Lourdes: how a miracle is recognized

What is a miracle? Contrary to popular belief, a miracle is not only a sensational or incredible fact, but also implies a spiritual dimension.

Thus, in order to qualify as miraculous, a healing must manifest two conditions:
that happens in extraordinary and unpredictable ways,
and that it is lived in a context of faith.
It is therefore essential that there is a dialogue between medical science and the Church. This dialogue, in Lourdes, has always been there, thanks to the presence of a permanent doctor at the Sanctuary's Medical Records Office. Today, in the 2006st century, many healings observed in Lourdes cannot be traced back to the very restrictive category of the miracle, and for this reason they have been forgotten. Instead, they deserve to be recognized as the manifestation of God's piety and to become a source of testimony for the community of believers. Thus, in XNUMX, some principles for ecclesial recognition were developed, without taking anything away from the seriousness and rigor of the medical investigation which remains unchanged.

Stage 1: Healed Constata
The first indispensable step is the declaration - voluntary and spontaneous - of people who have undergone a radical change in their state of health and who believe that this is due to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes. The permanent doctor of the Medical Office collects and archives this declaration in full. He then proceeds to a first evaluation of the importance of this declaration, and to a study concerning both the truthfulness of the facts and their meaning.
The event is NOT COMMON

The primary goal is to ensure the reality of healing. This involves the intervention of the doctor who followed the patient by accessing the many and varied health documents (biological, radiological, anatomical-pathological tests ...) carried out before and after the aforementioned recovery. You must be able to check:
the absence of any fraud, simulation or illusion;
complementary medical tests and administrative documents;
in the history of the disease, the persistence of painful, disabling symptoms regarding the integrity of the person and resistance to prescribed treatments;
the suddenness of the well-being found;
the permanence of this healing, complete and stable, without consequences; the improbability of this evolution.
The goal is to be able to declare that this healing is completely unique having occurred according to extraordinary and unpredictable criteria.
The psycho-spiritual context

Jointly, it is essential to specify the context in which this healing took place (in Lourdes himself or elsewhere, in what precise circumstance), with a complete observation of all the dimensions of the experience of the healed person not only on the physical but also psychic and spiritual level :
his emotional state;
the fact that she feels the intercession of the Virgin;
the attitude of prayer or of any suggestion;
the interpretation of faith that it recognizes you.
At this stage, some statements are only "subjective improvements"; others, of objective healings that can be classified "pending", if some elements are missing, or recorded as "controlled healings" with the possibility of development, therefore "to be classified".
Step 2: Confirmed Healing
This second stage is that of verification, which rests on interdisciplinarity, medical and ecclesiastical.
On the medical plane

The opinion of the attending physicians belonging to AMIL is requested, as well as the advice, if any, of doctors and health professionals who so wish, of any creed; in Lourdes this is already a tradition. Ongoing dossiers are presented at the CMIL annual meeting. A member is appointed to conduct a full investigation and examination of the healed person. The opinion of specialists of the specific disease is also consulted and an assessment of the patient's personality is carried out, in order to eliminate any hysterical or delusional pathology ... This healing can therefore be classified as "without follow-up" or "medically sustained".
On the psycho-spiritual level

From now on, a diocesan commission, agreed by the local bishop of the healed, will be able to make a collegial assessment to examine the way in which this healing was experienced in all its aspects, physical, psychic and spiritual, taking into consideration any negative signs (such as for example, ostentation ...) and positive (possible spiritual benefits ...) arising from this singular experience. In the event of approval, the healed person will be authorized, if he wishes, to make public this faithful "grace of healing" which took place in a context of faith and prayer.
This first recognition allows:

to the declarant to be accompanied, not to be alone to handle this situation
to offer the community of believers proven testimonies
to offer the possibility of a first act of thanks
Step 3: Ratified Healing
It too includes two readings, medical and pastoral, which develop in two successive stages. This final step must conform to the criteria defined by the Church to interpret a healing as miraculous:
the disease must be of a serious nature, with an unfavorable diagnosis
the reality and diagnosis of the disease must be ascertained and precise
the disease must be solely organic, harmful
healing must not be attributable to therapies
healing must be sudden, sudden, instantaneous
the resumption of the functions must be complete, without convalescence
it must not be a temporary improvement but a lasting healing
Stage 4: Certified Healing
It is the CMIL, as an advisory body, which will issue an exhaustive and full opinion "on its exceptional nature" in the current state of scientific knowledge through a complete medical and psychiatric report.

Step 5: Proclaimed Healing (The Miracle)
This level is always advanced by the Bishop of the diocese of the healed, together with the established Diocesan Commission. It will be up to him to do the canonical recognition of the miracle. These new provisions should lead to a better understanding of the problematic "healing-miracle" to get out of the "miracle - not miracle" dilemma, too dualistic and not responding to the reality of the events that occurred in Lourdes. Furthermore, they should lead to an awareness that apparent, corporal, physical, visible healings are signs of innumerable inner and spiritual, unseen healings, which every person can experience in Lourdes.