The phenomenon is being hailed as a modern day miracle. But there are some who are just not buying into it. Whatever the reason may be, what’s happening at the St Demetrius church in Skopje, Macedonia is very interesting. The gold halos around the paintings of saints on the walls of the five-century old church have miraculously turned brighter, overnight. The paint is reported to be noticeably sharper than it used to be before. Some reports suggest that the soot gathered over all these centuries is simply falling off, to reveal the original colors of the paintings beneath. The phenomenon first began with the image of the Virgin Mary and soon spread to the other works of art.

The miracle of the Macedonian Church paintings is turning out to be quite a popular one. Several hundreds have gathered in long lines outside the church, hoping to get a glance. Even Archbishop Stefan of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski paid their visits. Father Dragi Trpeski says, “I’ve worked as a priest for 26 years but I have never witnessed a miracle like this.” Several theories have been put forth, attempting to explain the event. According to local clergy, the famous warrior St Demetrius is unhappy about the recent drop in visits to the church. Apparently, the presence of nearby construction sites has blocked main entrances and resulted in fewer visitors. Head of the Commission for Religious Communities, Valentina Bozinovska, suggests, “This is a message that we must immediately return to moral values, family and children, to preserve ourselves from the decadence we are facing.”

Photo: Balkan Insight

Those are pretty strong messages the paintings are trying to convey, if these theories are to be believed. Many waiting in line to see the miracle for themselves, are eager to witness God’s message and blessings. However, not everyone sees the turn of events as a divine intervention. Some are considering the possibility of a hoax by the church’s priests, but Nikola Mojsoski, an elderly citizen, says “I believe there is a reasonable scientific explanation. I do not wish to believe that priests would deliberately swindle people like this.” The National Conservation Center is conducting investigations on a few samples from the frescoes to analyze the effect of atmospheric changes or humidity. This sure does seem like quite a curious turn of events. Who do you think is responsible? God, science, or a few midnight mischief makers?

 Photo: Balkan Insight

Video is in Russian, but it had the best quality 

via Balkan Insight