A Virgin Mary statue that appears to be inexplicably crying has drawn hundreds of awestruck visitors to a Mexican church in the hopes of catching a glimpse of what some believe to be a miraculous event. According to a local media report, the wondrous phenomenon was first noticed last month by a nine-year-old boy attending a catechism class in the community of El Chanal. The mysterious tears understandably astonished parishioners and footage of the crying statue quickly went viral on social media in Mexico, which then prompted people to flock to the site to see the possible miracle for themselves.

To that end, some members of the community have suggested that the crying statue is the Virgin Mary's response to insecurity which has plagued the area and reportedly caused a considerable increase in violent crime over the last year. As such, many beleaguered residents have expressed hope that the tears will usher in some kind of peace in the area by way of the perceived divine intervention. That said, more skeptical observers argue that the 'miracle' is merely a natural event that likely came about due to the porous material used to craft the piece. What do you make of the crying statue? Is it a miraculous message or merely something more prosaic? Share your thoughts with us at the C2C Facebook page.