An enormous amount of miraculous phenomena were attributed to the "Stigmatised of Konnersreuth", Therese Neumann. The most impressing being allegedly living without food over decades until her death. Therese Neumann was repeatedly requested by the relevant church authorities, to supply a proof for this miracle and to let herself be monitored some weeks in a hospital. But each time this was rejected without compromise. Therefore the bishop's office in Regensburg communicated on December 10. 1937, that "the church authority, holds no responsibility that the claimed living without food is real and concerning the character of the other extraordinary events in Konnersreuth". The people of Konnersreuth did not abandon their faith; one could only have got the impression, that the responsible church authority does not worry about Konnersreuth any more. This however turned out not to be the case. In the year 1962 Dr. Rudolf Graber, who admitted to being a devotee of Therese Neumann, became bishop of Regensburg. Still in the same year he undertook the first steps, aiming for the beatification of the "Resl of Konnersreuth". I reacted to this in the year 1967 by writing, and self-publishing the book "An act of God or human fudging?"; followed after three years by the more extensive "Konnersreuth as a case of test". The objective - warning of the church and saving it from further damage was done - was not achieved; quite to the contrary, in summer 1978 the "Konnersreuther Ring" founded by bishop Dr. Rudolf Graber, demanded the official initialisation of the informative process to achieve beatification.
Above all the measures, which were taken by the responsible bishops up into the present, made me decide to advance this further publication. It supports itself mainly with the facts from the book, "Konnersreuth as case of test"1. The reader may judge to which extent the following often heard statement is true: At evaluating alleged marvellous events the church applies the most stringent criteria. My reason for publication is further illustrated by a short excerpt from from a letter, which Professor Dr. Paul Martini, at that time director of the medical hospital of the University of Bonn, wrote on May 10. 1937 to the bishop of Regensburg Michael Buchberger. Professor Martini, who was among the scientists, who stayed as observers in Konnersreuth on March 22. 1928, wrote to the bishop to, indicating, why he had after long hesitating decided to communicate its impressions to the public: "I see immense dangers. In my opinion the extraordinary risk alone that here an enormous swindle ... is brought into the closest connection with the church and absorbed into its innermost, is intolerable. My conviction grows stronger and stronger that on the one hand I have the moral obligation to not stay silent in the long run and on the other hand, that it is better the warnings come from the catholic side itself rather than that the enemies of the church gain a cheap victory. If complete silence about Therese Neumann cannot be achieved and if she doesn't consent to a new medical monitoring, then my conscience forces me to openly raise my voice for a warning. I considered this question of conscience so thoroughly and it is so clear to me what my obligation is, that there will be no reasons which could make me change my mind about it1"
I am obliged to Prof. MD F. Schleyer for notes and pieces of advice from a medical perspective and to Dr. Jur. W. Wimmer, judge at the regional court of Mannheim, for forensic and legal suggestions.
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