Mary’s miracle confirmed, but was it saintly?
A JEWISH doctor has played a small but significant role in making the case for the Vatican's recognition of Australia's first saint.
A JEWISH doctor has played a small but significant role in making the case for the Vatican’s recognition of Australia’s first saint.
Neurologist Dr Andrew Kornberg admits “something else” beyond medical care cured one of his former patients.
The case of Jack Simpson was presented to the Vatican as part of Mary MacKillop’s canonisation process. It formed one of the back-up miracles to be considered, if the first two miracles were not accepted by the Holy See.
Simpson was only eight years old when he collapsed at school and his body shut down overnight. He lost control and could not feed himself or pick himself up off the ground.
He was taken to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital and, within a year, had been diagnosed with stage-four Hodgkin’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and appendicitis.
He was expected to die within five years and the seriousness of his diagnosis meant doctors had no answers.
Simpson’s mother turned to religion, praying to the late Australian nun, MacKillop, to save him. From that point on, Jack’s recovery shocked doctors.
In 2005, Dr Kornberg was interviewed by a Vatican representative, explaining that Simpson’s cognitive recovery was “something special”.
Dr Kornberg told The AJN, as a Jew he does not believe that Mary MacKillop performed a miracle to bring Jack to health. But he admitted Simpson’s recovery was miraculous.
“Is it a miracle? That’s a loaded question,” he said. “A miracle may mean that it is something from God and I guess if this was MacKillop then it’s something that I can’t or don’t know, and I never will. Only she and God will.”
He said the cause of Simpson’s recovery is not relevant. “The message from Jack is to never give up because sometimes things change and the unexpected can happen.
“As a Jew, I don’t recognise her as my saint, but I will remember Jack until the day I die because his recovery was amazing, some would say ¬≠miraculous,” Dr Kornberg said.
“I’m sure the medical care played a big part because he had the best care available, but there was something else,” he added.
Simpson, now 19, finished high school last year, has a part-time job and was in Rome on Sunday to see Mary MacKillop become Saint Mary of the Cross.
JOSHUA LEVI
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