Friday, March 30, 2007  Miracles happen  It would appear that a
miracle was brought about on 2 June 2005 through the
intercession of the late head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope
John-Paul II. The Frenchwoman who benefited from that miracle
happens to be a member of this same Church: Sister Marie Simon-
Pierre, a 46-year-old nun. That's the Catholic way of keeping
things in the family.  The story, which spans over two months,
is straightforward. By the time John-Paul II died on 2 April
2005, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre was already gravely affected by
Parkinson's disease on the left side of her body. Being left-
handed, she could no longer write, and her trembling left arm
dangled at her side when she walked. A month and a half later,
on 13 May 2005, the new pope, Benedict XVI, wiped away the
traditional delay of five years in the canonization process
concerning his predecessor. The next morning, like a team of
footballers preparing themselves for a forthcoming match, Sister
Marie Simon-Pierre and her fellow nu