Vatican claims Pope John Paul II performed ‘miracle’ cure on nun

THE Vatican may have found the “miracle” it needs to put the late Pope John Paul II one step closer to sainthood — the medically-inexplicable healing of a French nun with the same Parkinson’s disease that afflicted the pope himself.

Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Catholic Church official in charge of promoting the cause to declare the late pope a saint, said that an investigation into the healing had cleared an initial probe by doctors.

Msgr Oder said the “relatively young” nun, whom he said he could not identify for now, was inexplicably cured of Parkinson’s after praying to John Paul after his death last April 2.

“I was moved. To think that this was the same illness that destroyed the Holy Father and it also kept this poor nun from carrying out her work,” he said.

John Paul suffered from Parkinson’s Disease during the last decade of his life. His body trembled violently and he could not pronounce his words or control his facial muscles.

“To me, this is another sign of God’s creativity,” Msgn Oder said, adding that the nun worked with children.

He said Church investigators would now start a more formal and detailed probe of the suspected miracle cure.

The process that could lead to sainthood for John Paul began in May when Rome archdiocese published an edict asking Catholics to come forward with evidence “in favour or against” John Paul’s reputation of holiness.

One proven miracle is required after Pope John Paul’s death for the cause to lead to beatification.

It must be the result of prayers asking the dead pope to intercede with God. Miracles are usually a physical healing that doctors are at a loss to explain.

Another miracle would be necessary between beatification and eventual sainthood.