A Vatican academy is set to investigate ‘mystical phenomena’ around the world including ‘weeping’ statues of the Virgin Mary, stigmata and ghost sightings under plans for a new dedicated observatory.
According to the Daily Mail, The Pontifical Mariana International Academy (PAMI), which describes itself as a scientific institution of the Holy See, will hope to uncover ‘around a hundred ongoing phenomena’ in Italy alone.
The specialist observatory, which is still awaiting authenticity by the Church, will ‘evaluate and study apparitions and mystical phenomena’ across the globe, Vatican News reports.
A Vatican academy is set to investigate ‘mystical phenomena’ around the world including ‘weeping’ statues of the Virgin Mary, stigmata and ghost sightings under plans for a new dedicated observatory.
The Pontifical Mariana International Academy (PAMI), which describes itself as a scientific institution of the Holy See, will hope to uncover ‘around a hundred ongoing phenomena’ in Italy alone.
The specialist observatory, which is still awaiting authenticity by the Church, will ‘evaluate and study apparitions and mystical phenomena’ across the globe, Vatican News reports.
‘Many of these are local and restricted in scope, not all of them receive attention from the media and the general public.’ The new observatory committee, which will begin its first session on Saturday, had been keeping its eye on a curious case involving a weeping Mary statue in Trevignano, near Rome.
It involved an Italian woman facing an investigation for fraud after claiming her Virgin Mary statue could cry tears of blood and multiply gnocchi and pizza.
Thousands flocked to see Gisella Cardia’s predictions after her statue of Our Lady of Trevignano Romano began ‘weeping’ blood. Followers believed she brought messages from Mary and some said she’d even predicted the Covid pandemic.
However, church investigators recently discovered the blood which her statue wept was not holy and actually came from a pig, according to local media.
Officials believe she has now fled after fleecing her followers with tens of thousands of Euros in donations. This is not the first time that church officials have decided to probe ‘weeping’ Virgin Mary statues.
