The Bishop where the statue of the Madonna wept in her hand

Interview on the Madonnina with Mons. Girolamo Grillo

1. Your Excellency, you speak of having suffered a trauma when the Madonnina was watering in her hands. This particular psychic state, almost a shock, would be better understood if he spoke to us about his philosophical, theological and spiritual formation. At the time of tears did you consider yourself a rationalist or a mystic?
I studied philosophy, theology and spirituality with the Jesuit Fathers, both in the Pontifical Seminary of Reggio Calabria and at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where, besides the studies of Social Sciences, which were then part of the Faculty of Philosophy, I had the opportunity to attend courses by P. Dezza and other distinguished international teachers. I also had the opportunity to attend some spirituality courses, thus overcoming the traditional approach of the time. At the moment of tears, as it clearly appears from my Diary, although I was not a rationalist, I was considered such because for many years I had worked alongside the then Substitute of the Secretariat of State Msgr. Giovanni Benelli. In fact, I learned that, in those days, a friend of mine who was still a Cardinal, with whom I had worked together for years, commented thus: "Poor Madonnina, where did you go to cry, right in the hands of Grillo? But that will do everything to hide everything! ». To the specific question, if I had ever considered myself a "mystic", I answer: absolutely not, even if I considered prayer as a fact, of which no consecrated soul can do without if truly, if it wishes to remain faithful to the Lord. I envy the mystics, but I never got this gift from the Lord.

2. From your 10-year testimony of the event in Civitavecchia, it appears that you have a diary, also interesting from a historical point of view, where you write down what seems remarkable day by day. Does this Diary arise with tears or precedes them? What are its purposes and characteristics?
It's true: I have a Diary, which I started with on January 1994st XNUMX, that is the year before the tears. Before then I only wrote down a few thoughts in a kind of notebook that I haven't kept. In the Diary I started writing every morning, looking at my previous day meditating in my room and looking at the Crucifix: therefore, I practically stopped to consider some important events, through the light of the Spirit, transforming everything into prayer. If we wanted, it was, therefore, a real spiritual diary, nothing more. I did not think in the least that the following year, I would have to write down facts concerning the Madonnina.

3. From his statements there emerges a certain evolution in his judgment about the Gregori family. Are there collateral phenomena that precede and follow tears? Why does the press ignore them, locked in a kind of conspiracy of silence?
I didn't know the Gregori family at all, not even by name. The parish priest first spoke to me when he came to bring me the report about a little Madonna who would have wept tears of blood, a relationship that I, with my innate skepticism towards these strange forms of phenomena, did not even want to read, immediately trashing it. Then I asked Doctor Natalini, a friend of mine, who was also a doctor of that family, for information. These, in truth, told me that it was a family of honest workers, with impeccable moral behavior. But, not even trusting the doctor, I secretly entrusted the assignment to the then Vice Quaestor Dr. Vignati, to make an opportune investigation both on the family and on the environment in which the phenomenon would have happened. Dr. Vignati informed me about everything, confirming what Dr. Natalini. Later I met Fabio Gregori's brother named Enrico, who only became friends with me after the initial conflict that lasted a few months! It was he, I think, who wanted that, next to Prof. Angelo Fiori from the Policlinico Gemelli, there was another lay man of the La Sapienza University in contrast with me, because he feared that the Bishop, using a Catholic University, tended to hide the truth. I hardly know the other brother Gianni at all, except for having spoken to us a few rare times very superficially. Fabio Gregori spoke, only after the tears, of some other phenomena that would have happened at his home and also of another Madonnina similar to the one who had teared tears of blood, which would have started to exude a kind of oil since that time fragrant. But, I, with my usual skepticism, have always tried for several years to snub it. Only a few years ago, finding myself in front of the small cave where the Madonnina was located, I saw this exudation on the other statue; strangely everything dripped from this liquid that looked like oil: the whole cave, the tree above and the roses that surrounded the cave. Later I had a vial collected, to entrust the scientific examination to Prof. Fiori, who at first replied that it was not worth wasting any more time on this. So much - commented the scientist - the world wouldn't believe anything. Then, the same Prof. Fiori sent me a report, in which he said he had done the tests, with this result: it is not oil, but an essence, whose DNA was neither human nor animal in nature; probably of a vegetable nature, containing many perfumes. I don't know frankly why the press ignores this phenomenon, even if they know it in Civitavecchia. I believe, however, that the phenomenon was made known by the BBC, because this famous international television station (they were all British Protestants), taking up the place where the tears had happened, suddenly saw this exudation that literally traumatized (so I they told) the operators, who didn't want to believe their eyes. The phenomenon occurs very often, but especially in the feasts of the Son (Christmas, Easter, etc.) and in the feasts of Mary (except on the day of Our Lady of Sorrows). Everyone knows, but nobody talks about it; I don't know why this kind of "conspiracy of silence", as you call it. Even I personally, to tell the truth, I cannot understand this kind of mystery. Perhaps, it would not be a bad thing for some expert person to tell us something.