source: mb.com.ph
MANILA, Philippines – For a young Filipino-American mother, a fleeting encounter with Pope John Paul II became a life-changing event.
The year was 1981, and the pontiff was on his first visit to the Philippines. Conchita Gimenez Smoot came to Manila with her daughter Cristina Ann not only to attend the 75th birthday celebration of Conchita’s father, noted pediatrician Dr. Federico Gimenez, but also to seek the Pope’s help for Cristina.
When she was just three months old, Cristina had been diagnosed by doctors at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children with hydrocephalus, an accumulation of fluid in the brain.
Medical experts agree that children with hydrocephalus may not live past their teen years.
Cristina, now an accomplished aquatic biologist, said she learned about the miracle performed on her by Pope John Paul II when she was eight. From then on, she refers to him as “her friend.”
Conchita held out hope that John Paul II could somehow save her daughter. Her strong faith in God could just be the best passport to pursuing an ardent wish of having her hydrocephalic baby blessed by the well-loved Pontiff.
Nena Gimenez Paras, wife of Bukidnon Rep. Jess Paras and younger sister of Conchita, recalled that she and Conchita realized they stood little chance of getting near the Pope because of the huge crowd, so they agreed to be at the Apostolic Nunciature as early as 5 a.m. on the second day of his visit.
“But when we arrived there we were greatly saddened to see hundreds of people already surrounding the Archbishop’s Palace,” Mrs. Paras said.
They spotted a group of “sick people and those on wheelchair” inside the gate, beside the float that will carry the Pope around Metro Manila.
Mrs. Paras said she “pleaded with the guard to let us in, but he didn’t budge because Cristina looked healthy as she had a robust body. We begged and pointed to her swollen head, and I volunteered to be left behind. The guard agreed.”
Still, chances were slim that Conchita and her daughter would be noticed by the Pope because Mrs. Smoot was “just five feet” tall.
The Pope then emerged from the nunciature, “blessing the people on the right gate, then the people on the island and then to his left where Conchita and Cristina were located. He then mounted the stairs of the float while people shouted ‘totus tuus’ and ‘viva il papa’,” Mrs. Paras said.
To get the Pope’s attention, Conchita, now a retired United Airlines employee, closed her eyes and shouted several times in Spanish: “Por favor Senor Santo Papa, Ayudanos!”
“Suddenly, the Pope stopped in the middle of his ascent, turned around, then walked towards the place where Conchita and Cristina were. He pushed the guards aside and signaled the people to let him pass,” said Mrs. Paras.
“Conchita, who was crying, never knew the Pope was approaching. When my sister opened her eyes, she saw the Pope right in front of her with a smile on his face.”
Holy presence
Conchita said she felt the “holy presence” of the man in front of her. She then stated in Spanish: “Please bless her head.”
“No words were said by His Holiness. His actions spoke louder than any words could have been heard.”
Mrs. Smoot was about to repeat her appeal when the Pope looked down at her baby, who was also crying, then touched the infant’s head while gesturing the sign of the cross.
“Then the Pope bent over again, this time taking the child with both hands. The holy presence was so strong that Cristina stopped crying the moment the Pope carried her and kissed her cheeks,” said Mrs. Paras.
Healed
During the next three days after the unforgettable encounter, Cristina developed a fever but incredibly, her head started to get smaller. Dr. Paras, her grandfather, tried to think of a medical explanation for what happened but reserved any diagnosis in deference to the infant’s Honolulu-based pediatrician.
But barely a week after being touched by Pope John Paul II, Cristina was diagnosed by her doctors as safe from the disease.
“We, that is Cristina and all her family and extended family, who have been blessed by God’s presence and love, will forever be thankful to God and to Pope John Paul II for allowing himself to become the instrument for this miracle to have happened. I am sharing our experience for all to see that miracles really do happen!” said Conchita.
source: mb.com.ph
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