We all know the word, but many of us don’t know what exactly a “stigmata” is. Some explanation about stigmata.
Stigmata
The word stigmata comes from Greek and means brand. The first case was recorded in England in 1222. It concerned Archbishop Stephen Langton. Other famous ones are Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio.
It has never been scientifically proven, but there are theologians who claim that a stigmata can occur for the intense faith that some people have.
Francis of Assisi
On September 14, 1224, Francis of Assisi woke from a vision to discover that he had deep wounds in the center of his hands and feet. He also saw the same wound on his right side. These wounds looked very much like the wounds that Jesus Christ had when he died on the cross. Francis’ wounds lasted for two years, after which he died.
After Francis, hundreds of similar cases have been registered. These are very religious people. Some have head wounds or blood coming from their eyes. This again associates with the crown of thorns that Jesus Christ wore when he hung on the cross.
Padre Pio
Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione in 1887. It was an Italian priest who suffered for a long time from the stigmata. Several investigations were conducted to determine whether fraud was involved, but the Vatican ultimately acknowledged that this was not the case. In 1968 Padre Pio died and at his death his wounds disappeared and no scars were visible. Doctors have never been able to explain it. In 2002, then Pope John Paul declared Padre Pio a saint.
Fake?
Some cases cannot be explained, but wounds are visible. Yet there are also cases of fraud. Munchhausen syndrome has already caused a number of fraud cases (in this way they want to satisfy the sick hunger for attention). Magdalena de la Cruz (she died in 1560) is one such lady who had the stigmata wounds, but eventually confessed that she had inflicted the wounds herself. It is not known whether this is caused by the condition or her faith.
Vatican
The Vatican investigates all cases thoroughly and sometimes even more than once. There are many cases that do not turn out to be real. To date, there have been 62 recognized cases of stigmata.
Nothing scientifically proven and they disappear after death. Real or fake, who knows