Crying Maddona

A Christian family from Tarshiha, in Northern Israel, have been inundated with people desperate to see their statue of the Virgin Mary. It seems that the statue, which is kept in the family’s living room, weeps oil. Osama Khoury, claims that his wife, Amira, found the statue ‘covered with oil’. Amira said the statue ‘spoke to her’ and told her not to be afraid. After a neighbour witnessed the oil, word soon spread far and wide. Indeed, the family claim that 2,000 people have come to view the statue over the last week. Parts of the statue appear to be covered with moisture, as soon as the first layer is wiped off. Even more dramatic, sometimes a "tear" seems to roll down the statue's cheek. Over the years, there have been several reports of statues weeping tears of ‘blood’, oil, and scented liquids. Sometimes other phenomena are also associated with weeping statues, such as miraculous healing, the formation of figures in the tear lines, and the scent of roses. The Vatican is not overly receptive to the idea of weeping statues, and they disallow most cases or view them as deliberate hoaxes. Nevertheless, so far one weeping statue; Our Lady of Akita, has won Vatican approval. Perhaps the statue’s high status was due to the fact that modern technology meant Japanese viewers were able to see it weeping on national television.