Evangelical Church Says Its Holy Olive Oil Cures Everything From Cancer To Relationship Problems
An evangelical church with bases in Australia and Brazil is marketing its own brand of oil — olive oil — as nothing less than “miraculous.”
Forget organic or locally grown: This line of “Holy Oil” not only greases the pan but purportedly shrinks tumors and halts schizophrenia. It also may help with relationship problems, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God said this week in a mass mailing to residents of Auckland, New Zealand, the Daily Mail reported.
"The Holy Oil was chosen by God as an instrument of faith to heal the sick," the pamphlet said. "Learn how to use it to anoint the sick, the emotionally depressed, your loved ones and family, your workplace and objects that represent difficulties or challenges in your life."
The church declined to provide Australian journalists with any evidence for the miraculous healings but added the oil also has cured stomach and bladder problems, stroke, and heart abnormalities. Testimonies from church members included a cured case of pancreatic cancer.
"After anointing herself for a period of time with the oil, [she] went back to the doctors for a check-up. The doctors couldn't find anything! No trace of the tumour was detected," the church bulletin read.
Still another woman in the church endorsed the new product after it cured her deteriorating eyesight, hypertension, and chronic pain. "At times when I wasn't able to sleep I would anoint myself with oil and I would sleep. Other times, if I felt pain in my stomach, I would use the oil and the pain would disappear,” the church lady wrote. "If you have faith and use the oil in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, God will bless you.”
Bishop Victor Silva, heading a church with some 5,000 chapters in Brazil, acknowledged to The New Zealand Herald, however, the olive oil alone is no panacea.
"Concerning the oil, we don't claim it has healing powers but we believe that faith in God does. Anointing with oil is an act of faith,” Silva said. "The church does not have specialist medical expertise so people who present themselves at church with an illness are always advised to seek a medical diagnosis from their [general practitioner]."
Silva added that church officials refer any members claiming miraculous healings to a “qualified medical practitioner,” as the church apparently requires scientific evidence regarding the efficacy of holy olive oil.