REPORTS of Pope Ratzinger getting jumped by an allegedly “unstable” young woman on Christmas eve have eclipsed a story that the Virgin Mary showed up in Egypt, where she is said to have performed eye surgery on a 39-year-old mother of two.
The Virgin Mary, by Australian photographer Kate O'Brien
According to this report, Jesus’ mum put in an appearance above a church in Al-Warrak, a poor working class neighbourhood of the Egyptian capital. Since then thousands of Christians have congregated in the area to stare silently at the sky in the hope of seeing She Who Was Bonked by God.
Said Father Fishay, a priest at the Warrak church:
The first person to spot the sighting of the Virgin Mary was a Muslim neighour. He took a video and pictures and distributed them to everyone.
The man was sitting at his local coffee shop when he saw a strong light coming from the church.
Others on the street noticed the light and saw a bird circling above the church. At around 2 am, a vision of the Virgin Mary in her white and blue robes appeared, Fishay said.
He added:
The church closes its doors in the evening, we were not there when the image appeared the first time, so we decided to come back the second night and we saw the bird circling the church then the light.
News of the apparition quickly spread in the area, prompting hundreds to rush out of their homes armed with mobile phones to capture the momentous event. But Muslim residents in the area insist it is a hoax, with someone creating the image with laser beams.
Said an excited Rami, 36, in response to sceptics:
It’s her, with her blue and white clothes, there is no doubt about it. It cannot be an illusion.
Kawkab Munir Shehata, 39, is convinced. The mother of two says the Virgin Mary even performed surgery on her, giving her back the sight she had lost in her left eye.
It was about 3:40 am when she started performing the surgery on my left eye. I felt immense pain which lasted about quarter of an hour. Then I was ecstatic to find out that I could see clearly. You see, my left eye is even better than my right one now.
Nabil, 32, his wife Mariam, 28, and their three children came from Shubra al-Kheima, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) away on the other side of town, to receive the Virgin’s blessings.
Mariam said:
Her appearance means she approves of us and if she blesses us, we will stay till morning.
Her husband added that the sighting proves that Christianity is still alive. He is angry over the recent publication of an article in a periodical of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, questioning the foundations of Christianity.
The apparition of the Virgin Mary means that Christianity is real and the Bible is real.
The priest Fishay said:
It is not possible to know the reason for the Virgin’s appearance, but it could be to push people towards faith, and help put an end to their problems. Maybe her appearance is to bring people closer together, maybe it will bring about the end of the state of tension between Muslims and Christians and an end to extremism. Maybe it’ll bring back forgiveness like there once used to be in Egypt.
Note: You can see other examples of Kate O’Brien’s work here. She’s good!
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
December 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
“The apparition of the Virgin Mary means that Christianity is real and the Bible is real.” Christianity does, sadly exsist as does the bible but if, as I suspect, the above statement alludes to a proof of biblical content then it is a circular argument and a perversion of logic.
Either this is hoax to show the credulous how stupid they are, or a hoax by a believer to bolster religion. Another example of the madness of crowds!
I’ve yet to find any of the claimed video or photographs on the internet.
December 26th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
You notice that the church closes its doors in the evening making it easy for some manipulator to access the roof.
This reminds me of the apparitions at Zeitoun in Egypt in April 1968, which I personally only learnt of in the ’90. You would think that the appearance of Jesus’s Mother would have the whole christian world agog. That top photographers the world over would flock to the scene but no. If you can find one let me know.
December 26th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Every time one of them shows up, it’s like preaching to the converted. It would be great if Jesus or his mum showed up at a gathering of skeptics and atheists in broad daylight, but that never happens. And if it did, I would have to be there to really accept this for a fact!
December 26th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Laser beams and miracle eye surgery!
hmmm…..
December 26th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Another miracle! Mary seems to have obliterated my previous comment
Here’s my second attempt:
As Mary performed the miraculous eye surgery in Egypt, she performed several other miracles around the word at or about the same time. She miraculously prevented an Islamic terrorist, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab’s device from blowing up a plane in Detroit, appeared in person to Dublin Bishops Eamonn Walsh and Ray Field and ordered them to resign and apologize for child abuse, sent 45 pagans in India to hell by collapsing a bridge underneath them … but, unfortunately, could not protect her protégé, Ratzinger, from falling on his face on the pavement screaming, “Ima, Ima, lama sabachthani?” ["Mother, mother, why have you forsaken me?"]
December 26th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
“I felt immense pain which lasted about quarter of an hour. Then I was ecstatic to find out that I could see clearly. You see, my left eye is even better than my right one now”.
If miraculous healing has occured, why would any pain be involved – and why not fix things so that the person could see properly with both eyes?
December 26th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Is it just me, or is the world truly full of complete basket cases? How do we, as rational, thinking beings, stop this madness? Sometimes I despair. There are mllions, indeed billions, of these delusion idiots who actually belive it’s all true. How do we even start to reverse this insanity? Education has to be the key. But as long as state and church are hand I hand it’s an impossible ask. Isn’t it?
December 27th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Don’t know if this is the same apparition or not. YouTube seems to be full of Virgin Mary’s apparating all over the place. She’s a very busy lady.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related
December 27th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Are you Kidding me, what next!! The resurection of the dead?? Are these people so small minded they will belive anything for thier religon, can’t wrap my mind around this crap!!
December 27th, 2009 at 9:42 am
There is a programme on Ch 4 at 8pm tonight ref : If there is a benevolent god why would he allow a disaster to happen. May be worth a look.
December 27th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Thanks for the YouTube tip. Is the light on the kite which is being jerked supposed to be a bird.? Or the V.M.?
December 27th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I saw some people tweeting about this, and found the video here..
http://www.mytopclip.com/v/323.....2-09-.html
Thoughts?
December 27th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
If you pause the mytopclip video at 4.32 you can see the projector light going out.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Mary apparitions?
In the words of the Catherine Tate Nan: “What a load of old shit!”
December 29th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
isnt it funny how these things happen at night, same with ufo sighting claims.
in this day and age we have amazing cameras in phones etc and yet noone can ever get a good picture of these claims!
i admit i havent watched the video linked to above as i am at work
January 3rd, 2010 at 4:04 am
Why can’t you just accept the fact that science will never explain it all. And by the way, she also appeared in the daylight in the same church. The video is on youtube. In this 21st century, there’s still a lot of unexplained things. Have some faith and if it is so difficult, just respect what you don’t know and keep the offensive language to yourself.
You don’t have to believe, just admit that you know so little.
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:22 am
@Oufa: in other words, just ignore you and your tribe of crazy loons, because “we can’t know everything”.
Sorry, you don’t get off the hook that easily.
We don’t know everything, but we sure as heck know more than you and the rest of the credulous cretins.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
those of you who see that miracles with your naked eye please remember me in your pray!!<>from adama university(ethiopia).