There are at least four cases being examined now that could be declared healings if they are not recognized as full miracles, he said. But that could still take several years. Related Coverage. The Lourdes story goes back to , when the peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous reported seeing the Virgin Mary and being told to dig at a grotto for water.
Soon, Catholics visiting the spot claimed their illnesses were healed by the water. The Church set up a medical bureau to verify the claims. Among other criteria, the healing had to be inexplicable by science and could not be late effects of earlier treatments. A total of 67 healings have been declared miraculous so far. Or not according to the critics of a new initiative in Lourdes, the famous centre of Christian pilgrimage in the mountains of southwest France, known for the scores of Catholic believers who, it is claimed, have recovered from serious illnesses there.
Monsignor Jacques Perrier, Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes and the most senior cleric at the Catholic shrine, announced a 'reform' of miracles there last week. Henceforth, there will be new categories of 'healing' recognised which take into account advances of modern science. These will include: 'unexpected healings', 'confirmed healings' and 'exceptional healings'.
Critics say he is 'devaluing' God's interventions in order to counter increasingly fierce competition in France from evangelical and Pentecostal churches. No, it isn't, says the bishop. It has got absolutely nothing to do with any other [churches]. It is a totally internal matter,' he told The Observer last week. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is open 24 hours every day, and admission is free.
The airport is 10 minutes from the downtown. Lodging : A wide variety of lodgings are available in Lourdes, including accommodations for the sick. The Best Western Lourdes Hotel offers accommodations near the train depot and within walking distance of the shrine.
Hiking trails wind amid , acres of jagged peaks, alpine meadows, and waterfalls. Rare fauna in the park include the isard—a species of antelope—and Pyrenean bear, as well as soaring Egyptian and griffon vultures. In the ski resort town of Cauterets 20 miles from Lourdes, hot springs offer rejuvenation for footsore mountain explorers.
Her website Spiritual Travels features holy sites around the world. Skip to content. Lourdes is one of the most-visited pilgrimage sites in the world. Lori Erickson photo Each year the French shrine of Lourdes draws millions of visitors from around the world. Collecting water from the spring at Lourdes Lori Erickson photo While Lourdes has clearly changed from the time Bernadette saw the first vision, the heart of the grotto remains essentially the same.
Seeking Healing Miracles The diversity of people was striking: nuns in long habits, elderly couples, young people traveling in groups, elegant Italian women in fur coats, and groups of men holding large banners aloft bearing the names of their cities and churches. Statue at the entrance to the shrine at Lourdes Lori Erickson photo Once I wandered around to the side of the basilica, I was relieved to see that the heart of the grotto remained essentially the same as it had been all those years before.
Statues for sale in Lourdes Lori Erickson photo When I recall my trip to Lourdes I remember the grand drama of my experiences there, the processions and masses and the exultant feeling of being surrounded by so many pilgrims. If You Go: Located in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains near the Spanish border, Lourdes has a population of just 15, but more hotels than any other French city except Paris. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website.
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