Now I said I would never post here again and some of you would demand that I don’t, well I’m sorry but this has been weighing heavy on my soul. Now, according to various Catholic websites, the physician Dr. Edoardo Linoli examined the Eucharistic host at Lanciano and found it be composed of human heart muscle. And the Blood was human blood, type AB. And that his findings were confirmed by the Higher Council of the WHO (World Health Organization). The problem is that there is no Higher Council of the WHO. The WHO does not have such a structure and that the findings are only found on the Catholic websites. This sounds similar to the Oil Well to Hell hoax that many Fundementalists Protestants still fall for to this very day, and that the Catholic websites (as I have done myself) have unwillingly parroted a lie.
NOTE: This is NOT a denial of the Real Presence,eucharistic miracles, or even the Miracle of Lanciano. But the findings of the so-call Dr. Edoardo Linoli can not be sited as evidence of the miracle of Lanciano.
regarding the “Higher Council”, I wonder if this is something that gets lost in translation, if the account of the tests originated in another language. (I know nothing about the structure of the WHO, but perhaps someone else does).
Doing a quick PubMed search (which returns scholarly publications), I come up with numerous articles in Italian by an “Linoli O.” , many of which appear to be of a general medical nature, going back to the 1960s and 1970s. One in particular is
**: **[Quad Sclavo Diagn.](http://javascript:AL_get(this, ‘jour’, ‘Quad Sclavo Diagn.’) 1971 Sep;7(3):661-74. Links[Histological, immunological and biochemiccal studies on the flesh and blood of the eucharistic miracle of Lanciano (8th century)]
[Article in Italian]
Linoli O.
PMID: 4950729 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Perhaps Edoardo was good Dr. Linoli’s middle name, first name starting with O. Quad Sclavo Diagn. is an abbreviation for an Italian-language journal Quaderni Sclavo di diagnostica clinica e di laboratorio, which I wouldn’t have access to. But the existence of this citation in PubMed would indicate that the article does exist somewhere, which if the author is trustworthy, indicates that an analysis actually happened.
The same author appears to have numerous other articles that are entirely non-miraculous and quite secular in nature, on topics like “Erythrocytic carbonic andhydrase isoenzymes in normal subjects and in patients with blastomas and hemopathies” (1972). This would tend to argue in favor of this being a real guy, who was a real doctor or physiologist, and not just a phony “expert” invented for the sole purpose of propagating a hoax.
all of which is immaterial
this miracle, if it did happen, was granted for the spiritual benefit of those who witnessed it at the time, to assist their failing faith.
our Faith in the Eucharist is not dependent on this or any other such phenomenon, it is based on the promises and actions of Jesus himself as recorded in the gospels. if my faith would be shaken should such an incident as Lanciano be proven fictional, I have no faith whatever and should inform my conscience.
For information on other Eucharistic miracles, check out “Vatican International Exhibition, The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” and be sure to read the related material. For example, Catholics are not obliged to believe these miracles. They can believe if they want to. Catholics are obliged to believe the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
Bobby Jim i tried some of ur links and they didn’t works and the ones that did didn’t go to a full study not even one that was in a different language so if u would find one of the studies that was done can you please post a link to it
WHO stands for World Health Organization.
As a Social Sciences graduate I know it is a fact that WHO exists; I have studied several global health issues through them.
It is an international organization formed by 196 countries (United States of America included). Same countries that form United Union.
I think that before posting something we do not know much about as a fact, we should get informed. That way we talk with authority and do not misguide others who are looking for real answers to their questions.
WHO is a serious organization and serves to investigate and find solutions for health issues happening all over the world, epidemics, AIDS, research, and even financing soluitions for them, etc.
The evidence of the blood sounds like a miracle to me, regardless of our beliefs.
Those who believe in the Bible as God’s Word, and practice Eucaristic as Jesus comanded us to do, do not need a miracle of this type because we are just obedient. “…do this in remembrance of me…” but… how great it is that our faith can be proven as based on existent facts.
I invite the reader to be studious of the Bible. I am studying Luke line by line and I’ve found so many answers to many of my questions, same with Genesis. Studying the Bible by subject is awesome too, because you can find answers to almost every possible question from different parts of the Bible about a subject.
too true. i never realised how common these miracles were. apparantly it is fairly often this sort of thing happens in italy, netherlands, spain sweden and north america. i dont know what to say really.
how did the monks know He was real before they ate the Eucharist?
The Vatican allowed a small part of the Shroud to be examined by modern-day scientists.
Do you think they would allow the same for the heart & blood tissues from 12th century ?
Perhaps? Maybe the Vatican’s scientists have already done so, and written a paper on results.
DISCLAIMER: Catholic Answers has turned over the archive to Catholic-Questions.org and no longer owns, manages, or moderates the forums. For additional apologetics resources please visit www.catholic.com.