When the American
movie, Stigmata came out in 1999, there was a new uproar about what causes
stigmata in a normal person and also the fact that the stigmatist in this movie
had her wounds on the wrist instead of the palm as other known stigmatists have
had.
The word stigmata came
from the Greek version of St Paul’s letter to the Galatians in which he told
the Galatians that he bore the wounds of Christ(Gal 6:17). In the Greek translation
of this passage, στίγμα was used which translates into stigmata. The
word itself means a sign, impression or tattoo in Greek! As you know the New
Testament in the Bible was first written in Greek. Since Paul used that word,
it has found its way not just in other religion, but in particular,
Catholicism, but it has found itself in Demonology, Psychology and Psychiatry
and even in fetish exorcism!
Whenever there is a
reported case of Stigmata, the scientific world will swing into action to try
and say it is a normal behavior of the brain which then becomes psychosomatic,
that is appearing on the body. They will say that it is a sign of deep love arising
from a person who has a disease of hysteric proportion.
This is only a half
truth because 80% of genuine cases of stigmata are women and we all know that
women do not love easily and when they love, it is usually VERY deep! Deep love
for something can lead to stigmata.
Also, simply put, God
can impose stigmata on someone for His own glory! Fullstop.
Some scientists
have indicated that stigmata is a form of dissociative identity disorders, especially
having a connection with fasting and having connection with the eating disorder
called Anorexia nervosa. It is also linked to obsessive compulsive disorder.
A stigmatist,
Therese Neumann was studied by scientists and they concluded that her
conditions were caused by post traumatic stress and that she was the person
that inflicted the wounds on herself! But the origins of her
stigmata are not conclusive.
Is this true? Why is it
that all stigmatists portray the wounds of Christ, seemingly? Why not another
type of wounds?
We must note that there
has never been any noted case of stigmata on non-Catholics! All stigamata have
relations with Catholicism. Even in the movie quoted above, the stigmatist
there was given a rosary and as soon as she touched, it she had a violent
display of Christ’s passion. As a result of this fact, it is said by many who
hate the Catholic Church that the Catholic Church is religion of Satan this is
why stigmata manifest there only!
These anti-Catholics go
further to suggest that the Wounds of Christ are too holy to be replicated and
that only the devil can replicate it! So, for these people, stigamata is the
work of Satan!
This is another half
truth, the sort told by the scientists! There are some manifestations of
stigmata that eventually were proven to be of Demonic origin! Indeed the devil
can mimic Christ’s wounds!
There was a woman in
Eastern Kenya in 1934 who was having signs of the wounds of Christ. People meet
her for prayers and the prayers were answered as if by magic. So the Vatican
called in a priest to investigate the events! When the priest arrived, he noticed
immediately that the woman in question never looks up to the crucifix hanging
on the wall of her room and the priest became suspicious! Being a bold priest,
he asked this woman to look at the crucifix but the woman refused. So the
priest left at once and contacted the Diocesan Bishop who asked people to stop
visiting the woman. When this was announced, the woman a semi illiterate, started
to publish sound theological tracts against the Bishop! This was surprising to
many because the woman could barely write!
The priests eventually
arranged for full exorcism session for the woman which lasted for 5 days.
During the exorcism, the woman was screaming all through for 5 days! She was
shouting obscenities at the priests involved in a male voice which is alternated
with a child’s voice!
When they finished with
the woman, the demon possessing her left, and her stigmata disappeared
instantly! Showing that the Devil can indeed produce stigmata on a person, any
person!
The most interesting
thing in all of this is that the women in question have no knowledge of what
had happened. She did not believe that such a thing happened to her until several
pictures of her were shown to her!
Stories like the above
abounds!
However, the Catholic Church believes that those who have the genuine
stigmata are ultra holy and have mystical union with God. They have reached a
higher plain of intimacy with Jesus, than the average Christian. Because of
their unique union with Jesus, they can bear the marks of Jesus on their body.
But
the Catholic Church investigates each case to see if there are signs of
diabolical activities before She puts her mark on any stigmata.
The
first authentic stigmata in the History of the Catholic Church were that of St.
Francis of Assisi. The man led a holy life and had many spiritual powers
including bilocation, that is being in two places at the same time! When his
life is presented to anti-Catholics, they will say that science have not
developed properly then and so they would have no comments!
However,
a modern day personality who had stigmata and was thoroughly investigated was
Padre Pio of Peitricina in Italy. Many in the Catholic Church even doubted that
the man had it really! They spent 50 years investigating him! Looking to see if
the devil will manifest! They mapped his brain many times, pulled tricks on
him, shouted at him and insulted him. The man remained calm. They sent priests
to him to reprimand him and sanction him, silenced him but he remained silent.
They took blood from the wounds and tested it and saw that the blood was not
his own but belonged to a man in his early 30s!
We
remember that Christ died in His early Thirties!
This
Padre Pio was a gentle priest and monk who suddenly collapsed on a hot
afternoon. People around him thought that he will definitely die. But by the
time they revived him, the marks of Christ has appeared on his body and blood
drifted from his skull. He got many gifts. He can bilocate, he can see the
innermost thoughts of people around him, he can predict the future, he can heal
people just at the touch of his hands. He was the most popular priest in Italy
in the 1930s and 1940s. The officials of the Church humiliated him and he said
nothing. Many rumors and lies were published about him in Italy but they all
turned out to be lies.
When
they scanned his brain, they found nothing abnormal. The man was perfectly
healthy except that he is prone to asthmatic bronchitis which he suffered
throughout his life!
When
he was about to die, the wounds on Christ stopped showing and those places
where the wounds used to show were perfectly healed without any scare!
When
he died, numerous people obtained miracles just by touching his casket! Hundreds
of thousands of people filed past his casket for weeks before he was buried.
Italian government said that his death and burial was the most serious and hard
to organize spiritual event in Italy!
A
woman who has been blind all her life was cured. This woman had no retina so it
was impossible for her to see. But on touching the casket containing the body
of Pio, she instantly regained her sight without the retina! This woman has
remained a medical marvel in Italy! How can someone have vision without
retinas?
Surely
Padre Pio is a Saint, probably by proclamation of the people!
The
Novus Ordo false religion which is occupying the Vatican and which pretends to
be the Catholic Church “canonized” Padre Pio invalidly in 2004!
When
this false religion illegally was about to be “canonize” him, his body was
exhumed and it was discovered that it has not decayed! That is, his body is
in-corrupt! This is a man that died in 1961 at the age of 81!
Today
his body is on display at the Church of St. Pio at San
Giovanni Rotondo, Italy! Everyday, at least 7000 people go to see this
incorrupt body every month. We are encouraged to go visit and see!
The story of Padre Pio puts a stop to many who doubt stigmata
and may have now believed that those who have authentic stigmata are indeed
holy men and women.
However, we should always remember that the devil can still
use stigmata to deceive people!
By
Malachy Igwilo
Given on 12th May, 2016 on the feast Day of Sts. Nereus, Domitila, and Companions
No comments:
Post a Comment