Pope Francis is credited with a “half miracle” after St. Gennaro’s dry blood turned into liquid in his presence. Over the weekend, Pope Francis visited Naples, Italy, where he performed his first “half miracle” by turning St. Gennaro’s dry blood into liquid by kissing the glass ampoule that contained it.
The headlines “Pope Blood Half Miracle” and “Pope Dry Blood Liquid” have some believers weeping. On Saturday, Pope Francis visited Naples, Italy, where he gave a speech on organized crime that is affecting the region.
He met with over 8,000 people including young children who are directly affected by these horrific crimes. He also shared a meal with prisoners including those, who have AIDS and some who are transgenders.
Pope Francis made a stop at the Naples Cathedral and gave an impromptu speech, in which he gave the following advice to Christians: “They should always follow the path of Jesus and avoid temptations.”
He told the many religious figures in the room to avoid gossiping because it is a form of terrorism. Pope Francis explained to them that if they do not feel that God is the center of their lives, to wait before committing.
And like his predecessors, he held and kissed the sealed glass ampoule containing the dry blood of Januarius also known as San Gennaro.
According to several witnesses and Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, half of the blood liquified after the pope touched it.
Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe therefore concluded that Pope Francis had performed a “half miracle.” Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe told the crowd:
“If only half of it liquefied that means we still have work to do; we have to do better.”
Pope Francis replied by saying:
“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!”
It has been revealed that after Poe Francis left the cathedral, St. Gennaro’s dry blood continued to liquefy until the entire content of the ampoule had turned to liquid.
Many who witnessed the pope’s “half miracle” wept. The last time a pope was present as the dry blood turned to liquid was in 1848, when it did so in front of Pope Pius IX.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II held St. Gennaro’s dry blood, so did Benedict XVI in 2007, and they failed to produce a miracle or even a half miracle during their visits.
Januarius or San Gennaro was the Bishop of Naples and a martyr saint of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Born in Benevento to a wealthy family, at 15, he became local priest and 5 years later, he was named Bishop of Naples. He grew close to Juliana of Nicomedia and Saint Sossius whom he met during his priestly studies.
During the persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, he was apprehended by authorities while visiting Sossius in jail. Some say, he was thrown to wild bears that refused to eat him, others say, he was thrown into a fire and came out alive; it is even claimed that he was beheaded. It is believed that a woman by the name of Eusebia saved Januarius’ blood just after the saint’s death in 305.
Catholics say if they pray hard enough three times a year, St. Gennaro’s blood will melt. Those keeping track say the liquefaction of the blood sometimes occurs 18 times a year.
Non-believers say, it is not a miracle, the blood liquifies when the relic is moved from storage to display or because of the weather. What are your thoughts on Pope’s “half miracle?”
