Archbishop, young man attribute miracle to John Paul II

Nov 2, 2006 / 22:00 pm

A young Italian man cured of lung cancer has attributed his full recovery to the miraculous intervention of the late Pope John Paul II.

The man from Salerno, located south of Naples, was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. According to Thursday’s edition of Il Mattino, his wife prayed for John Paul’s intercession, and the dead Pope reportedly appeared in a dream to her and reassured her that her husband would be fine.

A few days after the dream, doctors noticed the man's condition improve. Within weeks, his cancer had completely disappeared, doctors said. The cancer has not returned.

Archbishop Gerardo Pierroof Salerno told Il Mattino he was confident that a miracle had taken place. The diocese is currently looking into the case.

Vatican officials are already working for the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Information continues to be gathered on John Paul's life and teachings, including all private writings from the period before he became Pope, to determine whether he demonstrated “heroic virtues.” Once this has been established, a miracle is required for beatification. A second miracle is required for canonization.

Numerous reports have poured into the Vatican of alleged miracles attributable to him, including the case of a French nun who was reportedly cured of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease after praying for his intercession.