Incorruptibles

[Ianny01]

Hello,

Just tripped over an interesting statement in my religious studies text. When George Washington was being exhumed to be transferred to a marble tomb, reports declared that no odor came from the body and it was largely intact. Sounds much like the incorruptibles. My question, then, is: Is it possible for members of other religions and such to be saints in the Catholic sense and have the signs of one such as Incorruptibility?

Ianny01

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='Ianny01' date='Sep 29 2005, 12:29 PM']Hello,

Just tripped over an interesting statement in my religious studies text. When George Washington was being exhumed to be transferred to a marble tomb, reports declared that no odor came from the body and it was largely intact. Sounds much like the incorruptibles. My question, then, is: Is it possible for members of other religions and such to be saints in the Catholic sense and have the signs of one such as Incorruptibility?

Ianny01
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sure, i think its possible. afterall, its God's grace that sustains a body in such a way, and his grace is not confined to the Catholic Church. now, don't get me wrong, it is in the Catholic Church that we find the most sure and normative means for reception of God's grace, but other christians can and do receive it too.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

I am a very scientific person. I still want to see the incorruptibles myself, i do have a degree of belief of their authenticity.

I still am questioning George Washington.

I did read the Incorruptibles. It does mention that there are natural forms of mummification, whereas a body is preserved because of nutrients or deposits in the soil or environment it is buried in. On the opposite, there are some environments which speed decay.

What makes incorruptibles unique, is not so much the smell (not all incorruptibles exude delightful aromas), it is their moisture. Mummies, natural and artificial are preserved precisely because of the removal of moisture. Moisture speeds decay. Their blood, organs and what not, need to be dried almost instantaneously. Incorruptibles, however, are flexible (not stiff like dead bodies), and they are soft at the touch. Some are also known to bleed. There is a lot of science going into this as of late (of course, very little is heard). And there is no explenation.

Now tell me, is George Washington flexible? Is his skin still soft? That i would highly doubt.

SHALOM

[thessalonian]

As MC IMaGiNaZUN said above, though I think it is theoretically possible for a non-catholic to be incorrupt I find it highly unlikely. I believe that it would require the great sanctification of the Eucharist and other Catholic sacraments such as confirmation, matrimony, or orders. Protestants only have the sanctification of baptism. Their sins can only be forgiven by perfect contrition. Further, they do not have the depth of theology and understanding of works and suffering that go with this type of thing and which these saints endured. Yes, God works in their lives, but I see the lack of sacraments as an impediment to such great purification as is neccessary of this.

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Sep 29 2005, 04:04 PM']sure, i think its possible. afterall, its God's grace that sustains a body in such a way, and his grace is not confined to the Catholic Church. now, don't get me wrong, it is in the Catholic Church that we find the most sure and normative means for reception of God's grace, but other christians can and do receive it too.
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Hmm...no bones about it, Phat. You know way more than I do about our Faith. But I'm pretty sure that where such grace is worked out in people's lives who are not in visible communion with the Church, it is evidence that they are nonetheless a part of Christ's Mystical Body - Roman Catholic without knowing it, whether they like it or not.