by the man, "he says," two possible sources – Satan and God All we can say at this point is what it is not. "
Published by Washington Post.
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