Devout Catholic Gisella Cardia purchased a Virgin Mary statue from Medjugorje, Bosnia in 2016. A site well-known for its spiritual significance. She took the statue back to her home in Trevignano Romano, Italy. Soon thereafter, Cardia made shocking claims that the statue was crying blood and conveyed divine messages to her.
This alleged miracle drew thousands of pilgrims, who believed that they were, in fact, witnessing a miracle unfold, a manifestation of the supernatural. The site of the statue soon became a tourist attraction, drawing in donations. This led to further outreach, drawing even more attention to the unnatural.
Allegations and the Start of an Investigation Into The Virgin Mary Statue
However, everything was about to change when in 2023, skepticism started to arise around the Virgin Mary statue. Italian prosecutors in Civitavecchia grew suspicious and accused Cardia of fraud. Evidence had surfaced that the blood was tested as belonging to an animal, not a human. More specifically, it turned out to be pig’s blood. This triggered an in-depth official investigation in which DNA samples were collected from the statue, in an attempt to unveil the truth behind the “tears of blood.”
DNA Test Results Cast Doubt
Initially, the first testing samples revealed that the blood belonged to a female human. This supported Cardia’s claims, leaving a gaping hole in the case. The complexity pressed for further investigation, eventually leading to the discovery that the blood in-fact belonged to Cardia herself. This discovery led to critics alleging that she may have simply planted the blood there.
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Defense and Calls for Further Investigation
Solange Marchignoli, Cardia’s lawyer, argues that this doesn’t convulsively prove fraud and rather suggests further investigation, stating: “From a scientific point of view, the DNA stain deserves further investigation.” he insisted to further determine whether the DNA was singular or mixed. “If the profile is single, it means that it is only Cardia’s and she put it there, so in this case we would go to trial,” she explained.
“But if, as expected, the profile is mixed, it means that the DNA found on the statue also contains Gisella’s DNA, which we expect because she used the statuette, kissed it and handled it.” She continued. Her lawyer continued, promoting her immense faith, insisting her client was of good mental health and had absolutely nothing to gain from faking these events. “She is moved by a deep faith and has nothing to gain from this,” Marchignoli stated.
The Church’s Verdict on The Virgin Mary Statue
In the background, the Diocese of Civita Castellana conducted its own investigation, in an effort to assess the spiritual validity of the Virgin Mary statue. In May 2024, Bishop Marco Salvi released his very own statement, declaring the events as “non-supernatural.”
The diocese commissioned experts in their fields, including a Mariologist, theologian, canonist, psychologist, and other specialists, to evaluate the claims. Their findings ended in the diocese dismissing the possibility that there was any sort of divine intervention. This diminished the credibility of the “tears of blood.”
Public Reaction and Implications
The controversy built around the Virgin Mary statue has sparked intense debate online between believers and skeptics. Some are taking the church’s declaration as definitive proof, suggesting that the events were fabricated.
Others who remain pilgrims to the statue suggest that regardless of its origin, it holds spiritual power. The case has raised a fair point – where do we draw the line between faith and fraud? This has since dug up various other alleged miracles, equally questioning their validity.
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