TEHRAN -- Australian Catholic Church has given permission to a group of scientists to examine a small statue of Virgin Mary that cries tears.

Bought for just $150 in Thailand, the statue is attracting pilgrims by the hundreds to a suburban household in Perth claiming it has been weeping fragrant tears.

Catholic Patty Powell, 47, bought the fiberglass statue from a religious shop in Bangkok eight years ago, and recently discovered its eyes had started to drip a rose-scented oil-like substance.

She was not sure whether it was a personal revelation she had witnessed until the statue "cried again" over the Easter period. It has been weeping ever since -- and doing so in front of numerous witnesses including the local parish priest.

Even the head of Perth's Catholic Church Archbishop Barry Hickey has seen the statue, but said that, as yet, no official proceedings would be made to have its powers formally recognized by the church.

He said that he could not say if the weeping was natural or supernatural, but the sight of Mary weeping had already had powerful spiritual effects by calling people back to God.

The scientific examination on the weeping statue is a unique event in Australia, because thousands of people believe that the tears running from the eyes of the statue is a miracle.