Trendpills
A self-proclaimed mystic who drew hundreds of pilgrims to a small town near Rome with claims of a Virgin Mary statue that wept blood is now facing a fraud trial after a police investigation revealed the 'blood' was her own. The case, which has captivated Italy for years, centers on Gisella Cardia and the religious phenomena she reported in Trevignano Romano.
Since 2016, followers have gathered on the third day of each month to witness alleged apparitions and hear messages Cardia claimed to receive from the Virgin Mary. The main attraction was a statue, purchased from the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, that supposedly shed bloody tears. Believers made substantial donations to an association run by Cardia and her husband, which are now at the center of an investigation into Gisella Cardia for alleged fraud. Prosecutors in the nearby port city of Civitavecchia opened the inquiry after receiving complaints from a private investigator and disillusioned former followers.
The turning point came with scientific analysis. Forensic tests were conducted on the reddish substance found on the statue, and the results were definitive. According to investigators, DNA testing revealed the substance was a match for Cardia, suggesting the alleged miracle was a hoax. Cardia, who has a prior conviction for bankruptcy fraud, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining the authenticity of the events.
In addition to the legal proceedings, the Catholic Church has also concluded its own investigation. The Diocese of Civita Castellana established a commission to examine the claims, which involved interviewing dozens of witnesses. Following this local inquiry, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a final verdict. In a formal decree, the Vatican declared the alleged miracles as not supernatural, using the official determination constat de non supernaturalitate. The ruling prohibits priests from celebrating sacraments at the unauthorized pilgrimage site and forbids Cardia from continuing to spread her messages.
