A statue of Madonna in Australia has been at the heart of a religious dispute for many years. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments
Thousands of worshippers journeyed from around the world on the extensive trip south of Perth, wishing to view the remarkable 70-centimetre Madonna sculpture at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Rockingham, all for one amazing reason.
The sculpture was placed in 2003 and quickly attracted the attention of spiritual followers who noticed what they considered to be a miraculous trait of the object. In just months after being unveiled, visitors professed to see it exuding oily tears.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
A Madonna statue symbolises the Virgin Mary, representing ideals of purity, maternal devotion, faith, hope, and salvation within Christianity. The term itself comes from the Italian phrase ‘ma donna’, meaning ‘my lady’.
Shortly afterwards, the archbishop launched an investigation into what believers were describing as an alleged miracle, seeking to dispel the rumours and suspicion that the oily tears were in reality a hoax. While he stated he “believe in miracles,” Archbishop Hickey also mentioned at the time that they couldn’t yet confirm if it was “definitely one of them,” The Age stated.
Importantly, the church adheres to a series of official standards that must be fulfilled before they can declare something as miraculous. In this case, there were no set guidelines regarding a crying statue, yet no rationale existed aside from divine intervention, reports <a href=”https://www.themirror.com/news/weird-news/virgin-mary-statue-weeps-tears-1370466″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror US</a>.
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
The latest science news from the natural world, health, tech and beyond Subscribe Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Get More of Our News on Google
Set Daily Express as a ‘Preferred Source’ to get quicker access to the news you value.
He commented: “I’m not implying it wasn’t a miracle, by the way; I’m saying we lack sufficient proof. I don’t understand how it occurred; all I can say is other explanations are conceivable.”
Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT
After in-depth assessment by a doctor, priest, and even a microbiologist, no evidence of manipulation was found after close examination of the statue.
The hollow structure underwent magnification, X-ray, and CT scan over four days, the archbishop confirmed.
According to him, there were no “secret passages for the movement of liquids outside the statues.”
The investigation showed the oil was indeed vegetable oil containing specks of rose oil incorporated in, thought to be the product of human involvement.
The detailed assessment also followed the patterns of when the statue would cry, which reportedly began on March 19 during the feast of St. Joseph.
It persisted over the four days of Easter that year, and during the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven, it exuded tears almost constantly until mid-January.
The archbishop revealed there were numerous instances when the statue didn’t cry.
“One was the four days during which they scrutinised the statue,” he said.
“And one was the month I requested for the statue to be isolated in the office of the parish priest of Rockingham.”
Following the perplexing crying occurrences and exhaustive investigation, the statue was then returned to its rightful possessor, parishioner Patty Powell.
The crying Madonna was never presented in church again.