Miracles Happen

Turning to quacks in times of uncertainty

In the quaint lakeside village of Trevignano Romano, not far from where Tom lives, a mystic has been claiming the apparition of the Virgin Mary. She also owns a statue which appears to cry blood and claims that Mary has delivered some prophecies. So far, you can joke if you want, although religion is one of our taboo subjects.

What is not all right is the claim by the mystic that the statue can multiply pizzas and gnocchi and accept money for it. 

We find this statement blasphemous as it mimics the miracles performed by Christ, and so apparently has the Vatican, which has launched an investigation. We will spare you the jokes the locals crack on the topic, but the Carabinieri have also launched an investigation taking blood samples from the statue and the mystic, and they are not known for being jokers.

This episode directly links to the past in other contexts—for example, the rise of spiritualism after the massacres of WWI. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle took part in trying to communicate …