In 2016, a statue of the Virgin Mary in Trevignano, Italy, was said to be shedding blood, considered a miracle by many devotees. Such an event caused a great influx of believers who gave donations to support the religious activity of Gisella Cardia, the woman who reported the miracle. But recently, the results of a DNA test came out that disproved the "miracle" after it was proven that the blood on the statue matched Cardia's DNA.
According to Cardia, the statue of the Virgin Mary not only sheds blood but also conveys messages from God. He claimed to be a spokesperson for the Virgin and experienced other miracles, such as feeding 15 people with just a little food, similar to the "Miracle of Five Loaves and Two Fishes" in the Bible. Because of his statements, many believed and continue to support him.
However, not everyone is convinced of the alleged miracle. In 2022, some residents began to have doubts and had the statue examined. By 2023, an official investigation was conducted by the authorities, where it was discovered that the blood on the statue was not from an animal but matched Cardia's DNA itself. Because of this, he is being investigated for fraud, and is currently untraceable by his lawyers.
Even the Catholic Church was careful in giving a statement about the incident. In 2023, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith stated that such a "miracle" was baseless and did not contain any supernatural element. The local diocese in Trevignano also issued an official statement confirming that the incident was not a true miracle.
This is not the first time there have been reports of "blood tears" on statues of the Virgin Mary. In 2018, a statue in Argentina was reported to be shedding blood for the 38th time. In the same year, a statue in a church in New Mexico, USA, was said to be shedding olive oil. In 2017, a local image of the Virgin in Acapulco, Mexico, was reported to be shedding tears as well. To this day, devotees continue to investigate and monitor such incidents.
