After months of speculation, the Vatican has just approved a second miracle attributed to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, thus paving the way for a possible canonization during this Holy Year of Mercy.

CNA/EWTN News is reporting on the communique issued on December 18, a day after Pope Francis met privately with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

According to Avvenire, the official publication of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the Pope gave his approval on the afternoon of December 17, which was also his 79th birthday.

The miracle concerns a Brazilian man who was comatose after suffering from a viral brain infection that resulted in multiple brain abscesses that were not responding to treatment. He was believed to have been near death at the point that he was healed.

A statement from the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center reports that the man’s wife had been continually seeing the intercession of Blessed Mother Teresa along with his friends and the parish priest.

On December 9, the man entered into a serious crisis and had to be taken to the operating room for emergency surgery. His wife went to their parish church and, along with the pastor, prayed to Blessed Teresa begging for her husband’s life.

“At 18.40 the neurosurgeon returned to the operating room and found the patient inexplicably awake and without pain. The patient asked the doctor, ‘what am I doing here?’ The next morning, December 10, 2008, when examined at 7.40 the patient was fully awake and without any headache; he was asymptomatic with normal cognition,” the statement reads.

“The patient, now completely healed, resumed his work as a mechanical engineer without any particular limitation. In addition, it should be emphasized that despite the tests that showed a state of sterility due to the intense and prolonged immunosuppression and antibiotics, the couple have two healthy children born in 2010 and 2012.”

This fall, the medical commission voted unanimously that the cure is inexplicable in light of present-day medical knowledge. Shortly thereafter, the theological commission voted unanimously that there was a perfect connection of cause and effect between the invocation of Mother Teresa and the scientifically inexplicable healing. On 15 December the case received the final approval of the congress of Cardinals and Bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Two days later, Pope Francis approved their findings.

Although no date has been officially announced, Cardinal Amato previously suggested September 4, which is being observed as jubilee day for workers and volunteers of mercy, and is also the day before Blessed Mother Teresa’s official feast day of September 5.

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