The testimony of a Colombian man who says he was “miraculously cured” of Parkinson's disease through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II could allow for the canonization of the Polish Pope.
According to the newspaper El Tiempo, the case involves Marco Fidel Rojas, the former mayor of the town of Huila, whose testimony has now been sent to the Vatican office heading the sainthood cause for the late Pontiff.
Recounting his story to the Colombian paper, Fidel remembers experiencing the first symptoms of the disease in December 2005. After a series of examinations, doctors determined he had suffered a stroke, which led to the development of Parkinson's.
Little by little, the disease began to get worse. “I felt like I could collapse at any moment. Various times I fell down outside on the street,” he recalled, adding that once he was almost run over by a taxi.
As the years went by and his health continued to deteriorate, Fidel suddenly remembered on the evening of Dec. 27, 2010, that during a trip to Rome he had met Pope John Paul II after Mass and spoke with him for a few moments.
I have a friend up there, Fidel thought that night, amid his pain. “And he had Parkinson's. Why didn’t I pray to him before? Venerable Father John Paul II: Come and heal me; put your hands on my head.”
After praying, Fidel said he slept perfectly that night; the next morning he woke up with no symptoms of the illness.
“Yes, John Paul II gave me the miracle of curing me,” he said. “My great promise to my healer is to spread devotion to him wherever I can.”
El Tiempo reported that Dr. Antonio Schlesinger Piedrahita, a renowned neurologist in Colombia, has certified Fidel’s healing and says he is in good health.
The miraculous healing of a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, who also suffered from Parkinson's, paved the way for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, which took place in Rome in May 2011.
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I have my own doubts about this piece of news for a few reasons. First we were just told several months ago about an alleged miracle of a Mexican Boy when John Paul’s relics past him by. That was also on EWTN news. Then there is the perfect timing just as we are hearing all about the Legion and the possible beatifications of Popes Paul VI and John Paul I. And surprise surprise once again the “alleged” miracle involves the very same disease which he himself suffered as well as the French Nun who brought about his beatification just last May. Strange enough while he can cure this disease he can’t cure anybody of bone cancer or Hodgkins which is the Miracle involving Venerable Pius XII (who cured an Italian Mother after John Paul showed then a picture of Pius since he “could not help her”
Good there is a second miricle. Sounds like it might make John Paul ll a saint.
Miracles: I’ll believe one when a finger grows back or a tooth heals a cavity. Something that a layman would say “wow”. Just sayin…
The FACT that the French Nun’s cure was NOT accepted by medical science as inexplainable and that there are clearly alternate explanations to her remission (she could very well not have had true Parkinson’s). And that the sainthood went ahead anyway because of the ‘democratic crowd’s’ howling… is the single most destructive act of the Papacy in my lifetime. I cannot imagine anything so destructive of faith as ‘a convenient, sentimental lie’. I myself have yet to recover from it.
I am not surprised by the comments claiming non-belief. There were many who did not believe in Christ, even after they saw the miracles and heard Him speak.
It boils down to this: for those who have faith, no explanation or proof is necessary; for those who don’t believe, no explanation or proof will be satisfactory.
As for myself, I believe that Pope John Paul II was a holy man and an example of a true Christian in his daily dealings with people all around the world. He exhibited forgiveness and love, even to those who hurt him. Why would he not be a saint?
I hope that many miracles are attributed to his loving intercession, but regardless, I have no doubt that this man, with all his human weaknesses, was an instrument in the hands of God. May God bless Pope John Paul II.
There is a double standard in the post VATII Church regarding the “miracles”:
-Less than 100 healings certified as truly unexplainable among THOUSANDS of healing reports in Lourdes since the middle of the XIXth century until now.
- Two purported miracles in two dubbious cases for JPII
I agree with Elena and I am very excited to see the cause for the canonization of Blessed Pope John Paul II.
Blessed John Paul, pray for us.
Although I believe that the late Pope is certainly in Heavens, one cannot consider him as an example of virtue (the true aim ofa canonization) to the faithfuls because he was controversial on several points.
- He didn’t care to handle the issue of the paedophile priests on time thus letting that heavy and shameful burden to his successor.
- He didn’t dare to sanction the head of the Legionaries of Christ because he was a friend of him thus letting a time bomb to burst out later
- He kissed the Koran, thus giving too a strong signal to the rampant relativism the modernists want the RCC to display as a dogma
- He lacked a bit of courage in the Consecration he made of Russia to the IHM because he didn’t dare to name that nation in the consecration act and didn’t dare to require the world’s bishops to perform it in union with him (though our Lady clearly required this)
- Not speaking about many heresy bordering statements he made.
My understanding of who qualifies as a saint is different from the interpretation I have read above. None of the saints were perfect, with the exception of our Blessed Mother Mary. In fact, many of them led rather less than saint-like lives until something inside of them changed. I think the saints were ordinary people who lived holy lives in the environments in which they were placed. Holy does not mean perfect, in my humble opinion. I believe that holy means walking in step with God’s plan and striving to become the person that God wants you to be. He knows none of us are perfect….and He loves us anyway. So, while some may think that Pope John Paul II was flawed,as each of us humans are, that does not mean he should not be recognized as a saint. May God bless John Paul II and all of us.
Elena-
So its ok to accept suspicious miracles and destroy the integrity of 20 centuries of the Catholic church and the miraculous occurrences of true saints (that have been exhaustively researched) because hey! Nobody’s perfect…. That is not the issue. THEY ARE ACCEPTING AS MIRACLES FLIMSY MIRACLES FOR THE SAKE OF THE ‘SAINTHOOD NOW’ MOB. And it makes me SICK to my STOMACH.
Elena,
Ordinary saints (those the Church never canonized) fit in your description. Their number certainly is huge in Heavens.
The Church canonizes a few of them who are WORTHY to be given as EXAMPLES OF VIRTUE. Some were saints all along their ordinary life, some converted (sometimes lately) and become so.
In the case of the late JPII his sainthood would have been peculiarly noticeable in his life as Pope. I don’t think that was the case if one compares it to the last popes the Church made saints. For example the late Pius X: Please compare and let me know.
Poetcomic1 and Jacques,
It seems, to me, that you are very upset by all of this. I don’t know what you may have experienced that has caused so much agitation, but I hope God will give you peace. Have you thought that there may be many miracles out there that have never been reported, attributable to the intercession of Pope John Paul II? Only God knows. John Paul II was, and still is, loved by many people around the world. Whether the Catholic Church decides to give him recognition as a canonized saint or not is a matter of prayerful discernment. We are the church and we are not perfect….we, too, can make mistakes in judgement. Who is to say that people we have canonized as saints in the past really are saints? That being said, what ultimately counts is what God thinks about it. I don’t pretend to know that. May God help all of us as we try to be the people He wants us to be. May God bless John Paul II and all our faithful brothers and sisters who have died.
Posted by Rebecca on Wednesday, Jul 18, 2012 4:12 PM (EST):I agree with Elena and I am very excited to see the cause for the canonization of Blessed Pope John Paul II.
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Me, too.
(Ignore the trolls.)
Pope John Paul is a saint, read about his life and his family’s sufferings, he survived an assasination attempt and then forgave the shooter. I have no doubt about these miracles being performed by Pope John Paul. God Bless him.
Thank you John Paul the Great. I hope
That the Vatican approves his cannonization.
We need all the faith and blessings in this world full of dispair
and misery.
Can some-one please forward address of where to write when one receives a miracle from Pope John Paul 2nd?
I totally agree with Elena. Those who have faith need no explanation; those without faith, no explanation or proof is ever satisfactory. JPII was a man who could relate to just about any situation. He knew poverty, love, charity, hard work, obedience, war and oppression, relationships, you name it. I loved him and I considered him a saint even before he died. A friend of mine told me when she had lunch with him, that “when you looked into his eyes, they reflected his soul; there was a sparkle!” You want to know about this man? Read his biography…read his books. John Paul II will be cannonized.
Read the documented explanation of Fr. Luigi Villa why jp 11 should not be beatified let alone canonized. He disallowed Our Lady of Fatima statue to be brought inside the church of Assisi so as not to offend the leaders of different denominations including the Budhist leader whose budha statue was venerated and placed on top of the tabernacle while our Lord’s Body,Blood,Soul & Divinity is residing in it. He did not even have the courtesy to at least move our Lord Who is present in the tabernacle.See for your self. Go to? http://www.padrepioandchiesaviva.com
also Google it: who is Fr.Luigi Villa ? get informed. I was a big time admirer of jp ii, until I read a documented big time, all kinds of abbominations. Did you read the article what happened in Lourdes a day before his relic was to arrive ?. The river in Lourdes burst and everything was under water so much so that they have to evacuate the pilgrims. What does this tell you? Mass celebration is a holy sacrifice. jp ii mass is preceeded with dancing, etc, and some are almost naked
dancers. During our Lourd’s passion,& in calvary, was our Blessed Mother dancing, carrying gifts, or Veronica demonstrating & dancing ? No pope ever did…and many other things jp ii did that are terrible. Go to www. PadrePioand chiesaviva.com or Google who is fr. luigi villa? There are about 62 pages. Get informed
Rose - You say to get informed, yet you yourself seem very uninformed. You are taking all of your information from what one website posted on the internet. I am sorry, but I will take the word and opinion of my Holy Church and His Holiness the Pope over the word and opinion of some website any day of the week. Pope John Paul The Great was a wonderful leader who brought many to faith and is an example that we should all strive to follow. Was he perfect? Of course not, but neither is anyone else who lived aside from Jesus Christ.
my mother has the same disease Parkinson’s and we had lost hope that she will get better and she made the novena of John Paul II and she got better. she could not write, eat, bath herself, but after she was able to do them again.
Who needs a miracle? The trads want him sainted anyway. Just make one up.
I agree with the comments/opinions of Linda, Elena and Brad even after I have read and pondered on the blog here “Karol Wojtyla Beatified?” by Fr. Villa. After recovering from my “initial shock”, I set aside all the negatives about the beloved late Pope, only all the good about him. If it is God’s Will that he be canonized, so be it. And i joined with all the other Catholics and non-Catholics alike who love Pope John Paul II. Amen.
John Paul II invited representatives of virtually every false religion in the world, including a Voodoo Witch Doctor and an African Animist, to Assisi to pray to their false gods (the devil) for world peace. He even provided many of these false religions with a special room where they could commit an act of false worship (a mortal sin against the first Commandment), in the hope of obtaining “world peace”.
During the event, the Voodoo witch doctor sacrificed a chicken on the high altar of St. Clare’s. And this Pope is called “the great”? Are we living in the twilight zone? I realize Catholics have been dumbed down over the past 50 years, but even a malformed Catholic should be horrified by the Assisi scandal. If John Paul II is canonized, would not this be an implicit stamp of approval on false worship? If the Church now approves violations of “the first and greatest commandment”, why would it not also permit violations of the other nine commandments, including adultery and abortion? After all, sins against the first Commandment are, by there very nature, more serious than those against other Commandments.
Assisi, in and of itself, should exclude any possibility of canonization for John Paul II, and should instead merit him a swift anathema.
I knew John Paul II and had the privilege of being with him privately several times. He is a Saint and his actions and writings prove it. His courage and example brought many men and women to God. Many of our young Priests today were inspired by his exemplary life. He should have been made a Saint long ago. May God forgive those who write against this extraordinary Pope, for seldom has there been such a courageous and clear thinker who accomplished so much during his trips all over the world and converted so many to the true Church.
Mercedes Arzu Wilson
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