The Eucharistic Miracle of Alatri

MIRACOLI—panneaux 12/05/06 14 : 33 Page 8 In Alatri's Cathedral of Saint Paul the Apostle, there is kept even today the reliquary of the Eucha- ristic miracle that occurred in 1228 and consisted in a fragment of the Host turning into flesh, A young woman, in an effort to regain the love of her sweetheart, consulted a sorceress who ordered her to steal a consecrated Host to make a love potion, During Mass, the young woman hid a Host in a cloth, But when she got home, she realized that the Host had been transformed into blee- ding flesh, This miracle has exten- Sive documentation, including Monstrance where the Fraternitas tuae (March 13, 1228) writ- ten by Pope Gregory IX in response to Bishop Giovanni V of Alatri. The text reads: "Gregory, Bishop and Servant of the Servants of God, to Venerable Brother Bishop of Alatri, greetings and Apostolic blessing. We have recei- ved your letter, dearest brother, in which you informed us of a certain young woman misgui- ded by an evil woman, who, after having recei- ved from the priest the Most Holy Body of Christ, held the Sacred Host in her mouth until the right moment to conceal the Holy Eucharist in a cloth.

After three days, she discovered the same Body which she had received in the form of bread transformed into flesh, as everyone has been able to verify with their own eyes. Because both women have humbly revealed this to you, First, we give thanks with all our strength to Him Who, though He always operates in marvelous ways, in this case repeats miracles and produces new wonders so that He calls to sinners, converts evildoers and confounds he- retics while strengthening faith in the truth of the Catholic Church, sustaining hope and rei- gniting charity. est by means of this apostolic letter, we dispose that you inflict a milder punishment on the young woman, whom we hold to have done this more from weakness than malice, especially because it can be believed that she has suffciently repented in confessing her sin.

To the instigator, who with her perversion pushed the young woman to The 750th anniversary of the miracle was solemnly celebrated in 1978. For the occasion, a medal was coined which on the front shows an image of Pope Gregory IX with the Papal Bull and on the back, Letter of the rector of Saint Mary alle Terme, dated March 22, 1888, in which he gives thanks for the gift of part of the reliquary of the Incarnate Host conserved in Alatri commit sacrilege, apply those disciplinary measu- res that we believe opportune to leave to your ju- dgment. She should also visit the nearest bishop so that she can humbly confess her crime, implo- ring pardon with devout submission." The Pope interpreted this episode as a sign against the wide- spread heresies regarding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and pardoned the two re- pentant women.

A commemorative medal was coined on the 750th anniversary of the miracle; quary, while the other a bust of Pope Gregory IX with the Papal Bull.