Tourists visiting a cathedral in Mexico had one of the biggest shocks of their lives recently when, for one brief moment, the closed eyes of a child saint —whose preserved remains had been in the cathedral for some 300 years—suddenly opened, the Mirror reports.
The bizarre occurrence was filmed by one of the tourists, who then posted a video footage and photos of it on YouTube, where it has reportedly been viewed nearly a million times.
It happened at the Cathedral of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, which houses the preserved statue-like remains, encased in glass, of Santa Inocencia (Saint Innocence), a Catholic girl regarded as a saint in Mexico. Despite the passage of time, her wax-treated face with her eyes closed has not decayed—another apparent mystery that remains unanswered.
The video posted on YouTube shows the young saint's body as the camera pans up and down. The camera then focuses on the face, which then appears to open its eyelids, stunning the unidentified visitor filming the object.
Many dubious viewers said the video footage and photos were a hoax. However, some believe what they saw was a miracle and a sign from God.
Who was Santa Inocencia? Not much historical information can be gathered about the girl who is revered as a saint in Mexico. But according to a popular lore, the Mexican girl befriended a nun in school and became a Catholic, disobeying her father who did not want her to embrace the religion.
The schoolgirl also took her First Communion together with her classmates, an act that was strongly forbidden by her father.
On returning home after her Holy Communion ceremony, the girl happily announced to her father that she had taken Communion and joined the Catholic faith.
Enraged, the father allegedly stabbed her in the chest, killing her.
The girl's body was later taken to the Cathedral where it was laid to rest. Her remains were put on display for hundreds of years as a sign of her undying love for Christ.
