Vatican to possibly investigate miracle on eve of the anniversary of former Pope's death

London, England, Apr 5, 2009 / 16:53 pm

Another John Paul II miracle is being investigated by the Vatican after the fourth anniversary of his death. Cardinal Stanislaw Dzisisz, Archbishop of John Paul’s former diocese in Krakow, Poland, has stated that they are investigating a report that a nine-year-old Polish boy was healed after making a pilgrimage to John Paul’s tomb this week.

The former Pope passed away on April 2, 2005, but pilgrims from around the world traveled to celebrate his life and pray for his beautification on Thursday with current Pope Benedict XVI.

According to the Daily Mail, the boy is reportedly from Gdansk, Poland, the infamous site of the Lenin Shipyard where Lech Walesa became the leader of a spontaneous strike that led to the creation of the Solidarity movement.

John Paul II supported the movement which ultimately led to the fall of communism in Poland and was the catalyst for its fall in Eastern Europe and Russia.

The Polish boy was brought in a wheelchair due to the effects of a kidney tumor, and was wheeled to St. Peter’s Basilica on a pilgrimage to pray at John Paul’s tomb on the eve of the anniversary of his death.

Dziwisz, who was John Paul II’s personal secretary, said in the Daily Mail that after the boy prayed for a while, "he told his parents that he wanted to walk, which they took with some doubt," but according to Dzisiz, "he stood up and began walking."

If no scientific explanation is found for the boy’s recovery, the healing could be proposed as the miracle needed to declare John Paul II "blessed."

Last month, CNA reported that Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow said the beatification process of Pope John Paul II was about to be concluded and that Benedict XVI himself wanted to close the process "as soon as possible" because that "is what the world is asking for."