Lourdes miracle recognised by Church

The Catholic Church has recognised as "miraculous" the case of an Italian woman who recovered from a serious illness after visiting the Christian sanctuary Lourdes in 1952.

Anna Santaniello's recovery has officially become the 67th "miracle cure" attributed to the famous French site.

Now aged 94, Santaniello had suffered from Bouillaud's disease, a rheumatic condition which causes severe speech and mobility problems, acute asthma attacks and swellings of the limbs.

Her condition cleared up after her visit. The medical committee at the sanctuary had described her case as "extraordinary" in 1961.