What
is Stigmata?
 Stigmata (or the Crucifixion Complex) in the religious
sense are the wounds of Christ appearing on the hands, feet
and body of an individual, usually a Christian, but to be
Christian is not a requisite for the appearance of stigmata.
Sometimes the wounds are ulcerated wounds and at other times
they are bleeding wounds.
There are many recorded cases of stigmata occurring throughout
history with the first recorded case being that of St Francis
of Assisi in 1224. There had been one stigmatic claimant
prior to St Francis (1222) but it was found his wounds had
been self-inflicted and he was accordingly arrested. Once
people heard of the five wounds of St Francis, others started
to be afflicted by the same phenomenon.
It
is interesting to note that many of the people who exhibit
these wounds are often fervently religious people and quite
a number of them became sainted by the Catholic Church.
The stigmata is, in effect, an imitation of Christ and it
can occur by a pious obsession with the crucifixion and
the suffering of Christ - a form of living martyrdom?
It is interesting to note that over the years, as the number
of sufferers grow, the stigmata have evolved and whereas
those of St Francis, which were impressions on the skin
in the shape of nails "round and black and standing
clear from the flesh" did not bleed, more and more
bleeding wounds are now manifesting. Another matter of interest
is the nature of the wounds, some are slits, some are crosses,
some are multiple slash marks or indentations and in some
cases, such as Therese Neumann, which changed from round
to rectangular over a period of time.
The wound in the side has also appeared in different locations
or in some, has not appeared at all and that, too, has been
variously shaped - as a lateral slit, crescent, cross etc.
Some stigmatics also manifest wounds on the forehead made
by the crown of thorns and abrasions on the shoulders where
Jesus was said to have been scourged. The stigmata is not
always confined to the wounds attributed to Jesus and can
appear as bleeding crosses on any part of a stigmatic's
body but still indicate an obsession with the crucifixion.
Another interesting trend is how the wounds on the hand
have moved to the wrist now it has been suggested that nails
in the palm could not hold the weight of the body and also,
human remains had been found which showed piercings of a
crucified man with the wounds in the wrists rather than
the palms.
It can be seen, therefore, that perhaps the position of
the wounds relied upon the stigmatic's perception of Christ's
wounds.
A great number of stigmatics were blessed, allegedly, with
other supernatural phenomena, including the powers of prophecy
and healing, levitation, bi location (supposedly being in
two places simultaneously), and india (the alleged ability
to forgo nourishment). As an example of the latter, Angela
of Foligno (1250-1309) reportedly went without food for
twelve years. After death, the bodies of a few stigmatics
were discovered to be "incorruptible" (i.e., to
withstand decay). Also vials of blood preserved from the
stigmatic wounds of Passitea Crogi purportedly re liquefy
on occasion (Wilson 1988, 131-148). Needless to say, perhaps,
such claims are unproved, and may be attributed to folklore,
misperceptions and misunderstandings born of superstition,
and pious fraud (Nickell 1993). |
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