Church Says Virgin On Mexican Wall No Miracle

[matcom]

<snip>

ENSENADA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's Catholic Church ruled out any divine origin for an image on a hospital wall that thousands of pilgrims are flocking to venerate in the belief that it shows the country's patron saint.

The shadowy figure, which the faithful say depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe, appears every night when a light is switched on in the patio of a clinic in the Pacific resort of Ensenada.

But Flor Guzman, a spokeswoman for the Tijuana Diocese in which Ensenada falls, said Monday the church did not believe the image was miraculous although it was pleased at the devotion of the pilgrims.

"The church is quite clear that it is not a miracle, but a natural phenomenon that serves to strengthen the faith of the believers," she told Reuters.

The image, which appears to be a shadow, was first reported to hospital authorities on April 19.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=1&u=/nm/20040511/od_nm/virgin_dc

[WillParkinson]

1. Baaaa...Baaaaa....

What's that? You hear the sheep bleating?

[Khephra]

2. Cthulhu does some pretty shadow puppets, if you ask him nicely

The problem is they keep on eating our guests.

[zbdent]

3. Some sneaky person with some $$$$ to kill should . . .

get the cheapest digital projector available and set it up with a JPG of a woman and project it at a wall - out of focus.

As the crowds gather, and it gets more attention, morph the JPG from a woman until it's a tightly focused picture of Homer Simpson in his briefs.

[arwalden]

4. Excellent, Smithers.... EXCELLENT!

[emad]

5. ANY virgin on any mexican wall is a miracle.

Just ask the guys....

[emad]

6. THE PIC:

"MERCURY VAPOUR LAMP CASTS FIGURE BELEIVED TO BE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE
A mercury vapour lamp casts a figure which Mexicans believe to be an apparition of Mexico's religious patron, the Virgin of Guadalupe, cast by the light onto a hospital wall in the north western town of Ensenada May 9, 2004. Hundreds of pilgrims are flocking to the hospital to see the ghostly figure appear under a mercury vapour lamp which comes on at twilight. REUTERS/Tim Gaynor"

[zbdent]

7. Did the Virgin of Guadalupe zap bugs?

bzzzt! - amen.

[underpants]

8. I'm sorry but Hildie has just gone TOO far this time

:bounce: