▁been ▁suffering ▁from ▁a ▁serious ▁eye ▁problem ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" lac r imal ▁f ist ula ". ▁Pre par ations ▁were ▁being ▁made ▁to ▁treat ▁it ▁surg ically ▁when ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁March ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁the ▁child ▁declared ▁herself ▁c ured ▁from ▁placing ▁her ▁eye ▁against ▁a ▁reli qu ary ▁containing ▁part ▁of ▁Christ ' s ▁crown ▁of ▁th orn s . ▁Vari ous ▁do ctors ▁jud ged ▁the ▁c ure ▁mi rac ul ous ▁in ▁the ▁weeks ▁that ▁followed . ▁However , ▁Guy ▁Pat in , ▁former ▁de an ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁Medicine , ▁disput ed ▁the ▁testim ony ▁of ▁" th ese ▁appro vers ▁of ▁m ira cles ". ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁some ▁were ▁too ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁Port - Ro yal ▁to ▁avoid ▁bias , ▁and ▁others ▁were ▁un qual ified ▁" bar ber ▁sur ge ons ". ▁ ▁The ▁event ▁was ▁widely ▁public ized ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁stopped ▁the ▁per sec utions ▁against ▁the ▁ab bey . ▁This ▁mi racle ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁politico - rel ig ious ▁deb ates ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁J ansen ists ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁God ' s ▁support ▁for ▁their ▁cause . ▁ ▁Father ▁François ▁Ann at , ▁Jes uit ▁and ▁conf essor ▁of ▁the ▁king , ▁respond ed ▁with ▁Le ▁Rab at - jo ie ▁des ▁j ans én istes . ▁Without ▁question ing ▁the ▁reality ▁of ▁the ▁mi racle , ▁which ▁was ▁recognized ▁by ▁the ▁church