Sep 20, 2007 / 08:39 am
As has occurred every year for the last 400 years, the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius took place in the city of Naples on the martyr’s feast day of September 19.
Upon witnessing the miracle, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, called it “a prodigious sign that manifests the closeness and fondness of the Lord for our beloved and suffering land which, blessed by God, strives to move forward amidst many difficulties in order to show her pure and transparent faith in Jesus Christ.”
Cardinal Sepe, who presided at the ceremony in the Cathedral of Naples, also mentioned the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI on October 21. “This will be a providential occasion to give new encouragement to a land John Paul II put at the center of his unforgettable pilgrimage.”
“From one Pope to the next, Naples is called to take the lead role again in a future of justice, peace and freedom. There is no hurt that is incurable: Naples is ready to take its history and its future by the hand. The only thing that is incurable in this city is its capacity to love,” the cardinal stated.