ALOOWEEEEEE
It
looks like a miracle has been credited to Pope as he was said to have
performed one in Naples on Saturday by the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe.
During a visit to Naples Cathedral, the pontiff venerated a vial of blood belonging to the Neapolitan patron St. Gennaro, who was once the bishop of Naples until he was martyred in 305, and it began to liquify.
The
dry blood turned to liquid after the pontiff prayed the “Our Father”
over it and kissed the relic, prompting the Archbishop of Naples,
Crescenzio Sepe, to declare the rare phenomenon a miracle, Christian
Post reports.
“The blood has half liquified, which shows that Saint Januarius loves our pope and Naples,” said Sepe whilst showing the sealed glass ampoule to congregants.
The pontiff then joked about his failure to secure the full love of St. Gennaro, known in English as St Januarius.
“The
bishop just announced that the blood half liquefied. We can see the
saint only half loves us. We must all spread the Word, so that he loves
us more!” the pontiff said.
The
blood of St. Gennaro, who was beheaded during the persecution of
Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 305, last liquefied in
the presence of Pope Pius IX in 1848. Back in the day it was common for
Christians to collect the blood of their martyrs and store it with the
corpse of the deceased.
Believers say that
traditionally the relic liquefies three times a year after much prayer
on Sept. 19, the saint’s feast day; Dec. 16, and the Saturday before the
first Sunday of May. In some instances, there have been reports of this
happening up to 18 times a year.
While addressing
religious leaders at the cathedral, the pontiff touched on the
importance of not giving into temptation and he also likened gossip to
terrorism. He had a special message for seminarians.
“If
Jesus is not central, postpone the ordination. If you are not sure that
Jesus is the center of your life, wait a little longer,” he said.
It
was gathered also that while in Naples, the pontiff met with 8,000
people, spoke out against the mafia and corruption, and shared a meal
with 120 prison inmates.
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