The unusual phenomenon, which took place in El Chanal, has garnered the attention of both believers and skeptics, with hundreds of people reportedly flocking to the church to witness the ‘weeping’ virgin.
Several videos shared on social media show water droplets seemingly coming out of the statue’s eyes and running down its face.
A resident of the community identified as Ramos said, “Similarly, when we cry, and our eyes become red, the same happens to the image. So a couple of tears started flowing. This is the event, the phenomenon that is happening here in the church.”
Some people have associated the tears with the prevailing insecurity in Colima, which has been plagued with a wave of violence.
Victor added: “We can associate it with… the violence rates that are being experienced here in the state of Colima, also here in the community.”
As of October, the Colima Prosecutor’s office had recorded 702 cases of intentional homicides.
A pilgrim, Maria Mercedes Hernandez, said: “Peace, may she give us peace in Colima and throughout the world, that we may return to the Colima of before.”
As expected, some skeptics have opined that there is a scientific explanation for the crying statue. Professor Luigi Garlaschelli averred that some statues can soak up water due to the porous materials they are made of.
Garlaschelli explained:
“You need a hollow statue made of plaster or ceramic, which must be covered on the outside with a waterproof layer.
“By filling the statue with water through an imperceptible hole at the top, the porous material will absorb it, but the outer layer will prevent it from coming out.
“However, if a slight scratch is made in the protective glaze in the tear duct area, the absorbed water will come out through it as if it were tears.”
