Pope Francis Credited With 'Miracle' as St. Gennaro's Blood Liquifies

Pope Francis is said to have created a miracle when a sealed glass ampoule with the dried blood of a saint that was killed in 305 A.D. - turned to liquid while he was holding the relic. Well, half the blood turned to liquid, but reports are indicating that the blood continued to liquify and is now completely transmuted.

The saint's blood is usually dry inside of its sealed glass ampoule. However, after the pope kissed the relic, it began to turn to liquid. “It is the sign that St. Gennaro loves Pope Francis: half of the blood turned to liquid," Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe, archbishop of Naples, told the cheering crowd, according to Vatican Insider. “If only half of it liquefied that means we still have work to do; we have to do better," the pontiff replied. "We have only half of the saint’s love.” The website reports that the blood continued to liquefy until the entire contents of the ampoule had turned to liquid, causing some in the crowd to weep.

To read the full story and watch the video visit the Source over at Huffington Post.

According to the source, this isn't the first time St. Gennaro's blood has liquified within the artifact. For the past six centuries, reports of the blood liquifying have been rolling in.

Skeptics believe that the phenomenon is triggered by some unknown atmospheric conditions?

What do you all think?

CdT

They call this a miracle? A cup of blood turning into liquid? Where are the real miracles like a hospital full of cancer patients being cured or AIDS being wiped out?

Is this the best god can do? Turn old blood into liquid again? Not very impressive.

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

I think there are many things in this world we do not understand.

a reply to: Autorico

Reminds me of...

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio

CdT

Yep. Catholics around the world were waiting to see if it would happen. Popes have previously visited the relic of St. Gennaro's Blood and it hasn't liquified 'off date'. People watch carefully on the usual dates, but visits by a pope are a huge thing. Looks like it liquified. The online Catholic sites will be buzzing on this.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I was really surprised that no one reported on this here at ATS before this. Given the article is five days old. I waited, I have a list of stories I'm waiting to see covered, but since ATS isn't really on the ball as of late - I went ahead and threw up a thread about it.

I'm curious as to if there are any known processes in science that can cause such a transmutation. I hope the science crowd here has a few gems of theory to throw out on this.

CdT

the miracle of St Gennaro is an old tradition in naples.
I lived in sicily most of my life, every year it's on tv.
The blood turns into water no matter what just by a change in temperature and moving it.
that's the one thing they don't mention often but is part of the ritual: you turn the little bottle upside down.
this miracle has been happening every year all the time.
here is a video of it happening, around the minute mark.


Crazy how people scream miracle instead of saying "hmmm this happens EVERY year without flaw...maybe there is some other explanation?"

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

Whether or not it was a miracle, I hope Catholics believe it is. His anti-establishment and non-conservative views have been making many doubt him. Hopefully this will solidify (or liquefy?) his opposition and make some of his critics rethink his message.

First thing I think of is that alchemists had some neat tricks of chemistry at their disposal... tricks some modern chemists might not have found, yet.... the same tricks priests have been using for eons to keep their jobs.

And then there's that whole "the paranormal happens, at a rate that's almost normal..." thing... so, maybe some bored supreme being did decide to liquify some solid as they were bored making universes that day... who knows.

But I'd bet on the alchemists... heh

a reply to: Cuervo

I have respect for this Pope. What i would be curious to know does Pope himself see this as an miracle... i guess that we will never know.

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

Crazy how people scream miracle instead of saying "hmmm this happens EVERY year without flaw...maybe there is some other explanation?"

Like maybe it is not even blood or is blood with an additive, either way the credit does not seem to go to god but always to a person.

originally posted by: dollukka
a reply to: Cuervo

I have respect for this Pope. What i would be curious to know does Pope himself see this as an miracle... i guess that we will never know.

If the quote in the Op is correct I would think yes he does or is saying he does.

“If only half of it liquefied that means we still have work to do; we have to do better," the pontiff replied. "We have only half of the saint’s love.”

a reply to: Char-Lee

It would be nice to see this item more closely if there is a tube with liquid around the circle, that would explain why it's turned from side to side.

a reply to: Char-Lee

I guess i should have said if he really beliefs it is .

a reply to: dollukka

no need to go that far.
Thixotropy explains it all
Thixotropy is a time-dependent shear thinning property. Certain gels or fluids that are thick (viscous) under static conditions will flow (become thin, less viscous) over time when shaken, agitated, or otherwise stressed (Time Dependent Viscosity). They then take a fixed time to return to a more viscous state

even though it's not as impressive as blood, the ketchup in your fridge does it.

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse

Thank you! I did a quick google on Thixotropy and St. Gennaro's blood and found a few interesting links to add to the thread. It appears that all you need is chalk, hydrated iron chloride and salt water to make your own miracle blood.

The Skeptic's Dictionary

Paranormality

CdT

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

no worries
We have this thing called CICAP (translates to the Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims on the Paranormal)
www.cicap.org...

they recreated the miracle using things that would be commonly available at the time the ampule was found.
the english wikipedia page does not actually list the "ingredients" they used so here:
Iron chloride
Calcium carbonate
salt
water.

They made a liquid the same color of human blood that behaves the same way.
To be fair, the one they created lost it's properties after 2 years.
But St. Gennaro's blood is not always under public eye, so doing a refill would be a very easy task.

originally posted by: Baddogma
First thing I think of is that alchemists had some neat tricks of chemistry at their disposal... tricks some modern chemists might not have found, yet.... the same tricks priests have been using for eons to keep their jobs.

And then there's that whole "the paranormal happens, at a rate that's almost normal..." thing... so, maybe some bored supreme being did decide to liquify some solid as they were bored making universes that day... who knows.

But I'd bet on the alchemists... heh

I don't think it's that hard to make something to do that just need some ground plant fiber oil and wax and something to add color.

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

Excuse me for being skeptical, but how was this miracle verified and was it accurately recorded by impartial witness or means?

Could a cheap parlor magician recreate this "miracle' under the same circumstances?

Edit

I see half of my questions have already been answered.

The pope a saint? People still believe in that?

Catholics were instrumental in moving Nazi leaders out of Germany after the war, so many at ATS should love the Catholic Church for that--personally, antisemitism is one reason I left the Church. Then again, the Church is against gay marriage (against gay in general), against abortion, and against free speech--the other reasons I left Catholicism. So maybe ATS love the pope and his Church for their antisemitism, and ignore the gay and antiabortion stuff.