Inspiring Christian Lives

Gianna Molla, 1922-1962

Brazil 1978 Far away in a missionary hospital in Brazil, a young mother of three children lays dying after a caesarean delivery of a still born baby. Unforeseen complications develop with the mother. The hospital lacks the facilities to cope. The nearest major hospital lies some 400 miles away on the coast, a journey that, in the present circumstances, would be impossible for the ailing mother to survive. A nurse, Sister Bernadina rustles about and finds a small prayer card with Gianna Beretta Molla's picture on it. She asks the two other nurses to pray with her for Gianna's intercession that the mother's condition will heal itself. The patient on the bed, the suffering mother, a protestant Christian, joins them in prayer. Their prayers were answered: she made a miraculous recovery.

Who was this Gianna Molla, this woman who they were asking to intercede on behalf of the dying mother in the missionary outpost in Brazil? She had been a friend of the missionary doctor who had set up the hospital in Brazil where the dying mother of the stillborn was now suffering. She was a remarkable lady who combined a demanding professional career as a doctor in a general practice with being a vibrant and joyful wife and mother. She herself (Gianna Molla) had had 3 children, but it was during the pregnancy with her fourth that she was diagnosed with cancer of the womb. Doctors advised her to have a hysterectomy to remove the womb - this would have meant that she would have lost the baby she was carrying. It is important to stress that the official Catholic position was that she should have her cancerous womb removed; this would not be an abortion, since the intention was to save the mother, not kill the unborn child. Death of the child would be the consequence of the action. Gianna, though, was prepared to go beyond this teaching. She also categorically refused to have an abortion direct, intentional killing of the unborn child), given that she was a Christian and viewed all life, especially human life, as sacred. Despite the risks to herself she wished to see the pregnancy through for the good of the baby.

Gianna Molla gave birth to a baby girl, her fourth child. Shortly after giving birth Gianna passed away due to complications encountered during the birth. Her husband was left to bring up the children with the support of their family. Gianna had great faith that God would take care of her family after her death. Unfortunately, one of the children died of an illness at age 6, whilst the other 3 went on to have happy lives. They are still alive and well today.

But that is not the end of this remarkable story of sacrifice and witness to the love of God, of being able to see beyond immediate suffering. The Catholic Church decided to go some way towards recognising that Gianna was a saint, given that the lady in Brazil was miraculously cured of her condition as the nuns prayed with her for Gianna to intercede. This lady is still alive today. At the ceremony in Rome, it was not just this lady who was present; Gianna's own daughter, the one who some advised her to abort, was there too. She was in her early thirties, happily married and alive and well. Gianna had laid down her life for those she loved.