As you can see, the procedure described below is clearly not a scientific procedure of any kind. A committee meeting chaired by a Bishop deciding by a 2/3 majority vote whether something is unexplained or inexplicable based on current knowledge, is possibly the farthest one can get from a scientific procedure. What's more, the fact that the committee members are presumed to be pious Christians, as stated below, with a strong ideological conflict of interest, and a vested desire to continue their hallowed traditions, makes this exercise not even a nominally objective one. The deck is undoubtedly loaded and stacked in favor of affirming their preconceived beliefs.
The claim that this is a scientific procedure is therefore laughable by any standard. Cheers, Santosh --- On Fri, 8/8/08, Fr. Ivo C da Souza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > This Committee is chaired jointly by > the Bishop of Tarbes > > and Lourdes and one of its members nominated by the > Bishop for a set > > period > > of time which can be renewed. The doctor of Lourdes is > the secretary to > > this > > committee. > > > > This committee makes a judgement > about a case. One or > > more > > of its members are them charged with examining it in > detail and informing > > himself on all the medical literature published on > related subjects... The > > person charged with the case may consult with > colleagues on the outside. > > Normally the person concerned is not summoned to be > present. > > > > The Committee meets once a year, in > the autumn. They > > examine the current files. When everything is in place > (this can take some > > time) the Committee decides by way of a vote whether > to declare or refuse > > to > > confirm that this cure is inexplicable according to > present scientific > > knowledge. A two-third majority is required for an > affirmative vote. > > > > The medical result is sent to the > bishop of the diocese > > where the cured person lives. The bishop would, > naturally, have been kept > > up > > to date with the proceedings. If it appears that the > result is going to be > > positive the bishop is advised, in advance, to set up > locally a small > > medical committee who can, at the given moment, > consider the conclusions > > of > > the Committee. > > > > In the light of current events, the > Bishop can decide or > > abstain from recognising the "miraculous" > character of this cure. > > > > As Christians, the physicians know > that a miracle is a > > spiritual sign. They don't want to be judges on > this matter. Moreover, for > > a > > modern mentality, it is difficult to say that > something is "inexplicable". > > They can only say that it is "unexplained". > > > > +Jacques Perrier > > Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes > > 17 March 2003