Incorruptibility
Encyclopedia
Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that supernatural
(or Godly) intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints) to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their holiness. Bodies that reportedly undergo little or no decomposition, or delayed decomposition, are sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible.
Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or mummification
. Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the odour of sanctity
, exuding a sweet or floral
, pleasant aroma.
In Roman Catholicism, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint
, although not every saint is expected to have an incorruptible corpse.
When the Catholic Church recognized incorruptibles, a body was not deemed incorruptible if it had undergone an embalming
. As such, although the body of Pope John XXIII
remained in a remarkably intact state after its exhumation, Church officials quickly pointed out that the Pope's body had been embalmed and that there was a lack of oxygen in his sealed triple coffin.
, Incorruptibility continues to be an important element for the process of glorification. An important distinction is made between natural mummification and what is believed to be supernatural incorruptibility. There are a great number of eastern Orthodox saints whose bodies have been found to be incorrupt and are in much veneration among the faithful. These include:
Physical causes include conditions such that decomposition is significantly slowed down. There are a number of ways of retarding decomposition, but the mechanism commonly stated is that of saponification
. Another environmental condition that can be the cause of retarding decomposition is a burial ground that is cool and dry. The retardation of decomposition also occurs if the ground is composed of soil that is high in certain compounds that bring the bodies' moisture to the surface of the skin. It is also suggested that bodies with low amounts of muscle and body fat tend to resist decomposition better.
Alternatively, bodies may simply have been embalmed, which greatly decreases the rate at which they decompose.
The argument for a spiritual cause may include a belief that the pious nature of the individual in some way permeated the flesh (a metaphysical cause having a physical effect), or a belief that decomposition was prevented by the intervention of God, or some other supernatural agent, as the body will be resurrected later.
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
(or Godly) intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints) to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their holiness. Bodies that reportedly undergo little or no decomposition, or delayed decomposition, are sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible.
Roman Catholicism
Although incorruptibility is still recognised as supernatural in Roman Catholicism, it is no longer counted as a miracle in the recognition of a saint.Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or mummification
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
. Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the odour of sanctity
Odour of Sanctity
The odour of sanctity or odor of sanctity, according to the Catholic Church, is commonly understood to mean a specific scent that emanates from the bodies of saints, especially from the wounds of stigmata.-Meanings:...
, exuding a sweet or floral
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
, pleasant aroma.
In Roman Catholicism, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
, although not every saint is expected to have an incorruptible corpse.
When the Catholic Church recognized incorruptibles, a body was not deemed incorruptible if it had undergone an embalming
Embalming
Embalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for public display at a funeral. The three goals of embalming are thus sanitization, presentation and preservation of a corpse to achieve this...
. As such, although the body of Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
remained in a remarkably intact state after its exhumation, Church officials quickly pointed out that the Pope's body had been embalmed and that there was a lack of oxygen in his sealed triple coffin.
Eastern Orthodox Church
To the Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, Incorruptibility continues to be an important element for the process of glorification. An important distinction is made between natural mummification and what is believed to be supernatural incorruptibility. There are a great number of eastern Orthodox saints whose bodies have been found to be incorrupt and are in much veneration among the faithful. These include:
- Anthony, John, and EustathiosAnthony, John, and EustathiosAnthony, John, and Eustathius are saints and martyrs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Their feast day is celebrated on April 14 in the horologion....
- Saint Alexander of Svir - the incorrupt relics of the saint were removed from the Svir Monastery by the Bolsheviks on December 20, 1918 after several unsuccessful attempts to confiscate them. Finally, the holy relics were sent to Petrograd's Military Medical Academy. There they remained for nearly eighty years. A second uncovering of St Alexander's relics took place in December 1997, before their return to the Svir Monastery.
- Saint Dmitry of Rostov
- Saint Job of PochayivSaint Job of PochayivSaint Job of Pochayiv was a Ukrainian Orthodox monk and Eastern Orthodox saint.-Childhood and early years:Job was born around 1551 near the city of Kolomyja, in the area known as Pokuttya in Ivano-Frankivska oblast of western part of Ukraine, when it was within the Polish kingdom.His pious...
- Saint John the Russian
- Saint Nectarios of Aegina
- Saint Seraphim of Sarov
- Saint SpyridonSaint SpyridonSaint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous also sometimes written Saint Spiridon is a saint honoured in both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions.-Life:...
- Dionysios of ZakynthosDionysios of ZakynthosSaint Dionysios of Zakynthos was a 16th century Orthodox Christian Archbishop of Aegina. He was born on the Greek island of Zakynthos in 1546. He is the patron saint of Zakynthos and is celebrated on August 24 and December 17....
- Gerasimus of KefaloniaGerasimus of KefaloniaSaint Gerasimos of Kefalonia is the patron saint of the island of Kefalonia in Greece.Gerasimos came from the aristocratic and wealthy Notaras family. He was ordained a Monk at Mount Athos, went to Jerusalem for 12 years, spent some time in Crete and Zakynthos and in 1555 arrived on Kefalonia...
- Saint Zosima
- Saint Elizabeth
Causes
The two main positions on incorruptibility can be summarized as an argument for a physical or environmental cause, and an argument for a spiritual cause.Physical causes include conditions such that decomposition is significantly slowed down. There are a number of ways of retarding decomposition, but the mechanism commonly stated is that of saponification
Saponification
Saponification is a process that produces soap, usually from fats and lye. In technical terms, saponification involves base hydrolysis of triglycerides, which are esters of fatty acids, to form the sodium salt of a carboxylate. In addition to soap, such traditional saponification processes...
. Another environmental condition that can be the cause of retarding decomposition is a burial ground that is cool and dry. The retardation of decomposition also occurs if the ground is composed of soil that is high in certain compounds that bring the bodies' moisture to the surface of the skin. It is also suggested that bodies with low amounts of muscle and body fat tend to resist decomposition better.
Alternatively, bodies may simply have been embalmed, which greatly decreases the rate at which they decompose.
The argument for a spiritual cause may include a belief that the pious nature of the individual in some way permeated the flesh (a metaphysical cause having a physical effect), or a belief that decomposition was prevented by the intervention of God, or some other supernatural agent, as the body will be resurrected later.
Instances of claimed incorruptibility of Roman Catholics
The saints and other Christian holy men and women whose bodies are said to be or to have been incorrupt have been catalogued in The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati a 1977 book by Joan Carroll Cruz. Claimed incorruptibles include:Saints
- Saint Agatha
- Saint Agnes of MontepulcianoAgnes of MontepulcianoSaint Agnes of Montepulciano, O.P., was born into a noble family in Gracciano, a small village near Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy, where, at the age of nine, she entered the monastery of the Dominican nuns of the Second Order.In 1281, the lord of the castle of Proceno, a fief of Orvieto,...
- Saint Albert the Great
- Saint Alphege of CanterburyAlphegeÆlfheah , officially remembered by the name Alphege within some churches, and also called Elphege, Alfege, or Godwine, was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey...
- Saint Andrew BobolaAndrew BobolaAndrew Bobola was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls".-Biography:...
- Saint Angela Merici
- Saint Anthony Maria ZaccariaAnthony Maria ZaccariaSaint Anthony Maria Zaccaria is an Italian saint.Anthony was born in the city of Cremona, Italy in 1502 to noble parents. When he was two his father died and he was brought up as an only child by his mother. At an early age, he took a private vow of chastity...
- Saint AntoninusSaint AntoninusAntoninus of Florence was an archbishop of Florence.Born in the city of Florence, he entered the Dominican order in his 16th year...
- Saint Benedict the Moor
- Saint Benezet
- Saint Bernadette SoubirousBernadette SoubirousSaint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous was a miller's daughter born in Lourdes. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a small young lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at that site at Lourdes....
- Saint Bernardine of Siena
- Saint Camillus de Lellis
- Saint Catherine Labouré
- Saint Catherine of Bologna
- Saint Catherine of GenoaSaint Catherine of GenoaSaint Catherine of Genoa is an Italian Roman Catholic saint and mystic, admired for her work among the sick and the poor. She was a member of the noble Fieschi family, and spent most of her life and her means serving the sick, especially during the plague which ravaged Genoa in 1497 and 1501...
- Saint Catherine de RicciCatherine of RicciSt. Catherine de' Ricci O.P. was an Italian Catholic saint.Born in Florence, she was born Alessandra Lucrezia Romola de' Ricci. At age 13, her father put her in the Monticelli convent near their home where she received an education. After a short time outside the convent, at 14, she went to the...
- Saint Catherine of Siena
- Saint Charbel MakhlufCharbelCharbel, Sharbel, or Sharbel Makhluf, , born as Youssef Antoun Makhlouf in Bekaa Kafra in northern Lebanon, was a Syriac-Maronite monk and priest, canonized saint by the Roman Catholic Church and now venerated world-wide.-His Life:...
- Saint Charles BorromeoCharles BorromeoCharles Borromeo was the cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests...
- Saint CeciliaSaint CeciliaSaint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
- Saint Clare of MontefalcoClare of MontefalcoSaint Clare of Montefalco , also called Saint Clare of the Cross, was an Augustinian nun and abbess. Before becoming a nun, St. Clare was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII on December 8, 1881.-Life:She was born at Montefalco, in Umbria, likely in the...
- Saint ColomanColoman of StockerauSaint Coloman of Stockerau is a saint of the Catholic Church. He was a monk of either Irish or Scottish origin and of royal lineage who was accused of being a spy while on penitential pilgrimage to Jerusalem...
- Saint Cuthbert
- Saint Didacus of Alcala (San Diego de Alcala)
- Saint Dominic SavioDominic SavioDominic Savio was an Italian adolescent student of Saint John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy....
( 1842 - 1857 ) - Saint Edmund Rich of CanterburyEdmund RichEdmund Rich was a 13th century Archbishop of Canterbury in England...
- Saint Edward the ConfessorEdward the ConfessorEdward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
- Saint Etheldreda
- Saint Eustochia Calafato
- Saint Frances of Rome
- Saint Francis de Sales
- Saint Francis Xavier
- Saint Frances Xavier CabriniMother CabriniSaint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C., , also called Mother Cabrini, was the first citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
- Saint George PrecaGeorge PrecaGeorge Preca was a Maltese Roman Catholic priest who founded the Society of Christian Doctrine, a society of lay catechists. In Malta, he is affectionately known as "Dun Ġorġ" and is popularly referred to as the "Second Apostle of Malta", after Saint Paul of Tarsus...
- Saint Germaine Cousin
- Saint GuthlacSaint GuthlacSaint Guthlac of Crowland was a Christian saint from Lincolnshire in England. He is particularly venerated in the Fens of eastern England.-Life:...
- Saint Annibale Maria di Francia (Founder of the Rogationist and Daughters of Divine Zeal)
- Saint Herculanus of Piegaro
- Saint Hugh of Lincoln
- Saint Idesbald
- Saint Isidore the Farmer
- Saint Jane Frances de Chantal
- Saint Jean-Marie-Baptiste VianneyJean VianneyJean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney , commonly known in English as St John Vianney, was a French parish priest who in the Catholic Church is venerated as a saint and as the patron saint of all priests. He is often referred to as the "Curé d'Ars"...
(The Curé of Ars) - Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac
- Saint Joaquina de Vedruna
- Saint John BoscoJohn BoscoJohn Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
- Saint John NeumannJohn NeumannSaint John Nepomucene Neumann, C.Ss.R., was a Redemptorist missionary to the United States who became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American bishop to be canonized...
- Saint John of GodJohn of GodJohn of God ) was a Portuguese-born friar and saint, one of Spain's leading religious figures.John of God was born João Cidade in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, into a once-prominent family that was impoverished but had great religious faith...
- Saint John of the CrossJohn of the CrossJohn of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
- Saint John Southworth
- Saint JosaphatSaint JosaphatBarlaam and Josaphat or Joasaph is a Christianized version of the story of Siddharta Gautama, who became the Buddha.. In the Middle Ages the two were treated as Christian saints, being entered in the Greek Orthodox calendar on 26 August, and in the Roman Martyrology in the Western Church as...
- Saint Julie Billiart
- Saint Louis BertrandLouis Bertrand (saint)Saint Louis Bertrand, O.P. was a Spanish Dominican who preached in South America during the 16th century, and is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church.-Early life:...
- Saint Louise de MarillacLouise de MarillacSaint Louise de Marillac was the co-founder, with St. Vincent de Paul, of the Daughters of Charity. She is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
- Saint Luigi Orione
- Saint Lucy Filippini
- Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat
- Blessed Mafalda of PortugalMafalda of PortugalInfanta Mafalda of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , later Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. She was the second youngest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and Dulce of Aragon....
- Saint Margaret of Cortona
- Venerable Mary of Jesus of ÁgredaMaria de AgredaMaría Fernández Coronel y Arana, Abbess of Ágreda or, known in religion as Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda , also known as the Lady in Blue and the Blue Nun, was born, and died, in Ágreda, a town located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain...
- Saint Maria Goretti
- Saint Martin de Porres
- Saint Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi
- Blessed Mary of the Divine HeartMary of the Divine HeartBlessed Mary of the Divine Heart , born Maria Droste zu Vischering, was a German Roman Catholic nun best known for influencing Pope Leo XIII's consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus...
- Saint Nicholas of TolentinoNicholas of TolentinoSaint Nicholas of Tolentino , known as the Patron of Holy Souls, was an Italian saint and mystic.-Biography:...
- Saint Pacifico of San Severino
- Saint Pascal Baylon
- Saint Peregrine Laziosi
- Saint Philip NeriPhilip NeriSaint Philip Romolo Neri , also known as Apostle of Rome, was an Italian priest, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the "Congregation of the Oratory".-Early life:...
- Saint Pierre Julien Eymard
- Saint Pio of PietrelcinaPio of PietrelcinaSaint Pio of Pietrelcina was a Capuchin priest from Italy who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name Pio when he joined the Capuchins; he was popularly known as Padre Pio after his ordination to the priesthood. He became famous for his ...
- Saint Rita of Cascia
- Saint Romuald
- Saint Rose of LimaRose of LimaRose of Lima, , the first Catholic saint of the Americas, was born in Lima, Peru.-Biography:Saint Rose of Lima was born in the city of that name, the daughter of Gaspar Flores, a harquebusier from San German, Puerto Rico, and his wife, Maria de Oliva, who was a native of Lima. She was part of a...
- Saint Rose of Viterbo
- Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne
- Saint SilvanSaint SilvanSaint Silvan was a Christian martyr and a saint who lived in the fourth century. His body is purported to be totally incorrupt and lies in the Church of St. Blaise at Dubrovnik, Croatia. On his neck the body has a big scar, which is believed to have caused his martyrdom....
- Saint Sperandia
- Saint Stanislaus Kostka
- Saint Teresa of AvilaTeresa of ÁvilaSaint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
- Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred HeartSaint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred HeartSaint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart was born Anna Maria Redi to a large noble family in Arezzo, Italy. She was the daughter of Count Ignatius Redi and Camilla Billeti . After attending the boarding school of the Benedictine nuns of St...
(Anna Maria Redi) - Saint Ubald of GubbioUbaldUbald of Gubbio was a medieval bishop of Gubbio, in Umbria, today venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Saint Ubaldo Day is still celebrated at Gubbio in his honor, as well as at Jessup, Pennsylvania.-Life:...
- Saint Veronica Giuliani
- Saint Vincent de Paul
- Saint Vincent Pallotti
- Saint Waltheof
- Saint Werburgh
- Saint WithburgaSaint WithburgaWihtburh was an East Anglia saint, princess and abbess who was possibly a daughter of Anna of East Anglia. She founded a monastery at Dereham in Norfolk and a traditional story says that the Virgin Mary sent a pair of does to provide milk for her workers during the monastery's construction...
- Saint Wunibald
- Saint Zita