Stigmata is one of the world's greatest religious mysteries along with angels and possession,
but unlike the others, is seen as a result of holding deep rooted religious beliefs.
Stigmata is the phrase to describe the wounds inflicted on Christ at the
time of arrest, trial and execution - this time is usually called The Passion.
Traditional beliefs states that Christ was attached to the cross by nails
through the palm of his hands and through his feet. Stigmata has also been to appear on
holes within the forehead made from the crown of thorns and it can also appear as a
dislocated shoulder representing the burden of Christ carrying his own cross.
Stigmata differs from normal flesh wounds as they usually stay open for
long periods of time and appear to resist any accepted medical practice to heal them.
Usually open wounds become septic and often succumb to disease, when genuine stigmata
occurs, there is no sign of infection or inflammation and clean arterial blood flows from
the wounds.
The wounds come and go spontaneously and often appear on regular
intervals, on most cases on Fridays. This usually heightens during religious festivals
such as Lent and Easter.
The first documented stigmatic was St Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226), the
founder of the Franciscan order of monks. One Holy Cross Day, St Francis was praying
devoutly in Mount Alvernia (in Italy's Apennine mountain range) comptemplating the
suffering Christ endured during The Passion. He then saw a seraph - a member of the
highest order of angels, often depicted as the winged
head of a child - descending from Heaven. St Francis then fell to the ground in the face
of this messenger from God.
