‘The white coat and the cross’ – the witness of Dr. Lejeune
On January 21, 2021, Pope Francis declared Dr. Jerome Lejeune as “Venerable,” a step in the process of being declared a saint.
Lejeune is known for his research into the chromosomal abnormality, Trisomy 21, which is the cause of Down syndrome. He was a renowned scientist, and he was also a Catholic who dedicated his career to the defense of life.
Today he is recognized as a pro-life pioneer by doctors and other medical professionals.
Among them is Dr. María del Pilar Calva Mercado, who was neither pro-life nor a practicing Catholic in her youth. But after studying for eight months with Lejeune in Paris in 1982, she underwent a powerful change of heart, leading to a conversion that would shape the trajectory of her life.
