CATHOLIC tradition has it that after death, our souls move on to the next life—leaving behind our bodies to decompose. On certain flights of fancy, we dream of living forever, or if we can’t, we may even imagine our bodies whole and incorrupt years after we die.
Good-quality preservation of the dead includes refrigeration of the corpse. Three days without it, the body would inevitably disintegrate. Bodies of certain saints stay whole and supple several years after their deaths without embalming or any method of preservation, defying natural law.
This notwithstanding, “the Church is very much careful in the judgment of incorruptibility of bodies,” said Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P., vice-rector for religious affairs. “The church clings fast to the principle that no phenomenon should be attributed to a superior cause if it can be explained by an inferior one”.
He added that some bodies may not be corrupted because of medicines. But Fr. Aligan said, “If they are of supernatural cause, then incorruptibility shows us that God is truly glorified in his saints”.
Incorruptible and incredible
While some of these saints were not embalmed either because it was not their practice, or because of lack of means, mysterious causes gave much more than temporary preservation could have. St. Rose of Lima, for instance, was found “entire, fresh-colored, and fragrant” 18 months after her burial. St. Francis Xavier’s case was much the same. His body has been preserved for 452 years already.
Meanwhile, the body of St. Catherine Labouré, the visionary of the Miraculous Medal, better endured the damage from excessive moisture than her coffin. Fifty-six years after her death, the dampness had already caused the wooden top layer to rot and fall off, and the second layer of her coffin which was made out of lead, already had cracks that allowed moisture to seep through. But the saint’s body remained intact. Examiners also discovered her arms and legs to be movable like that of a living person.
Also, 30 years after her death, Lourdes seer St. Bernadette Soubirous was found to be blessed with incorruption. Though her clothing was damp, and sawdust and charcoal surrounded the body, her arms and her face were completely unaffected. Her natural skin tone has been maintained, her corpse lacking least trace of corruption until this day.
Incorrupt Dominicans
The Dominicans have their share of incorruptibles too—about 15 of them.
St. Albert the Great, the teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas, is one. The list also includes St. Catherine of Siena, Agnes of Montepulciano, Louis Bertrand, Antoninus, and Rose of Lima.
From the Dominican Blesseds, we have Bertrand of Garrigua, James de Blanconibus, Margaret of Metola, Sibyllina Biscossi, Andrew Franchi, Margaret of Savoy, Bernard Scammaca, Osanna of Mantua, and Mary Bagnesi.
“Incorruptibility is one of the signs of a higher level of spiritual life the saints have. Canonization and beatification make use of these miracles if properly authenticated, verified, and documented,” Fr. Aligan explained.
The incorruption phenomenon strengthens our belief that grace not only changes and transforms the soul, but the physical substance of the human body as well. R.M.M. Forto and R.A.R. Pacua, with reports from Joan Carroll Cruz’s The Incorruptibles, www.sspxafrica.com and www.orthodoxinfo.com
