Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Incredible skeletal remains of 'Catholic saints' dug up, still dripping in gems and jewellery
Daily Mail ^ | 6 September 2013 | Daily Mail Reporter

Posted on 09/06/2013 7:15:37 AM PDT by Alex Murphy

A relic hunter dubbed 'Indiana Bones' has lifted the lid on a macabre collection of 400-year-old jewel-encrusted skeletons unearthed in churches across Europe.

Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments.

Incredibly, some of the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers.

They are now the subject of a new book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time.

Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican.

They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.

Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife.

They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas.

Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches.

Some took up to five years to decorate.

They were renamed as saints, although none of them qualified for the title under the strict rules of the Catholic church which require saints to have been canonised.

But by the 19th century they had become morbid reminders of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and discarded.

Mr Koudounaris' new book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Catholic; History; Mainline Protestant; Worship
KEYWORDS: artifacts; catacombsaints; catholic; ghoul; godsgravesglyphs; graverobbing; indianabones; paulkoudounaris; photography; religion; romancatholicism; sectarianturmoil; thereformation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 281-300301-320321-340 ... 501-506 next last
To: GeronL

Catholics do not pray to relics.


301 posted on 09/06/2013 9:39:24 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 252 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein

Thank goodness that Christ established the Catholic Church and told the apostles to keep going with it.


302 posted on 09/06/2013 9:40:46 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 253 | View Replies]

Comment #303 Removed by Moderator

To: Salvation; GeronL

No, they bow to them and kiss them.


304 posted on 09/06/2013 9:41:58 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 301 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor
No, they bow to them and kiss them.

Silly me, that is so different

305 posted on 09/06/2013 9:42:59 PM PDT by GeronL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 304 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

According to you? Are you now the expert?


306 posted on 09/06/2013 9:45:59 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 304 | View Replies]

To: ansel12
My point is about something Jesus said about ‘motes in thy brother's eye”

Since there is no monolithic “Protestant Church” there can not be an ‘One size Fits All” criticism.

However one thing that most all Christian denominations, both Catholic and Protestant have in common is none can rightfully claim they live as exactly as Jesus commanded in the Bible for us to do.

Even the Bible itself has been corrupted by Man's touch and used not to enlighten but to persecute.


This drifting away from His Message began almost as soon as He was crucified.

As every individual cannot claim to be prefect, neither can any Christian sect can claim to be “Holier than Thou”I know this will make both sides of this argument howl but it is true.

307 posted on 09/06/2013 9:51:08 PM PDT by RedMonqey ("Gun-free zones" equal "Target-rich environment.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

Did you read my post? You are mistaken in your beliefs.


308 posted on 09/06/2013 9:57:23 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 304 | View Replies]

To: wintertime
What I see here is evidence of a simple people of pure believe expressing their faith in as creative manner they could imagine.

The Vatican shipped out these skeletons to their churches around the various countries for this purpose, I don't know that the Vatican is just simple folk especially when they had power.

309 posted on 09/06/2013 10:05:30 PM PDT by ansel12 ( Libertarians, the left's social agenda with conservatism's economics, which is impossible of course)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 266 | View Replies]

To: jodyel; smvoice
My post wasn't directed at you nor smvoice.

Just a comment that all Christian denominations, whether Protestant or Catholic, or any of us who call ourselves Christians have failed to perfectly follow the complete teachings of Christ and we (Yes, I specifically include myself) are weak prone to human frailties and shouldn't set ourselves up as superior to others as we do not recognize our own failings.

To use a old sinner's quote;

“I fear that God is a God of Justice

But I pray He is a God of Mercy”

I think when discussions like this among Christian Brethren degenerates like it has, the Devil chuckles mightily at our quarreling.

310 posted on 09/06/2013 10:15:31 PM PDT by RedMonqey ("Gun-free zones" equal "Target-rich environment.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: St_Thomas_Aquinas; Boogieman
And you know this because you were there? Or maybe you're omniscient? Here is the testimonial from an eyewitness to her exhumation:...

Here's another. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous:

    Bishop Gauthey of Nevers and the Church exhumed the body of Bernadette Soubirous on 22 September 1909, in the presence of representatives appointed by the postulators of the cause, two doctors and a sister of the community. They claimed that although the crucifix in her hand and her rosary had both oxidized, her body appeared incorrupt — preserved from decomposition. This was cited as one of the miracles to support her canonization. They washed and reclothed her body before burial in a new double casket. The Church exhumed the corpse a second time on 3 April 1919. A doctor who examined the body noted, "The body is practically mummified, covered with patches of mildew and quite a notable layer of salts, which appear to be calcium salts. ... The skin has disappeared in some places, but it is still present on most parts of the body."[17]

    In 1925, the church exhumed the body for a third time. They took relics, which were sent to Rome. A precise imprint of the face was molded so that the firm of Pierre Imans in Paris could make a wax mask based on the imprints and on some genuine photos to be placed on her body. This was common practice for relics in France as it was feared that the blackish tinge to the face and the sunken eyes and nose would make an unpleasant impression on the public. Imprints of the hands were also taken for the presentation of the body and the making of wax casts. The remains were then placed in a gold and crystal reliquary in the Chapel of Saint Bernadette at the mother house in Nevers. The site is visited by many pilgrims and the body of Saint Bernadette is still shown despite being nearly 130 years old.

In reading some of the Roman Catholic links that discuss this issue of the "Incorruptibles", it appears that Catholics use the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 16:10 which says:

For you will not leave my soul in sheol; neither will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.

They take this to mean the "saints" as well, or at least the ones claimed to have not seen the normal mortal decay of a body where the soul and spirit have left. There are many New Testament verses that state this prophecy was ONLY speaking of Jesus, the Messiah, and could not mean any other human. We all know about Lazarus, whom Jesus brought back to life after four days, but he DID die again. These Catholic saints that are claimed to have also escaped corruption, when studied objectively, it turns out that they HAVE seen corruption and that special effects are utilized (wax coverings that are redone over time) to only make it appear they never decay.

I get this creepy feeling - like I used to get when the nuns taught about these "special" people - and I can't help but think that the reason why these things are exalted is to propagate the Roman Catholic religion and assert it MUST be true because of these miracles. We should be especially careful about these things and drawing conclusions based on legend, myths or, just plain old, fraud. It comes back to Holy Scripture, regardless if some accept it or not, and we must rely upon the Divinely-breathed sacred scripture to formulate our theology - not amazing "testimony" from those with an agenda of their own. Jesus is who MUST be glorified. We are to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

311 posted on 09/06/2013 11:20:41 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 271 | View Replies]

To: Religion Moderator

OK. Religious bigotry is alive and well on FR. And how funny that I, of all people, should be rebuked for not having a thick skin, lol!


312 posted on 09/06/2013 11:23:01 PM PDT by miss marmelstein ( Richard Lives Yet!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 297 | View Replies]

To: editor-surveyor

So the Sistine Chapel needs to be leveled to the ground, eh? And the Religious Moderators have a problem with me!


313 posted on 09/06/2013 11:30:04 PM PDT by miss marmelstein ( Richard Lives Yet!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 299 | View Replies]

To: RegulatorCountry; metmom
The beauty of the decoration is obviously a highly subjective matter, but even granting that, it does not surmount a revolting context. I don’t even grant the beauty of it. Dimestore costume jewelry bought by the pound, is what it looks like. Or, maybe some sort of automated, dancing skeleton for a Grateful Dead tribute show, but even Deadheads have more restraint.

I'd be inclined to think they really DIDN'T use the family heirlooms for that purpose. I'd even bet much if not all of those decorations ARE fake, paste wax costume dime-store type baubles. I think it is creepy and disrespectful to the person whose body is being displayed, or rather, body parts are being displayed. The ones which the OP is speaking of couldn't even begin to be identified much less attached to a known "saint". The bones that were claimed to be from the Apostle Peter, and which are supposedly buried under the altar of the basilica in his name, came from a common garbage dump where people, animals and all kinds of cast offs got tossed. Superstition and woo-woo stuff doesn't belong in Christianity. It isn't needed.

314 posted on 09/06/2013 11:34:12 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 284 | View Replies]

Comment #315 Removed by Moderator

To: boatbums

Have you ever studied art? For you to look at those pictures and think that those gorgeous pieces of jewelry are paste or dime store trophies makes you look silly. You don’t have to like this type of art but it’s real...and it’s spectacular!


316 posted on 09/06/2013 11:40:25 PM PDT by miss marmelstein ( Richard Lives Yet!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 314 | View Replies]

To: daniel1212

What a picture of Catholicism.......

How fitting.


317 posted on 09/06/2013 11:51:32 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 287 | View Replies]

To: smvoice

Just when you think you’ve seen it all........


318 posted on 09/06/2013 11:52:03 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 288 | View Replies]

To: daniel1212; smvoice

Churches decorated with demons, too.


319 posted on 09/06/2013 11:52:47 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 289 | View Replies]

To: boatbums
Psalm 16:10 For you will not leave my soul in sheol; neither will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.

If they are quoting this verse in support of what they claim as the condition of their saints, then they are misquoting it. If there were no corruption, then the bodies would be in perfect condition.

Not mummified.

Not atrophied muscles.

Not patches of mold and mildew on the skin.

Not patches of skin missing.

Not salts covering the body.

Those are ALL signs of decay.

320 posted on 09/07/2013 12:03:20 AM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 311 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 281-300301-320321-340 ... 501-506 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson