Stigmata


The manifestation of marks and/or wounds corresponding to those where the Nazarene was nailed to the cross.

Most stigmata, from St. Francis of Assisi and on, have had wounds on the hands and feet. In actuality, it was a Roman custom to insert nails through the wrists, to which skeletal remains confirm this. In addition, nails inserted through the hands cannot support the weight of a body hanging on a cross.

Most researchers now consider stigmata to be the result of an intense focus by an ascetic (an extremely self-disciplined person).


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