A rigorous validation process
The Catholic Church has officially declared the healing of Antonia Raco, diagnosed in 2006 with primary lateral sclerosis, a rare degenerative disease with no known treatment, to be miraculous. Following a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Lourdes in 2009, the patient experienced a complete and lasting disappearance of her symptoms, regaining the use of her legs. The ecclesiastical pronouncement, issued on July 25, culminates a verification process that spanned fifteen years.
Prior scientific scrutiny
To be considered by the Church, any alleged miraculous healing must first pass the examination of the Lourdes Medical Bureau, which applies seven strict criteria: serious illness, ineffective medical treatment, sudden, complete, lasting healing without relapse, and lack of scientific explanation. Raco's case was subsequently analyzed by the International Medical Committee of Lourdes (CMIL), made up of some thirty volunteer doctors.
A divided medical verdict
The process faced complexities from the outset. A first vote in 2019 was too divided to reach the required consensus. The COVID-19 pandemic, ironically described as "providential" by Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis, delayed the process but allowed new studies to be added to the file. Finally, in 2024, a second vote was held, with 17 members voting in favor and four against, reaching the two-thirds majority required to medically validate the inexplicability of the healing.
The distinction between science and faith
"It is a healing that science cannot account for," said Professor Emmanuel Jonquet, highlighting the limits of current medical knowledge. The ecclesiastical authorities emphasize the separation of competences: while doctors certify the lack of scientific explanation, the Church interprets this void from the perspective of faith. "The experts are not there to defend Lourdes," said Monsignor Jean-Marc Micas, bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, although he acknowledged that in the deliberations "there is a little more talk of 'grace' than of clinical files."
Vocabulary that transcends protocol
Although the CMIL insists on maintaining strictly scientific language—"we speak as scientists," reiterates Dr. de Franciscis—the debates were described as "very intense." The term "miracle" thus emerges as the word that the Church "places where science has not yet found its own," formally closing the absence of medical explanation. This case becomes the 72nd official recognition of its kind in the history of the shrine, reinforcing its unique place at the intersection of medicine, faith, and unexplained phenomena.
Original source: www.sudouest.fr (published July 30, 2025)
Photo: Karl Raymund Catabas on Unsplash
