Who are the 'Incorruptibles' of the Roman Catholic church and why have their bodies remained free of decay?

Question

JMJ
The causes for 'incorruptibles' remaining free of decomposition have baffled scientists to this day. How can the process of decay choose which bodies to devour and not to devour, and why do they happen to be devout Catholics?
These bodies have not been accidentally preserved (buried in dry,hot sand or lava or area with high radioactivity) nor have they been deliberately preserved (purposely embalmed or otherwise treated before burial to try to prevent decomposition)

Incorruptibles are typically found lifelike, moist, flexible, and contain a sweet scent that many say smells like roses or other flowers, for years after death.

Answer 1

Specimens of preserved human bodies or "mummies" have been discovered throughout the centuries, some even from before the Egyptian Pharaoh times when the art of embalming originated. Many of these preserved bodies have survived decomposition for as many as 3000 years. Of all preserved bodies that have been discovered over the centuries, each fall into one of three categories:

1. Accidentally preserved - These type of preserved bodies were determined to be preserved due to accidental means such as having been buried in dry, hot sand, or lava, or having been placed in an area with high radioactivity. As long as air or moisture did not reach these bodies, they can many times be preserved from significant, but not total decay. However, when accidentally preserved bodies are discovered, they are typically discolored, wrinkled, distorted, are skeletal looking and have no elasticity. In addition they always have a bad odor and always decay rapidly once bandaging is removed for scientific examination.

2. Deliberately preserved - Deliberately preserved corpses are those that were purposely embalmed or otherwise treated before burial with the intention of trying to prevent decomposition. As long as air or moisture did not reach these bodies, they can many times be preserved from significant, but not total decay. In most older cases of deliberately preserved human bodies discovered, the body cavities were filled with specific materials like resin or resin-soaked sawdust, or the entire body was submerged in specific materials such as honey, rum, or sand. In more modern methods of attempting to prevent corpse decomposition, the body was typically submerged or filled with resin, tar, salt, alcohol, or a combination of these. Again, when deliberately preserved bodies are discovered, like accidentally preserved bodies, they are typically discolored, wrinkled, distorted, are skeletal looking and have no elasticity. In addition they always have a bad odor and always decay rapidly once bandaging is removed for scientific examination.

3. Incorruptibles - These type of preserved bodies started being discovered back in the early centuries after Christ, though surprisingly, they do not fall into either the accidental or deliberate preservation categories above. The causes for "incorruptibles" remaining free of decomposition have baffled scientists to this day. These bodies are discovered in many different environments, including environments that would typically cause an accidental or deliberately preserved corpse to decompose rapidly. They remain free of decay regardless of manner of burial, delay in burial, temperature, moisture, rough handling, frequent transference, having been covered in quicklime (a decaying agent), or proximity to other decaying corpses. They cannot be explained by science or reason. Some common characteristics of an incorruptible body:

Incorruptibles are typically found lifelike, moist, flexible, and contain a sweet scent that many say smells like roses or other flowers, for years after death.

Incorruptibles are almost never embalmed or treated in any way due to the religious order's beliefs that the person came from.
Incorruptibles remain free of decay, some for centuries, despite circumstances which normally cause decay such as being exposed to air, moisture, other decaying bodies, or other variables such as quicklime, which is typically applied to a corpse to accelerate decomposition.

Incorruptibles many times contain clear, flowing oils, perspiration, and flowing blood for years after death, where accidental or deliberately preserved bodies have never been recorded to have such characteristics.

Other partial incorruptibles have been found throughout the centuries where certain parts of the body decay normally, while other parts such as the heart or tongue remain perfectly free of decomposition.

What is most astounding of all is the fact that for each incorrupt body discovered, after research has been done to determine who the person was, it has always been determined that the person was an extremely devout Catholic. This inevitably leads to the question, How can the process of decay, which has no intelligence, choose which bodies to devour and not to devour, and why do they happen to be devout Catholics? This phenomena is simply miraculous.

In addition, many unexplainable miracles have occurred throughout history when people have come in contact with these incorruptible remains, and despite regular medical examinations, scientists have not determined why. These incorruptible bodies are on display all over the world to this day (mainly in Europe), and nearly all bodies who have been identified and whose background has been researched thoroughly, have been canonized by the Catholic Church as Saints due to their publicly devout Catholic life.

Answer 2

being incorruptible is a miracle. In Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox Christian cultures, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen to be a sign that the individual is a Saint. The converse is not true: not every Saint is expected to have an incorruptible corpse.

According to the Catholic Church, a body is not deemed incorruptible if it has undergone an embalming process or other means of preserving the dead.

Example:
St. Bernadette
St. Agnes of Montepulciano
St. Catherine Labouré
Saint Louise de Marillac
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mother Cabrini)
St. Clare of Assisi
St. Margaret Mary (Marie Alacoque)
St. John Vianney (Jean Vianney), parish priest of Ars
St. Cuthbert
St. Casimir, Patron of Poland and Lithuania
St. Francis Xavier[1]
Pope Pius X (Though the article suggests that he may have been embalmed)
St. Vincent de Paul
Jacinta Marto visionary at Fatima
St. Charbel, saint

Answer 3

Jesus commissioned Peter to regulate to him; hence Peter is chief of the apostles. After Jesus died, there is not any church said as Roman Catholic Church: the popular christians are extremely said as a community of believers, the way, the Nazarites, then Christians accdg to the Act. In 107, St Ignatius said as it the catholic church, and Catholic as a lot as this days. although the catholic on the on the spot meant popular as positioned through the apostles of Christ. In between there have been also factions that do not imagine in Jesus, because the bible quoted: Matthew 28:17 when they stated him, they worshiped, although they doubted. they're both arianism, marcionites etc... regardless of the actuality that the faction headed through St Peter in Rome took secure and hence helpful, such that he's the popular bishop of Rome and effectively establlished and maintained the bishoporic lineage. even as emperor Constantine confirmed, there have been already about 33 bishops that ruled the Catholic Church. The 0.33 pope, Pope Clement became the popular bishop that shown administration over the leisure of the patriarchate. Being Rome, Alexandria, Antioch; constantitnople and Jerusalem got here later. for that reason there is just one Catholic church. As historic previous unfolds, the patriarchs of Alexandria, Constantinople , antioch, finally schismed and were said as Orthodox, although though katolic in accordance to se, as depending through technique of the apostles. though, there stay the jap churches that stay dependable to the seat of Peter in Rome. The patriarchate of rome, the western catholics are then said as Roman catholics because the anglican church of england go with to tell apart themselves from the Roman headquarters. The heritage of the Western catholic rites, the roman church and the jap rites in center east is megahuge that it ought to no longer be contain in this YA.

Answer 4

Have you seen the book, The Incorruptibles, by Joan Cruz? If not, you'll love it. It explains everything about this phenomanon.

The Incorruptibles are people who were devout in their faith and love of God, whose bodies did not decompose after death. This is a special grace from God giving us another sign of His great power and love. Did you know that some of the bodies weren't discovered for decades, sometimes even centuries, after their deaths, and were perfectly intact, flexible and life-like?

Answer 5

Yes, I have heard of such people, and it is a sign of God's power and grace in this world.

On the other hand, a person should not make the mistake in thinking that a person whose body DOES decay after death is less holy than the person whose body does not decay.

Answer 6

Psa 16:8 I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.
Psa 16:9 Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover, my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa 16:10 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.
Psa 16:11 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.