.- A single thorn held to have been taken from Christ's crown of thorns that traditionally 'bleeds' each time that Good Friday falls on March 25, has done so again this year.

Bishop Raffaele Calabro, Bishop Emeritus of Andria in Italy's Apulia region, confirmed today that the thorn has bled.

“The miracle has started, the wonder is underway,” Bishop Calabro stated.

The thorn has been kept in a reliquary in Andria's cathedral since 1308.

A commission who observed the miracle confirmed the formation of three spherical formations or “gems” on the thorn and that “on the base of the thorn is the residue of the preceding miracle of 2005, renewing.”

The last time the miracle of the bleeding thorn took place was in 2005, and it is not expected to do so again until 2157. The occurrence has been recorded since 1633.

Bishop Calabro thanked God “for what he is doing, as the miracle is a gift from the love of God and is a sign of his love for this community.”