Is this an actual real-life miracle or perhaps something else entirely? This is the same exact question many people are asking after video footage emerged which shows a statue of the Virgin Mary appearing to weep in El Canal, Mexico.
Residents have been quick to attribute divine intervention for the tears but experts suggest there may be other causes at play.
Residents of El Canal in the Mexican state of Colima were stunned when footage was posted to social media showing liquid dripping from the face of an outdoor statue of the Virgin Mary.
Local resident Victor Ramos believes that her tears reflect “the violence rates that are being experienced here in the state of Colima” – with 702 murders logged by October – and Maria Mercedes Hernandez said “Peace, may she give us peace in Colima and throughout the world, that we may return to the Colima of before.”
Real-life 'miracle' as Virgin Mary statue is filmed crying in Mexico https://t.co/C7uUAG6m0c pic.twitter.com/SddEloekCZ
— Jack Poso ???????? (@JackPosobiec) November 15, 2023
Professor Luigi Garlaschelli told Daily Mail that some statues can absorb water depending on their material composition (e.g., plaster or ceramic). He explained how a hole at the top could be filled with water and if there is a crack in its waterproof layer then it would leak out. Other similar events have been reported over time, such as one from Sicily back in 1953 which tested very similarly to human tears.
Pope Pius XII later asked if she was crying for those “in which error and sin have extinguished” or were they “tears awaiting” someone’s return? The shrine was eventually consecrated by Saint John Paul II who described them as “tears of sorrow for those who reject God’s love”.
This holy, beautiful church and sanctuary in Syracusa, Sicily houses the statue of the miraculous Virgin Mary that wept for four days back in 1953.
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To be able to feel the awe that comes from being there in person is an unforgettable experience. Some f… https://t.co/LOIlDfrNCw pic.twitter.com/lCMRRDche6— Ethan Hunter (@theasset) October 16, 2020
Only time will tell whether faith has truly been rewarded with this incident – but regardless it has certainly sparked debate among believers and non-believers alike.
