Posted on 06/11/2010 2:27:30 PM PDT by NYer
Researchers have used X-ray techniques to uncover the cause of death of a 700-year-old Italian saint.
Santa Rosa - who died when she was 18 or 19 years old - was most likely killed by a blood clot in the heart, say the Italian research team.
It is said the 13th Century saint had miraculous powers that allowed her to raise someone from the dead and to survive the flames of a burning pyre.
Her mummified remains are conserved in a monastery near Rome.
Santa Rosa is one of the most important saints in the Roman Catholic Church and is revered by thousands of peopleProfessor Ruggero D'Anastasio
The research team had been asked in 1995 to carry out some preservation work on the body, which was showing signs of damage.
As part of the restoration work, they were able to take X-rays using a mobile device.
Rare condition
Historical records suggested she may have died of tuberculosis, the researchers said, but they found no evidence she had the infection.
What they did find was that she had Cantrell's syndrome - a rare condition causing defects in the heart and surrounding tissues.
Now an X-ray of the heart has shown a dark area suggestive of a probably fatal blockage, according to a report published in The Lancet.
Study leader Professor Ruggero D'Anastasio said: "Santa Rosa is one of the most important saints in the Roman Catholic Church and is revered by thousands of people.
"In the future we hope to analyse the heart with more modern technologies."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Ping!
Clinton?
She is a Christian Saint from Viterbo (in today’s Italy) NOT an Italian Saint.
Bush’s fault.
Please explain.
>> Researchers have used X-ray techniques to uncover the cause of death of a 700-year-old Italian saint. <<
Old age?
>> Santa Rosa - who died when she was 18 or 19 years old - <<
Oh, nevermind
I think the other poster means that when Santa Rosa died 700 years ago, Italy as a country, at that point in time, did not exist.
Thanks.
When did Viterbo separate itself from Italy?
More like ‘when did Italy become Italy’, FRiend.
I have to admit, I have never heard of Santa Rosa. My loss - I shall find out more. Thank you for posting this!
You don’t get it.
Italy was formed in 1861.
True, yet “Italian” is a word used in the scripture (Acts 10:1). That would be 1c AD.
Italian is the NT is the Roman Empire equivalent of New Englander—a collection of political sub-units that are not themselves a sovereign political unit.
Italic not Italian...very interesting but my main point regarding the headline is that the saint is Christian not Italian/Italic.
Even calling her Italic would not be correct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Italic_peoples
της καλουμενης ιταλικης
Same adjective. That there was no political entity "Italy" has nothing to do with the use of the word in either the article's context or the New Testament's
Nor is there a different adjective in the modern everyday use. Google for example, "ιταλικη κουζίνα".
Or even
Fra Angelico 1395-1455 ιταλικός ζωγράφος (Link)
The New Testament’s use of Italic is to describe a pagan centurion NOT a follower of Chrstian or a Christian saint.
Once the peninsula was Chrstianized the term Italian or Italic makes no sense.
So you would agree to the use of “Italian” in application to a medieval heretic, but not to a medieval saint?
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