The Catholic Defender: ”Our Lady of Tears” in Sicily 1954
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
"Our Lady of Tears" (Madonna delle Lacrime) event in Syracuse, Sicily, was officially approved by the Catholic Church after scientists confirmed the tears were human, leading to the construction of the large Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears, a modern basilica housing the weeping image, which began in the late 1950s and opened in 1994.
A medical commission analyzed the liquid and confirmed it had the exact chemical composition of human tears.
The phenomenon began in 1953 with a plaster image shedding tears, prompting investigations and widespread devotion, with Pope Pius XII acknowledging the unanimous Sicilian bishops' declaration of its reality in 1954.
The events occurred between August 29 and September 1, 1953, when a plaster plaque of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the home of Angelo and Antonina Iannuso reportedly wept human tears.
In August 1953, a plaster bas-relief of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, belonging to the Iannuso family in Syracuse, began shedding tears.
After scientific analysis confirmed the tears were human and ecclesiastical investigations found no fraud, the On October 17, 1954, Pope Pius XII officially approved the devotion in a radio message, acknowledging the unanimous declaration of the Sicilian bishops..
On December 12, 1953, the Sicilian Episcopate, led by Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini, officially declared the lachrymation (weeping) as authentic and supernatural.
Due to immense devotion, an international competition was held for a sanctuary, resulting in the modern, teardrop-shaped Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears, inaugurated in 1994.
The Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears was inaugurated and consecrated by Pope John Paul II on November 6, 1994.
The original weeping image is enshrined within this sanctuary, a major pilgrimage site.
The miracle is interpreted as Mary’s maternal concern for a world straying from faith, often linked to the message of Fatima.
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