The Stigmata of Christ
Stigmata refer to the wounds inflicted on Jesus during His Passion. These wounds sometimes appear on the bodies of mystical persons (often canonized afterwards) and are accompanied by physical and moral sufferings. The said persons often explain having the impression of continually living the Passion of Christ. Stigmata are considered miracles recognized by the Church, although it remains very cautious and ensures not to consider hoaxes or self-mutilations as the true stigmata of Christ. These wounds are not scientifically explicable and have left many doctors astonished. However, the Church does not consider stigmata to be sufficient proof of holiness. They are simply taken into account in canonization dossiers.
What are the Stigmata of Christ?
Persons suffering from the stigmata of Christ are wounded on the head, as if they had worn a crown of thorns, on the side, on the hands and feet and sometimes even on the back, like marks of flagellation, and on the shoulder, as if they had carried the Cross. Sometimes, stigmata also take the form of crosses, a host, or even a chalice. Each case is very particular. Not all stigmatized persons bear the same wounds.
The Characteristics of the Savior's Stigmata
The most astonishing and scientifically inexplicable fact is the total absence of healing of the wounds, without them becoming infected or suppurating, and the abundance of bleeding without it affecting the health of the stigmatized person. For example, Padre Pio bore the stigmata of the Savior on his side, hands, and feet for 50 years, with a perpetual flow of blood, without them ever healing. But, just one month after his death, the wounds began to close.
However, it also happens that the wounds are invisible. The stigmatized person complains of intense pain in the hands, feet, and head without there being visible wounds or blood flow. This form of stigmata is also recognized.
It should also be noted that in some people the stigmata appear only during very specific periods like Lent or during Holy Week, and disappear on Easter day.
Some stigmatized persons do not receive all the stigmata at the same time, but one after the other or accumulate them progressively. The duration of each stigma also sometimes varies. There are therefore as many stigmatizations as there are stigmatized persons. One cannot make generalizations on this subject.
The Mystics Who Received the Stigmata of Christ
It is worth noting that it is not only saints who have received the stigmata. It regularly happens that religious persons receive them, but, out of discretion and humility, do not make it known. It is estimated that there have been thousands of people (lay or consecrated) who have received the stigmata of Christ, and sometimes even still today.
The most famous saints who received the stigmata of the Lord are:
Saint Francis of Assisi → he is the first to have received the stigmata of Jesus, in 1224. He served as a "reference" for subsequent stigmatized persons.
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich → every Friday from 1799 she felt the pains of the crown of thorns accompanied by blood flow. She then received the stigmata on her hands and feet, as well as a wound in the shape of a cross on her chest.
Therese Neumann → she said to skeptics who told her that her stigmata were just a mental suggestion: "If you tell yourself every day that you are an ox, will horns grow on you?". She received the stigmata on Good Friday of 1926, then in 1927 and finally in 1928.
Saint Padre Pio → he received the stigmata in 1918 and kept them for 50 years. He suffered terribly and tried to hide them.
Marthe Robin → she relived the Passion of Christ every Friday by receiving the stigmata on her head, hands, and feet. She died in 1981, reliving the Lord's Passion.
Saint Gemma Galgani → she is the most contemporary saint to have received the stigmata of Christ.
Saint Catherine of Siena → she received the stigmata on the day of Pentecost, in 1347. These wounds remained invisible because she prayed for them to remain hidden.
Saint Rita → a thorn from a crucifix before which she was praying, asking to be able to feel the Passion of Christ, embedded itself in her forehead. She kept an open and painful wound until her death.
Saint Veronica Giuliani → she wrote in her journal that she received the stigmata of the Lord on her hands, feet, and side on April 5, 1697.
Mother Yvonne-Aimée de Jésus → she received the stigmata of Christ every Friday.
Blessed Elena Aiello → in March 1928 Christ appeared to her and invited her to share His sufferings. It is from this moment that she began to feel strong pains in her head, accompanied by bleeding. She received the stigmata on her feet and hands some time later. Every Friday her wounds bled abundantly.
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