A DNA test was conducted on the statue of the Virgin Mary that wept blood: here’s what was revealed (video).

Experts conducted a DNA test on a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was claimed to have shed bloody tears, reports IFLScience.

Some time ago, a "mystic" named Gisela Cardia purchased the statue of the Virgin Mary from a religious site located in Medjugorje, Bosnia. She transported the statue to a small town called Trevignano Romano, situated near Rome.

After bringing the statue home, Cardia made a series of dubious claims that attracted pilgrims. Among these claims were assertions that the Virgin Mary statue conveyed messages and cried bloody tears. The woman also stated that the statue "multiplied food."

The Catholic Church conducted its own investigation into the matter. In 2024, the Diocese of Civita Castellana stated that none of the aforementioned occurrences were "supernatural." This conclusion was reached based on the findings of an investigation carried out by church officials, a psychologist, theologians, and "independent experts."

However, the investigation into this "miracle" was not solely the church's domain. Prosecutors from Civitavecchia initiated their own inquiry against the woman for potential fraud after a private investigator claimed that the blood on the statue came from a pig.

Subsequent DNA tests revealed that the blood did not belong to a pig. It was also discovered that the genetic profile of the DNA samples matched Gisela Cardia.

The woman's lawyers insist that it remains to be determined whether this was pure DNA or mixed DNA.

"If the DNA is pure, it means the blood indeed belonged to Cardia. But if the profile is mixed, it means that the DNA found on the statue simply contains Gisela's DNA, as she touched it, kissed it, and held it in her hands," the lawyers state.

The attorneys also do not rule out the possibility of a miracle.

"Who can say they know the DNA of the Madonna? Can anyone confirm this? I have no answers to these questions," the lawyers add.

Religious artifacts and icons are often attributed with miraculous power. For instance, in 2008, it was revealed that a statue of the Virgin Mary was crying the blood of a church caretaker who owned the artifact.

The results of the DNA test conducted by a renowned forensic geneticist are expected to be submitted to prosecutors on February 28.

As a reminder, an artist used AI to reconstruct the face of the Virgin Mary. A Mexican artist illustrated what the Virgin Mary might have looked like before the birth of Jesus Christ.