Who Are "The Incorruptibles"?

When most people die, their bodies begin to decay. It's a natural process; when it doesn't happen, it's remarkable, to say the least.

There have been a group of Saints, down through the centuries, whose bodies have not decomposed as would be expected, after death. They are known as "The Incorruptibles". It is unknown why some Saints have been chosen to be preserved in this way, while others have not.

The corpses of these Saints show no indication of having been embalmed, and other bodies buried near their graves were found to be decomposing in a normal way. Often the saint had died violently, or from some serious disease, which should have aided quick decomposition, but did not.

One example of an Incorruptible is St. Silvan, who was martyred in the fourth century. A large gash is visible on his neck and was probably the cause of death. After 1,700 years, his eyebrows and curly black hair are still apparent, and his skin and lips retain a startling natural color. His body is on display at the Church of St. Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

For many years, having an incorruptible body was one of the required miracles for Sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, but that requirement no longer applies. In the twentieth century the Church stopped using this as necessary proof of sainthood, because some almost intact corpses were being found who had been, by no means, good-living people in life.

In addition, it's known now that the phenomenon can be replicated by scientific means, as a result of some soil conditions, and even through the trickery of demonic forces.

Nevertheless, many of these uncorrupted Saints remain today in churches, mostly located in Europe. They rest in glass caskets, known as reliquaries, where the faithful can visit and view them, and pray for their intercession.

One of the most well-known of the Incorruptibles was a young shepherdess, St. Bernadette of Lourdes. She was a visionary, to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 17 times. Bernadette, who suffered from poor health, died at age 35 in 1879. She was exhumed for the cause of beatification in 1909, again in 1929, and in 1923. After the last exhumation, parts of the body were removed to be used as relics, and the face was covered with a light mask of wax. Her body was placed in a crystal reliquary and rests at the convent where she spent the last years of her life.

Lourdes is a popular center for pilgrimages for Catholics worldwide. Bernadette's body is on display to visitors at the convent of St. Gildard in Nevers, France.

Today, when a person has been known for holiness and virtue in life, and authenticated miracles have occurred after the petitioners have prayed for the saint's intercession with God, they may be put on the path to canonization. If, at a later date the saint's body is found to be incorrupt, that is only a further indication of the his or her holiness.

Perhaps the most recent Incorruptible is Padre Pio, a saintly Capuchin monk who died in 1968. He was beatified in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. Forty years after his death, in 2008, his body was exhumed and found to be in good condition. The face was covered by a light silicone mask, and the body was displayed at San Giovanni Rotondo in a crystal tomb.

In April, 2010, the Saint's remains were moved to the recently-constructed Shrine of St. Pio, at San Giovanni Rotundo, in the region of Puglia, Italy, and placed inside the central pillar of the church.

Incorruptibility is not permanent. Eventually, even saintly bodies become prey to the ravages of time. Some take on a mummy-like appearance over the centuries. Still, the fact that they don't disintegrate completely remains a mystery.

To see photos of some of the incorruptibles, go here:

http://www.fisheaters.com/relics.html