- This article is about stigmata in the religious sense. For other uses, see stigma.
Stigmata (plural of stigma) are wounds that were, according to the Bible, inflicted on Jesus during his crucifixion. There have been many reports of others who show similar wounds, though the cause of these other cases has been subject to considerable debate: some contend that stigmata may be miraculous, others argue there are prosaic explanations.
History
There have been over 500 reported stigmatics who have displayed wounds similar to those supposedly inflicted upon Jesus.
The first recorded case of these wounds was in the year 1222, by a man named Stephen Langton of England. Saint Francis of Assisi first suffered the wounds in La Verna, Italy in 1224.
Other famous stigmatists include Catherine of Siena, St. John of God, and St. Marie of the Incarnation .
The most famous stigmatist of the twentieth century was Padre Pio (1887-1968). More recently, stigmata was experienced by Brother Roque (died 1998), a novice in the order of Los Hijios de los Hijos de la Madre de Dios in Villavicencio, Colombia; Georgio Bongiavani; and Canadian Lilian Bernas who began exhibiting stigmata in 1992.
Explanation
There have been historical stigmatics that were known to have faked wounds, such as Magdalena de la Cruz (1487-1560), who admitted the fraud. It remains unknown if stigmata actually exist. To accept the existence of stigmata may simply be a matter of religious faith.
Similarly self-inflicted wounds can be associated with certain brain disorders. Some people who fake stigmata suffer from Munchausen Syndrome which is characterised by an intense desire for attention. People with Munchausen hurt themselves or fake an illness hoping to end up in a hospital where they can enjoy attention and care. People also fake stigmata knowing that some who had stigmata were declared holy by the pope. In this way they try to gain recognition.
Self-inflicted stigmata wounds heal naturally, but believers say true stigmata is caused by emotional distress, and must therefore be treated as such.
Popular culture
The stigmata theme has been used in several movies, including Agnes of God (1985), which starred Meg Tilly and Jane Fonda and Stigmata (1999), which starred Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne.
In an episode of the controversial TV series Nip/Tuck, a plastic surgeon discovers that his client faked stigmata in order to save a dying halfway home .
Specifics
- Wounds in hands or wrists, caused by nails
- Wounds in feet, caused by nails (not explicitly mentioned in any canonical gospel)
- Wounds caused by a Crown of Thorns
- Wounds caused by whip lashings or scourging on the back,
- Wounds caused by the Spear of Destiny in the side, this is often fatal.
- Supposedly, a real stigmatic exhibits the wounds in a five part series. Each series is separated by a length of time, only to repeat again like so: A; A,B; A,B,C; A,B,C,D; A,B,C,D,E. At the end of each sequence the stigmatic is known to smell a specific type of flower; see also odor of sanctity .
- There is debate over the historical method crucifixion, if nails were driven through the hands or wrists.
External links and references
