EXHUMATION AND THE INCORRUPTIBLES I

 EXHUMATION AND THE INCORRUPTIBLES I

EXHUMING THE BODIES OF SAINTS

Exhumation is a part of the canonization process. The mortal remains of the Saintly candidate are exhumed (brought out) from the grave. 

REASONS FOR EXHUMING THE MORTAL REMAINS

(1) Exhumation confirms that the person lived and died. This might sound strange, but the Church wants to be positive of even the most basic, simple facts. Professionals, such as anthropologists, examine the remains to see if they match the known historical information about the candidate. And perhaps new information is learned from the exhumation itself.

(2) Exhumation also allows for relics to be distributed to churches, etc., for veneration by the faithful, typically after the beatification process.

(3) Relocation of the body to another place. Blessed Iwene Tansi was buried in England. Before his beatification, the body was exhumed and transferred to Onitsha.

(4) Exhumation of the body takes place only after the cause for sainthood has been initiated by the local bishop and approved by Rome, at which time the person is given the title “Servant of God”. The body of the Servant of God is then exhumed not just to exhibit it, and certainly not to disturb it, but primarily to protect it and reserve it for proper veneration.

INCORRUPTIBILITY

In some cases, the body of the candidate is incorrupt. If scientifically inexplicable (mysterious, incomprehensible, strange, bizarre), this no doubt adds to the reputation of holiness for the candidate;  although incorruption itself is not a miracle fulfilling those required for canonization.

For example, A man places his hands on the glass urn holding the remains of St. Pio in Pietrelcina, Italy, in 2016. St. Pio was found to be in a state of PARTIAL DETERIORATION and PARTIAL PRESERVATION when his coffin was opened in 2008, but experts present at the exhumation have said there was no supernatural quality to what was preserved. Artificial preservation techniques have since been applied to conserve his body from further deterioration and a lifelike mask has been placed over his skull.

The body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, the African American foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, appears to be in an unexpected state of preservation even four years after she died in 2019 at the age of 95. When the abbess and sisters of the community of Sister Wilhelmina decided to move her body from the cemetery to a final resting place inside their monastery chapel on May 18 2023, they were surprised to find her body apparently intact, even though she had not been embalmed. The sisters were also amazed to see that the habit of their foundress was also in excellent condition, despite the complete disintegration of the cloth lining of the wooden coffin.

But no investigation has yet been carried out to rule out any natural causes for the presumed phenomenon, and the Catholic Church has not ruled on the case of Sister Wilhelmina. A cause for the canonization of the foundress has also not been approved by the Church.

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Z 

August 1 2023