SOPHIE Delezio's father Ron clearly remembers the day a surgeon walked out of the operating room and declared : "It's a miracle, it's a miracle." Sophie, now 7, took a Blessed Mary MacKillop cross and holy card with her into every operation after she suffered life-threatening injuries in the Roundhouse daycare car tragedy, the first of two accidents in which she was injured.
There has been speculation her remarkable survival could provide the proof of a second miracle needed for the Australian nun's canonisation.
But while Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell believes the Australian Catholics' saint-designate will be declared a saint sooner or later, he said he did not expect MacKillop to be canonised when Pope Benedict XVI visits in July for World Youth Day.
"Some people have asked me to ask Rome to do away with a second miracle, but I think Australians need miracles," he said.
Mr Delezio said yesterday his strong faith had helped the family through the trauma of Sophie's two accidents and ongoing medical treatment.
Now the family will give back to the Catholic community with Mr Delezio, his wife Carolyn, son Mitchell and playful Sophie named ambassadors for World Youth Day yesterday.
Mr Delezio said medical staff had never known anyone to sustain burns to 80 per cent of their body and live.
For Sophie's recovery to be deemed a miracle it must be proved it went beyond scientific and medical explanation and that she recovered outside the normal healing timeframe.
Cardinal Pell also indicated the Pope may apologise to Australian victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests, as he did on a recent tour of the US, when he is here.
"I would be surprised if he doesn't say something on a matter that's of such crucial importance," he said.
"He did very well on this score in the US. There's one important difference. This is an international event, in the US he was visiting the church of the US."
Sophie, who lost her right ear, left foot, right leg, the fingers on her right hand and much of her hair, has undergone six operations this year after suffering infection to her legs and she faces more surgery later in the year.
As well as the Delezios the other ambassadors are fashion designer Carla Zampatti, Sydney Swans player Jared Crouch, opera singer Amelia Farrugia and former ambassador to the Holy See and Ireland Dr John Herron.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce