BACK in 2007 it was reported that a French nun was “miraculously” cured of Parkinson’s disease after praying to the late Pope John Paul II
Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, 49, declared at the time:
It’s like a second birth. I feel like I’ve discovered a new body, new limbs.
Sister Marie Simon-Pierre abd the late Pope John Paul II
Simon-Pierre could barely move her left side, could not write legibly, drive or move around easily and was in constant pain.
Her disease worsened after the pope’s death in 2005, and her order prayed for his intervention to ease her suffering. Then after writing his name on a paper one night, she woke up the next day apparently cured and returned to work as a maternity nurse with no traces of the disease.
This set the wheels on motion for a fast-track sainthood for the snuffed pontiff.
But according to this report the nun has suffered a relapse – upsetting plans for John Paul’s eventual sainthood.
A Polish daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita, revealed that one of the doctors charged with scrutinising the nun’s case believed she might have been suffering from a similar nervous disease, not Parkinson’s, which could go into sudden remission. A report on the paper’s website went further, saying that the 49-year-old nun had become sick again with the same illness.
The Vatican was making no comment on the grounds that the late pope’s case was still under examination.
Although no date has been fixed for the late pope’s beatification, there had been an expectation that it would be announced in mid-October. His case was fast-tracked by his successor, Pope Ratzinger.
Vatican sources stressed that the panel of doctors which will examine the evidence relating to Simon-Pierre’s recovery was not due to meet until April, when it will consider a report by two medical experts.
Beatification is an intermediate step on the road to canonisation, though not all of those declared “blessed” go on to become saints. Beatification requires at least one miracle. A second is needed for sainthood.
The Vatican, whose congregation [department] for the cause of saints deals with canonisations and beatifications, has been under relentless pressure to speed up John Paul’s progress. On the day of his funeral in 2005 there were unparalleled scenes in St Peter’s Square, when the crowd took up a chant of “santo subito”, or “saint straightaway”.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 8th, 2010 at 12:50 am
If enough people prayed to Saint Hitler for a miracle, there is no doubt whatsoever that the world’s largest organized crime syndicate would find at least one that it was willing to authenticate.
Is it so impossible for the Vatican to grasp that, if a statistically improbable remission of an illness following a prayer to the Flying Spaghetti Monster does not constitute a miracle, then neither — why do I even bother?
March 8th, 2010 at 1:12 am
I do feel desperately sorry for this poor woman, but perhaps it would help if these people started praying for some sanity!
March 8th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Pope John Paul II also suffered from Parkinson’s. God’s representative on Earth could’t even cure himself, let alone anybody else, and thousands doubtless prayed for his wellbeing.
March 8th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Poor woman. I hate to see dumb animals suffering. *whistles*
I know she’s a nun like, but someone at least could have given her a toothbrush or a visit to a dentist – its not as though the vatican can’t afford it!
March 8th, 2010 at 10:05 am
I’m glad you said that shawgraves I think she looks like a parrot fish.Not that I’ve anything against parrot fish.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Send her to Lourdes – as everyone knows, the good lord dishes out cures there every single day to the sick and infirm. Oh, except to amputees, who seem to be strangely impervious to miracle recoveries.
March 8th, 2010 at 11:56 am
What I don’t get is what’s the problem making him a saint. Knock yourselves out.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those that want to see JP2 and Mother Teresa and a ton of others made into saints, and those that couldn’t give a shit what they do.
It’s like they’re doing us to impress us with their silly rituals – and just us.
March 8th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Marcus – there was an ‘anti-miracle’ at the college I went to, which was linked to the RC church & did a yearly outing to Lourdes.
One year a lad with a slight limp went, fell down the steps and came home in a wheelchair – still in it & now paraplegic I think.
Shouldn’t laugh (collapses laughing)
March 8th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
@ Stuart H – Thanks very much for posting that, I’m still chucking now. Oh, the irony!
March 8th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
All this is mere detail. Make the nun a saint. They could do the Padro Pia bit and scratch her hands to get blood and say that is the saintly bit. They have covered much bigger problems with their superstitious spin. As for Lourdes, the miracle cures do seem to depend on less than the obvious. No legs or arms returned. Also, the place has a bit of a reputation, even from RCs who have visited, as a bit of a germotropolis. All these people, all that crap to be wiped, the place must be alive with bugs. Profits OK, though. Law of the Profits, in fact.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
And yes, that should have been ‘chuckling’.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
bit of a germotropolis
Like that one can I use it?
March 8th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
@chrsbol Your welcome. I began to wonder about the bug situation in Lourdes on the following basis. I met buddy of mine, as militant an atheist as I am, at a Conference in Manchester last year. He works in Liverpool and over a few beers was moaning about his devout Roman Catholic aunt who volunteers as a helper for those going to Lourdes. She was complaining about the “coughs and sneezes” people come back with including her. He asked her if there was not some irony in that all those desperately sick people were going to Lourdes for a cure and the Lord couldn’t do something about the spread of minor infections. I don’t recall her answer but he said to me, “Lourdes must be the bug capital of Europe.”
March 8th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I wonder why all the devout ‘believers’ who go to Lourdes always continue with traditional treatments also? Surely not the little grain of doubt in their heads?
March 8th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
@David McNerney: You don’t seem to appreciate that there are VERY strict rules as to just who can become a saint. The Pope is not in a position to, as you put it, “make someone a saint” upon a mere whim. If the legal requirements were not met we might well have just any Tom, Dick or even Harriet being canonized, and that would never do, as the faithful might lose confidence that the saints really are able to intercede upon their behalf and bend the ear of the Almighty!
See this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....s-oil.html
March 8th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
tony e, that is a very good question. The obvious answer is that those who totally reject medical science and rely entirely on God tend to die and even the most deluded rligiots know this. They can also rationalise by saying that God helps those who help themselves.
March 8th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Holy hell, people!!! There is only one Devil’s advocate appointed per proposed sainthood!!! But, you guys are like the legal staff of an insurance company!! Give the poor pope a break (chuckle).
But, JP2, admittedly, did screw the pooch. While the guy was taking the time out of his busy death to cure this poor lady’s neurological wasting disease, (miracle 1) he could have taken a few more seconds to fix her gnarly teeth (miracle 2). Then it would have been a dragstip straight to sainthood.
Speaking of miracles with a shelf life, what ever happened to that Lazarus dude? Last I heard he was living the dream in Miami.
NeoWolfe
March 8th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Re. http://dailymail.co.uk/new…..s/oil.html.
It’s just resin seeping out of the wood. A totally common occurrence. How such crap can get printed in a National newspaper is beyond me.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
I suppose it’s been reported because it has actually happened, @FedupwithR. (I mean the apparent belief that this natural occurrence is a “miracle”, of course!) I can’t believe that a bishop is really going to endorse this nonsense!!
March 9th, 2010 at 10:53 am
When, I wonder, did nuns stop praying for God’s intercession and turn instead to popes?
Let the Vatican canonize whomever they like. It’s all crap anyway!
March 9th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
It’s all explained here, Heather!
http://www.ourcatholicprayers......aints.html
Some people ask “why say prayers to saints? Shouldn’t all our prayers be to God?” Praying to the saints is praying to God, in a fundamental way. We’re praying to those who can ask God to help us in our various needs in accordance with His will.
When you ask someone to pray for you are you worshipping that person? Of course not! It’s the same when we ask the saints to pray for us! In our prayers to saints we ask them to “put in a good word” for us with God in Heaven.
What is comforting is that with the saints we have so many members of our Church in heaven to look out for us! Do you ever feel some days like you need all the help you can get? You can ask one of many patron saints for their assistance. They’ve been “put in charge” of various causes, occupations, (and even countries!), through popular traditions or by the Church. These saints are considered our protectors as well as our intercessors.
So, when it all gets a bit too much for the Almighty, he has that lot to help him out, plus, they are able to “bend his ear” a bit when he can’t be arsed to do anything for you!!
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:10 am
i have read all the comments with interest.
i met the late pope john paul II (yes, BEFORE his death).
i will remember that experience.