Stigmata: the Wounds of Christ

Stigmata is usually associated with the wounds that Christ received at the time of his crucifixion and now suddenly appear upon human beings.

Where does the word Stigmata come from?

Stigmata are a Greek word meaning mark or brand to identify animals and slaves. A person who shows these stigmata wounds or marks is called a stigmatic.

Stigmata as religious phenomena

Stigmata, was a great movie starring Patricia Arquette illustrating the religious importance of stigmata. Stigmata also known as the Five Wounds and The Sacred Wounds of our Lord represents the wounds that Jesus experienced leading to and during the crucifixion.

These stigmata wounds are very important to the Roman Catholic Church. There have been documented cases of humans experiencing all or some of these wounds, hence the reason for the movie that bears the same name.

Biblical reference to Stigmata

Galatians 6:17 - ""I bear on my body the stígmata of Jesus." Paul told that he bore the stigmata (brand of Christ) in his letter to the Galatians.

The Stigmata wounds include:

1 - Wounds on the head where Christ bore the crown of thorns or tears of blood or sweating blood
2 - Wounds on the hands and feet (from the nails when pounded into the skins)
3 - Wounds on the shoulder from the weight of the cross
4 - Wounds to the side from the piercing of the sword
5 - Wounds to the back from the flaying he took prior to the crucifixion

Note: Some stigmatics claim to be experiencing pain from the wound sites but there are no visible sign to verify the existence of the stigmata.

However, the wounds at sites that are visible are said to remain fresh and free from infection. They are also said to give off a pleasant odour called the odour of sanctity, a flowery smell often associated with saints.

The origin of Stigmata emphasized in the Roman Catholic Church

After the great division of the Orthodox and early Roman Catholic church, the early Roman Catholic Church took great interest in the Crucifixion and the body of Christ - "Corpus Christi". Later various religious people claimed to have the stigmata starting with Saint Francis of Assisi, the famous Mystic of the middle ages. Saint Francis of Assisi was the first reported stigmatic after Saint Paul. In 1224, two years before his death, Saint Francis of Assisi took a trip to Mount Alverna and it was here, on his religious journey that he came upon a crucified angel. After the departure of the Angel St. Francis of Assisi noticed he had the stigmata in his hands, feet, and side. The wound in is side would bleed and soil his clothing.

The Religious Men and Women who have experienced the Stigmata

Like St. Paul and St. Francis Assisi, stigmata seem to afflict or are bestowed upon very devout religion people.

St. Frances of Rome (1384-1440) - A devoted loving wife and stigmatic, formed a woman's ministry for the poor in Rome.

St. Colette (1380-1447) - Was a stigmatic of the order of the Cupuchins of the Poor Clares. St Colette reformed several monasteries.

St. Rita of Cassia (1386-1456) A devoted wife and stigmatic, became a widow and joined the Augustian Convent.

St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510), A stigmatic, received revelations from God

Baptista Varani (1458-1524), From the order the Cupuchins of the Poor Clares, was one of the most accomplished scholars of the time.

Lucia Brocadelli of Narni (1476 - 1544) - a beautiful Italian mystic and stigmatic.

Catherine of Racconigi (1486-1547), A mystic and stigmatic in the Dominican Order of Roman Catholic Church

St. John of God (1495-1550) - A stigmatic helped everyone in need, died saving people from a fire

Osanna of Mantua (1499-1505) - Was a stigmatic and mystic who saw angels

St. Catherine de' Ricci (1522-89) - Was Dominican Nun of the Third Order and a stigmatic.

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi (1566-1607) - A Carmelite of the Ancient Order, a stigmatic and saint.

Marie de l'Incarnation (1566-1618) - Was the founder of the French Carmel, future Order of Carmelites and a stigmatic.

Mary Anne of Jesus (1557-1620) - Was stigmatic and a member of the order of the Secular Franciscans, she established a clinic and school for Africans and indigenous peoples.

Carlo of Sezze (1613 - 1670) - Was a member of the order the Franciscans and a stigmatic, he could barely read and write.

Veronica Giuliani (1660 - 1727) - Italian mystic of the Cupuchins order of Poor Clares and a stigmatic.

Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774 - 1824) - An Augustinian Nun, mystic, ecstatic, visionary and stigmatic.

Maria Gemma Umberta Pia Galgani (1879 -1903) - An Italian mystic, stigmatic, and saint.

Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905 -1938) - Was a polish nun, visionary, mystic, saint and stigmatic.

Therese Neumann (1898 - 1960) - A German Catholic mystic, and stigmatic

St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968) - A Cupuchins Priest, saint and stigmatic.

Fr. Zlatko Sudac (1971 -) A Roman Catholic priest from Croatia, famous for his stigmata.

Present Day Cases of Stigmata

The short sentences provided here does not do justice to the experiences of these ordinary people, please go to the link provided and read about their stories in more detail.

Dorothy Kerin (1889-1963)- church-going woman, member of St. Marks Anglican Church in England, had the signs of stigmata on her left side.

Ethel Chapmam (1921-1980) - received visions of Christ and the stigmata.

Jane Hunt - had the stigmata in 1985, along with visions, it went away in 1987 after she had a hysterectomy.

George H. Scotland - received the stigmata the same time as Jane Hunt. He became deathly ill and had to eat from a feeding tube, he also had auditory messages from whom he believed to be the devil.

Father Bruse, USA, became stigmatic in 1991.

Heather Woods (reported in 1992) - deacon of an Episcopalian Church, shows signs of stigmata.

Please go to the sources and read about the rest of the Stigmatics and their stories.

Gloria Robinson - USA

Georgette Fanel of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
MICHELE IMPROTA - ITALY

AMPARA CUEVA

For a more detailed account of the lives of the above mentioned people: http://www.stigmata-themovie.com/cases_present.html

Note: These stigmata wounds should occur by divine intervention and is discounted if they have been found to be self inflicted.

Stigmata have never been fully proven, and most humans bearing the stigmata are females.

Skeptics who do not believe that is possible to bear the stigmata of Christ claim that the devote who bear these marks are frauds, attention seekers, or are mentally ill.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmata
http://www.stmarksenfield.org/aboutus.htm
http://www.stigmata-themovie.com/cases_present.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmata