The Shroud Codex - Jerome R. Corsi [85]
“Not that I could tell,” Ferrar said seriously, “and I was standing right there, not ten feet away from Father Bartholomew when he levitated above the altar today at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It happened just like you are seeing, only a few blocks from here, right in the heart of midtown Manhattan, right on Fifth Avenue.”
“It looks like Father Bartholomew was unconscious,” Dunaway observed. “Was he still alive?”
“As far as I can tell, he was alive.”
“How long did he stay like that, completely suspended in air, just like he was crucified?” Dunaway asked.
“It was only a few minutes,” Ferrar answered quickly, anticipating what was coming next. “But look at this close-up. Hanging there, the priest’s legs looked like somebody was positioning them to be nailed to a cross.”
“That’s right,” Dunaway said. “It looks like the left foot is being placed on top of the right foot and then—what’s this? It looks like the feet are being nailed. I can see the bleeding wound on the left foot on top. I can’t see any nail, but I can see the wound developing. Could that possibly be what is happening?”
“Follow the close-up,” Ferrar said excitedly. “It’s exactly what is happening.”
“I just can’t believe it,” Dunaway said in astonishment. “Are those the nail wounds on his feet?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what is happening,” Ferrar said. “You can see the feet beginning to bleed. When the camera pans back, you can see all the wounds—the forehead bleeding with the crown of thorns, the wrists bleeding from the nails. Underneath those purple vestments, the robes the priest is wearing for Mass, I’m told the scourge wounds opened up again on his body and began to bleed.”
“But the cross is invisible and there is no crown of thorns,” Dunaway pointed out. “There aren’t any nails being driven through his wrists or his feet. I don’t understand how what I’m seeing could possibly be happening.”
“That’s why it’s being considered a miracle,” Ferrar said. “There were about one hundred people in the church at the time attending Mass and they all stood there spellbound, not knowing what was happening. One woman said it looked like Father Bartholomew was experiencing in his own body the passion and death of Jesus Christ.”
Just then the video showed Anne running forward and screaming, as she saw her brother suffering Christ’s passion and death. On the video, her blood-curdling scream seemed to reverberate throughout the cathedral.
“Who’s that?” Dunaway asked.
“I’m told that is Anne Cassidy, the priest’s half sister,” Ferrar answered.
“How long did Father Bartholomew stay levitating above the altar?” Dunaway asked. “It’s incredible—this happened in midtown Manhattan just a few minutes ago.”
“It seemed like an eternity that Father Bartholomew levitated there above the main altar in St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” Ferrar answered. “But it was less than five minutes from start to stop. You’re seeing it on the video just as it happened. I don’t think we edited anything out.”
“How did it end?” Dunaway asked.
“As soon as his sister screamed, Father Bartholomew collapsed to the ground and it was over,” Ferrar said. “It’s on the next part of the video. Let’s watch—you can see it happening.”
“Remarkable,” Dunaway said as he watched the remaining video. Anne screamed and fainted; the police and ambulance personnel rushed into the cathedral.
“I never would have believed it, except for your video,” Dunaway said. “It’s the most remarkable news video I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I know,” Ferrar said. “I stood there entranced, watching as it happened. We have the best video crew in the business. They just kept videotaping and going for those close-ups while I stood there in disbelief.”
“Is that the end of the video?” Dunaway asked. The program returned to the studio to show Dunaway and Ferrar sitting side by side at a desk on the set.
“Yes, that’s it,” Ferrar said. “As you saw right at the end of the video, the New York police rushed over to