The Miracle of Sokolka – where human tissue was supposedly found in a church in Bialystok, north east Poland - is more likely a strain of bacteria, says a biologist at a contagious diseases unit.
About a year ago, holy host accidentally dropped by a priest during mass was placed in a special vessel with water. The next day, it was discovered that the water had turned red and that the vessel contained a fragment of human heart tissue, found a professor who examined the item.
A church commission, examining the “miracle of Sokolka” ruled out the involvement of third persons, implying that the event should not be seen as a hoax or a prank.
Two independent experts, professors of the Medical University in nearby Bialystok, confirmed the authenticity of the find.
But now a biologist, Pawel Grzesiowski says that what was found in the church was the serratia marcescens bacteria.
“This bacteria does not require much – it needs moisture and a temperature not higher than 30 decrees Celsius,” says Dr. Grzesiowski director of the Contagious Diseases Unit at the National Medicines Institute. He added that the host most likely got a damp in the tabernacle where it was stored after the mass.
The s. marcescens bacteria is commonly found in bathrooms and feeds off of starch and sugary substances. It manifests itself as a pink, slimy substance.
The bacteria has been mistaken for a miracle before. Scientists now attribute the miracle declared by Pope Urban IV when ‘blood’ appeared on the Eurcharist in 1264 to have been the bacteria.
But how previous did tests come to the conclusion that this was human heart tissue?
“The professor [Maria Sobaniec-Lotowaska of the Bialystok Medical University] saw what she wanted to see. She is very religious,” claims Professor Lech Chyczewski, head of the blood unit at the Bialystok hospital. “In order to rule out any doubts, it would have been necessary to carry out molecular and genetic testing,” added Chyczewski.
The Church, meanwhile, is waiting for directives from the Vatican as to what to do about the Miracle of Sokolka.
“The Church has treated the incident in Sokolka cautiously from the beginning. Religion is based on faith. We are now waiting for the Holy Father’s decision as to what to do next,” said Father Andrzej Debski from the Bialystock curia. (mmj/pg)