Courtesy of Catholic Online:
Thousands had been drawn to a remote Belgian village to see a glowing statue of the Madonna. While mysterious, the reason behind the statue's glow has since been found. A team of scientists from the science faculty at Liege University found that the statue was glowing in the dark because it had been covered with paint containing zinc sulphide.
"This chemical has a luminous effect and is the reason for the strange light. It's no miracle," Dr. Rudi Cloots, who led the university team said.
Cloots could not explain why it took 15 years before the glow appeared. The paint was applied to the figure at an unknown date.
The statue began glowing in mid-January. Police had to control crowds in the village of Jalhay, near Liege who were eager to touch the figure. The statue reportedly began to glow in the kitchen of an elderly couple's home.
Over 500 people visited the house in one day, eager to pay homage to it.
" Cloots could not explain why it took 15 years before the glow appeared." I'm guessing that's how long it took the people who owned the house before they stumbled upon the idea of how to take advantage of their superstitious neighbors.
But hey just because it was totally phony does not mean it didn't have miraculous properties.
Four visitors to the statue claimed that they had been cured of physical disabilities after being in the presence of the Madonna.
Hmm, I have to wonder what type of "physical disabilities" are cured by touching a fake, glow in the dark, ceramic statue?
Perhaps the miracle was the vast number of morons living so close to this little village.
