Vatican City, Jan 18, 2010 / 12:40 pm
The Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, confirmed over the telephone to CNA today that a "presumed miracle" attributed to Pope Pius XII is under investigation. The case involves a patient cured of cancer in southern Italy.
Cardinal Saraiva was quick to caution, however, that there is a big difference between a "presumed" miracle and a "confirmed" miracle.
The case came to the attention of the Congregation for Saints' Causes from the town of Castellammare di Stabia near Naples, Italy. "Some months ago," the local Sorrento & Dintorni online publication reported on Sunday, a person was discovered to be cured of a form of cancer previously declared incurable after praying for the intercession of Pope Pius XII.
The doctors of the person, of whom no details are public, were unable to give a scientific explanation for the occurrence, according to the article.
According to the same news source, the story was confirmed by Fr. Carmine Giudici, Vicar General of the Diocese of Sorrento, who said, "It's all true." Fr. Carmine said that the Holy See was in contact with the diocese after having been contacted by a local church-goer who says that he or she received a miracle "by the intercession of Pius XII."
"The archbishop then decided to institute within days the appropriate diocesan tribunal."
The existence of the possible miracle was confirmed to CNA by Cardinal Saraiva Martins on Monday afternoon.
The prefect emeritus also said that it is impossible to estimate the amount of time it might take for the process of confirmation to be carried out.