It’s been a good year for Christians around the world who believe in the Holy relics.
After the bombshell scientific revelations regarding the famed Shroud of Turin, revealed to be from the exact time of Jesus’ crucifixion, now we have news from last month’s unearthing of Saint Teresa of Avila’s body, who presented a wonderful surprise for the prelates and scientists involved.
Express reported:
“Scientists have been left stunned after seeing the perfectly preserved face of St Teresa, who was last buried 100 years ago.”
The tomb of the Spanish medieval saint – who died back in 1582 – was opened for research, and the condition of her body stunned those who found her.
“Researchers found that her body was uncorrupted, and has revealed some aspects of her health.
They found that she suffered from spinal weakness, arthritis, heel spurs in her foot, and fractured her left arm a few years before she died.”
The Prior of Alba de Tormes, Miguel Ángel González, who was present for the research, explained that the majority of her body is in the tomb, but some relics of the saint are in other places: the arm and heart are in Alba de Tormes, next to the tomb; the hand is in the Carmelo de Ronda, and a foot in Rome.
“He added that body was in a ‘very sturdy marble urn inside which there is a beautiful silver urn containing the body of the saint.’
[…] ‘An attempt will be made to create as faithful an approximation as possible so that we can obtain the most real face of the saint’.”
In a press release from August 28th, the Spanish Diocese of Avila announced the recent opening of the tomb of St. Teresa of Jesus, also known as St. Teresa of Avila, a Discalced Carmelite nun who died in 1582.
The tomb was last opened in 1914.
Fox News reported:
“A group of Discalced Carmelite nuns, monks and priests opened up her tomb as part of an intricate process to study the relics of St. Teresa’s heart, hand and arm. Fr. Miguel Ángel González said in the press release that the reliquaries were moved with ‘austerity and solemnity’, and with ‘hearts full of emotion’.
‘The process to reach the silver urn that Saint Teresa’s body has is very complex’, the translated press release states. ‘First, the marble slab in the tomb had to be removed. Later, in the room set up for the studies to which the Saint’s major relics will be subjected – and only with the presence of the scientific medical team and the members of the ecclesiastical court – has the silver tomb been opened’.”
According to Fr. Marco Chiesa, the remains of the saint have been preserved remarkably well, when compared to the 1914 photographs of the saint’s corpse.
“‘The uncovered parts, which are the face and foot, are the same as those they were in 1914’, [the press release added]. ‘Expert doctors see Teresa’s face almost clearly’.”
The study the saint’s body also helped researchers understand the health conditions she suffered from before she died.
“‘Analyzing the foot [relic] in Rome, we saw the presence of calcareous spines that make walking almost impossible’, the priest added. ‘But she walked [to] Alba de Tormes and then died, but her desire was to continue and move forward, despite the physical defects’.”
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