A large number of pilgrims believed the claim that the statue of the Virgin Mary was crying bloody tears, but DNA analysis revealed whose blood it actually was.
Italian woman Gisella Cardia attracted many pilgrims to a place near Rome, claiming that a statue of the Virgin Mary, which she had purchased in Medjugorje, was crying bloody tears.
However, she could now end up in court because a DNA test showed that the blood was actually hers. Cardia, who also claimed that the statue was sending her messages, was declared a fraud by the Roman Catholic Church last year.
Following this, people came forward claiming that Cardia had deceived them by establishing a foundation to collect donations. She claimed that the money would be used to establish a center for sick children.
Cardia’s lawyer, Solange Marchignoli, suggested that the presence of her client’s blood on the statue does not rule out a supernatural phenomenon.
“The DNA stain requires further investigation. We are waiting for results that will show whether it is a mixed or single profile,” said Marchignoli, adding that Cardia’s DNA would certainly be on the statue because she kissed it and handled it.
“Her DNA could be mixed with others, perhaps even with the statue of the Virgin Mary. Who knows? Do you know the DNA of the Virgin Mary?” the lawyer asked.
Gisella Cardia had previously been convicted of bankruptcy fraud, and she bought the controversial statue in Medjugorje in 2016.
She placed the statue in a central location in Trevignano Romano, which led to a significant influx of tourists visiting the town. The increased number of tourists particularly irritated the local population.
For now, neither Cardia nor her lawyer knows where she is.
“I don’t know where she is at the moment, but I know for sure that she is driven by deep faith and has no ill intentions,” said Marchignoli.
Photo: X/Screenshot