Antonio de Sant'Ana Galvão
Encyclopedia
Saint Anthony of Saint Ann Galvão , O.F.M., popularly known as Frei Galvão (Friar Galvão), (1739 — December 23, 1822) was a Brazil
ian friar
of the Franciscan
Order. One of the best-known religious figures in Brazil, renowned for his healing powers, Galvão was canonized
by Pope Benedict XVI
on May 11, 2007, becoming the first Brazilian-born saint. Overall, he is the second Brazilian saint, after Italian
-born Saint Paulina
, canonized in 2002.
of Santo Antonio of Guaratinguetá, in the captaincy
of São Paulo
. He was the fourth of ten children in a deeply religious family of high social and political status.
His father, Antônio Galvão de França, was the Portuguese
-born Captain-General of the village. Although he was active in the world of politics and commerce, Anthony the father also belonged to the Third Order of Saint Francis and was known for his generosity. His mother, Isabel Leite de Barros, was from a farming family, and was a great-granddaughter of the famous bandeirante
explorer Fernão Dias Pais, known as the "Emerald Hunter". She gave birth to eleven children before her premature death in 1755, at age 38. Equally known for her generosity, Isabel was found to have given away all of her clothes to the poor at the time of her death.
At age 13, Galvão was sent to the Jesuit-run seminary Colégio de Belém in Cachoeira
, Bahia
by his father, which wished to provide Humanities
and cultural training to his son. He followed his brother José, who was already studying there. At Colégio de Belém, which he attended from 1752 to 1756, Galvão made great progress in social studies and Christian practice. He aspired to become a Jesuit priest, but the anti-Jesuit persecution led by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, led him to enter the Franciscan
Order instead. in Taubaté
, following the advice of his father.
At age 16, Galvão gave up a promising future and his family's social influence, becoming a novice
at the Saint Bonaventure Friary in Vila de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro
. /> There, he adopted the religious name of Anthony of Saint Ann, in honor of his family's devotion to Saint Ann. During his novitiate
year, he was known for his piety, zeal and exemplary virtues. Galvão made his solemn profession
on April 16, 1761, taking the Franciscan vow to defend the Blessed Virgin Mary's title of the "Immaculate Conception
", which was still a controversial doctrine
at that time.
On July 11, 1762, Galvão was ordained a priest and transferred to Saint Francis Friary in the city of São Paulo
, where he continued his studies in theology
and philosophy
./> In early 1766, around the completion of his studies, Anthony made a spirital submission of himself as a "servant and slave" of the Blessed Mother, signing a document to this effect, dated March 9, 1766, which he signed in his own blood. In 1768 he was appointed preacher, confessor
and porter of the friary, an important post.
From 1769 to 1770 he served as confessor to the "Recollection of St. Teresa" in the city of São Paulo, which was a house of women "Recollects" (recluse
s living in common but not under religious vows
), dedicated to St. Teresa of Ávila
. There, he met Sister Helena Maria of the Holy Spirit, a recluse who claimed to have had visions in which Jesus
was asking her to found a new Recollect house. Galvão, her confessor, studied these messages and consulted with others who recognized them as valid and supernatural
.
Galvão collaborated in the foundation of the new Recollect house, named Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence, which was established on February 2, 1774 in the same city. It was modelled after the Conceptionists
, and became the home for girls who wished to live a religious life but without taking vows. With Sister Helena's sudden death on February 23, 1775, Galvão became the new head of the institute, serving as the Recollects' new spiritual leader
.
Around that time, a change in São Paulo's provincial government brought an inflexible leader who ordered the closing of the convent. Galvão accepted the decision, but the recluses refused to leave the premises, and due to popular pressure and the Bishop's efforts, the convent was soon re-opened. Subsequently, with the increasing number of new recluses, more living space was required. It took Galvão 28 years to build the convent and church, with the latter being inaugurated on August 15, 1802. In addition to the construction work and duties within and outside his Order, Galvão committed himself to the Recollect's formation. The Statutes he wrote for them was a guide for the interior life and religious discipline.
When things seemed more quiet, another government intervention brought Galvão a further trial. The Captain-General sentenced a soldier to death for having slightly offended his son, and the priest was sent into exile
for coming to the soldier's defence. Again, popular demand succeeded in having the order revoked.
In 1781, Galvão was appointed novice master in Macacu. However, the Recollects and the Bishop of São Paulo appealed to the Minister Provincial
, writing that "none of the inhabitants of this city will be able to bear the absence of this Religious for a single moment". As a result, he returned. He was later named guardian of the Saint Francis Friary in São Paulo in 1798, being re-elected in 1801.
In 1811 he founded Saint Clare Friary in Sorocaba
. Eleven months later, he returned to Saint Francis Friary in the city of São Paulo. In his old age, he obtained permission from the Bishop and the Guardian
to stay at the Recollect house. He died there on December 23, 1822. Galvão was laid to rest in the Recollection Church, and his tomb continues to be a destination for pilgrimages of the faithful who obtain graces through his intercession.
In 1929, the convent of Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence became a monastery
, incorporated into the Order of the Immaculate Conception. The building, now called the "Monastery of Light", has been declared a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO
.
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Galvão was a man of great and intense prayer, and certain mystic phenomena are attributed to him, such as telepathy
, premonition and levitation
. Cases of bilocation
are also famous in his life; he was reported to be in two different places at the same time in order to take care of sick or dying people who had asked for his help.
He was also sought for his alleged healing powers in a time where medical resources were scarce. On one occasion, he wrote a Latin phrase from the Little Office of Our Lady
("After childbirth thou didst remain a Virgin: O Mother of God, intercede for us") in a piece of paper, rolled it like a pill, and gave it to a young woman whose heavy renal colic
was risking her life. After she drank the pill, the pain ceased immediately and she expelled a large amount of renal calculus. On another occasion, a man asked him to help his wife through a difficult childbirth. Galvão gave her the paper pill, and the child was quickly born without further complications. The story of the miracle pill spread, and Galvão had to teach the Recollect sisters to make the pills in order to give them for people in need, which they still do nowadays. They are handed out for free to some 300 faithful who request them daily.
On October 25, 1998, Galvão became the first Brazilian-born person to be beatified by the Vatican
, having been declared Venerable
a year earlier, on March 8, 1997. On May 11, 2007, he became the first Brazilian-born canonized
by the Roman Catholic Church, during Pope Benedict XVI
's five day visit to Brazil. The open-air ceremony, which lasted over two hours in the Campo de Marte Military Airport
, near downtown São Paulo
, drew 800,000 people, according to official estimates. Galvão was the first saint Pope Benedict XVI canonized in a ceremony held outside the Vatican City
. His proclamation as a saint came after the Catholic Church established that two miracle
s had taken place.
According to the Church, the cases of Sandra Grossi de Almeida and Daniella Cristina da Silva are miracles effected through the prayers of Galvão. After taking one of the paper pills, Almeida, who had a uterine malformation
that should have made it impossible for her to carry a child for more than four months, gave birth to baby boy Enzo. Galvão's pills are also certified by the Church with the healing, in 1990, of Daniella Cristina da Silva, a four-year-old girl suffering from what doctors considered incurable hepatitis
. In spite of the pills status among Brazilian Catholics, doctors and even some Catholic clergy have dismissed them as placebos. The Church recommends that only terminally ill patients should take the pills.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Order. One of the best-known religious figures in Brazil, renowned for his healing powers, Galvão was canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on May 11, 2007, becoming the first Brazilian-born saint. Overall, he is the second Brazilian saint, after Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born Saint Paulina
Saint Paulina
Saint Paulina, born Amabile Lucia Visintainer , was a Brazilian nun of Italian origin which became the first Brazilian citizen to be canonized when proclaimed a saint on May 19, 2002, by Pope John Paul II...
, canonized in 2002.
Biography
Galvão was born in the freguesiaFreguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
of Santo Antonio of Guaratinguetá, in the captaincy
Captaincy
A captaincy is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. Each was governed by a captain general.-In the Portuguese Empire:...
of São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
. He was the fourth of ten children in a deeply religious family of high social and political status.
His father, Antônio Galvão de França, was the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
-born Captain-General of the village. Although he was active in the world of politics and commerce, Anthony the father also belonged to the Third Order of Saint Francis and was known for his generosity. His mother, Isabel Leite de Barros, was from a farming family, and was a great-granddaughter of the famous bandeirante
Bandeirantes
The bandeirantes were composed of Indians , caboclos , and some whites who were the captains of the Bandeiras. Members of the 16th–18th century South American slave-hunting expeditions called bandeiras...
explorer Fernão Dias Pais, known as the "Emerald Hunter". She gave birth to eleven children before her premature death in 1755, at age 38. Equally known for her generosity, Isabel was found to have given away all of her clothes to the poor at the time of her death.
At age 13, Galvão was sent to the Jesuit-run seminary Colégio de Belém in Cachoeira
Cachoeira
Cachoeira , is an inland town of Bahia, Brazil, on the Paraguaçu River. The town exports sugar, cotton and tobacco and is a thriving commercial and industrial centre....
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
by his father, which wished to provide Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and cultural training to his son. He followed his brother José, who was already studying there. At Colégio de Belém, which he attended from 1752 to 1756, Galvão made great progress in social studies and Christian practice. He aspired to become a Jesuit priest, but the anti-Jesuit persecution led by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, led him to enter the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Order instead. in Taubaté
Taubaté
Taubaté is a city in the State of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. Its strategic geographical location, between the two most important Brazilian cities , being crossed by Presidente Dutra Highway which connects the two megacities, and between high, cold mountains and the Atlantic Ocean has...
, following the advice of his father.
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
at the Saint Bonaventure Friary in Vila de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. /> There, he adopted the religious name of Anthony of Saint Ann, in honor of his family's devotion to Saint Ann. During his novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
year, he was known for his piety, zeal and exemplary virtues. Galvão made his solemn profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
on April 16, 1761, taking the Franciscan vow to defend the Blessed Virgin Mary's title of the "Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
", which was still a controversial doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
at that time.
On July 11, 1762, Galvão was ordained a priest and transferred to Saint Francis Friary in the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, where he continued his studies in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
./> In early 1766, around the completion of his studies, Anthony made a spirital submission of himself as a "servant and slave" of the Blessed Mother, signing a document to this effect, dated March 9, 1766, which he signed in his own blood. In 1768 he was appointed preacher, confessor
Confessor
-Confessor of the Faith:Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared...
and porter of the friary, an important post.
From 1769 to 1770 he served as confessor to the "Recollection of St. Teresa" in the city of São Paulo, which was a house of women "Recollects" (recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
s living in common but not under religious vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
), dedicated to St. Teresa of Ávila
Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
. There, he met Sister Helena Maria of the Holy Spirit, a recluse who claimed to have had visions in which Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
was asking her to found a new Recollect house. Galvão, her confessor, studied these messages and consulted with others who recognized them as valid and supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
.
Galvão collaborated in the foundation of the new Recollect house, named Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence, which was established on February 2, 1774 in the same city. It was modelled after the Conceptionists
Conceptionists
The Order of the Immaculate Conception , also known as the Conceptionists, are a contemplative Order of nuns. For five hundred years, they followed the Poor Clare Rule, but were recognized as a separate Order, ....
, and became the home for girls who wished to live a religious life but without taking vows. With Sister Helena's sudden death on February 23, 1775, Galvão became the new head of the institute, serving as the Recollects' new spiritual leader
Spiritual leader
Spiritual leader is a form of title that is used to refer to religious leaders.In Buddhism, spiritual leaders are usually the people who have attained high level of spiritual awareness. Those spiritual teachers can guide people on their path toward spiritual awakening.Spiritual Leader may be a...
.
Around that time, a change in São Paulo's provincial government brought an inflexible leader who ordered the closing of the convent. Galvão accepted the decision, but the recluses refused to leave the premises, and due to popular pressure and the Bishop's efforts, the convent was soon re-opened. Subsequently, with the increasing number of new recluses, more living space was required. It took Galvão 28 years to build the convent and church, with the latter being inaugurated on August 15, 1802. In addition to the construction work and duties within and outside his Order, Galvão committed himself to the Recollect's formation. The Statutes he wrote for them was a guide for the interior life and religious discipline.
When things seemed more quiet, another government intervention brought Galvão a further trial. The Captain-General sentenced a soldier to death for having slightly offended his son, and the priest was sent into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
for coming to the soldier's defence. Again, popular demand succeeded in having the order revoked.
In 1781, Galvão was appointed novice master in Macacu. However, the Recollects and the Bishop of São Paulo appealed to the Minister Provincial
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
, writing that "none of the inhabitants of this city will be able to bear the absence of this Religious for a single moment". As a result, he returned. He was later named guardian of the Saint Francis Friary in São Paulo in 1798, being re-elected in 1801.
In 1811 he founded Saint Clare Friary in Sorocaba
Sorocaba
Sorocaba is a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Sorocaba is the fourth largest city in the state of São Paulo. Outside the Greater São Paulo region, it ranks behind only Campinas, Sao Jose dos Campos and Ribeirão Preto...
. Eleven months later, he returned to Saint Francis Friary in the city of São Paulo. In his old age, he obtained permission from the Bishop and the Guardian
Guardian
-In the United Kingdom:* The Guardian, founded in 1821 as the Manchester Guardian and renamed in 1959* The Guardian , founded in 1713 and running only briefly...
to stay at the Recollect house. He died there on December 23, 1822. Galvão was laid to rest in the Recollection Church, and his tomb continues to be a destination for pilgrimages of the faithful who obtain graces through his intercession.
In 1929, the convent of Our Lady of the Conception of Divine Providence became a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, incorporated into the Order of the Immaculate Conception. The building, now called the "Monastery of Light", has been declared a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Mysticism
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, premonition and levitation
Levitation
Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended by a physical force against gravity, in a stable position without solid physical contact...
. Cases of bilocation
Bilocation
Bilocation, or sometimes multilocation, is a term used to describe the ability/instances in which an individual or object is said to be, or appears to be, located in two distinct places at the same instant in time...
are also famous in his life; he was reported to be in two different places at the same time in order to take care of sick or dying people who had asked for his help.
Little Office of Our Lady
The Little Office of Our Lady also known as Hours of the Virgin is a liturgical devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, in imitation of, and usually in addition to, the Divine Office in the Roman Catholic Church...
("After childbirth thou didst remain a Virgin: O Mother of God, intercede for us") in a piece of paper, rolled it like a pill, and gave it to a young woman whose heavy renal colic
Colic
Colic is a form of pain which starts and stops abruptly. Types include:*Baby colic, a condition, usually in infants, characterized by incessant crying*Renal colic, a pain in the flank, characteristic of kidney stones...
was risking her life. After she drank the pill, the pain ceased immediately and she expelled a large amount of renal calculus. On another occasion, a man asked him to help his wife through a difficult childbirth. Galvão gave her the paper pill, and the child was quickly born without further complications. The story of the miracle pill spread, and Galvão had to teach the Recollect sisters to make the pills in order to give them for people in need, which they still do nowadays. They are handed out for free to some 300 faithful who request them daily.
On October 25, 1998, Galvão became the first Brazilian-born person to be beatified by the Vatican
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, having been declared Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
a year earlier, on March 8, 1997. On May 11, 2007, he became the first Brazilian-born canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
by the Roman Catholic Church, during Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's five day visit to Brazil. The open-air ceremony, which lasted over two hours in the Campo de Marte Military Airport
Campo de Marte Airport
Campo de Marte Airport is the first airport built in São Paulo, Brazil, opened in 1919. It is named after Champ de Mars, in Paris, which in turn got its name from Campus Martius, in Rome....
, near downtown São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, drew 800,000 people, according to official estimates. Galvão was the first saint Pope Benedict XVI canonized in a ceremony held outside the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. His proclamation as a saint came after the Catholic Church established that two miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s had taken place.
According to the Church, the cases of Sandra Grossi de Almeida and Daniella Cristina da Silva are miracles effected through the prayers of Galvão. After taking one of the paper pills, Almeida, who had a uterine malformation
Uterine malformation
A uterine malformation is a type of female genital malformation resulting from an abnormal development of the Müllerian duct during embryogenesis...
that should have made it impossible for her to carry a child for more than four months, gave birth to baby boy Enzo. Galvão's pills are also certified by the Church with the healing, in 1990, of Daniella Cristina da Silva, a four-year-old girl suffering from what doctors considered incurable hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
. In spite of the pills status among Brazilian Catholics, doctors and even some Catholic clergy have dismissed them as placebos. The Church recommends that only terminally ill patients should take the pills.