'God Rewarded him with Supernatural Gifts': Post-Mortem Bodily Phenomena between Holiness and Sanctity (c. 1750-1950)
Abstract
Since early Christianity, certain extraordinary phenomena affecting the bodies of the dead – such as incorruption, the absence of rigor mortis, the exhalation of sweet fragrances, or the emission of liquids – were counted among the signs of sanctity. From the eighteenth century onward, however, the Catholic Church gradually revised its approach to such occurrences. With the publication of Prospero Lambertini’s De Servorum Dei Beatificatione et Beatorum Canonizatione (1734–38), bodily signs began to lose their centrality in canonization processes. Sanctity came to be defined increasingly in terms of heroic virtue, with miracles for canonization attributed to the intercession of the deceased, rather than to extraordinary signs emanating from their physical remains.
This shift did not, however, diminish the devotional value attributed to such signs. Despite this institutional reframing, in local communities these phenomena continued to be interpreted as manifestations of divine predilection. They were perceived as gifts granted by God to specific individuals, tokens of election that were not only theologically meaningful but also socially and institutionally charged. The perceived divine preference embodied in these signs frequently became entangled in local disputes, struggles over legitimacy and succession, and the network of meaning surrounding religious orders.
This paper investigates how, in Catholicism in Italy between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries, cadaveric phenomena were interpreted and valued as divine gifts, independently of official ecclesiastical criteria. Through selected case studies, it highlights the gap between canon law and devotional life, showing how such signs functioned as markers of sanctity not validated institutionally, but acknowledged through local community perception and ritual engagement.
This shift did not, however, diminish the devotional value attributed to such signs. Despite this institutional reframing, in local communities these phenomena continued to be interpreted as manifestations of divine predilection. They were perceived as gifts granted by God to specific individuals, tokens of election that were not only theologically meaningful but also socially and institutionally charged. The perceived divine preference embodied in these signs frequently became entangled in local disputes, struggles over legitimacy and succession, and the network of meaning surrounding religious orders.
This paper investigates how, in Catholicism in Italy between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries, cadaveric phenomena were interpreted and valued as divine gifts, independently of official ecclesiastical criteria. Through selected case studies, it highlights the gap between canon law and devotional life, showing how such signs functioned as markers of sanctity not validated institutionally, but acknowledged through local community perception and ritual engagement.
Date Issued
2025-09
Publication Type
Conference Item
Subjects
Anthropology of religion
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History of christianity
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relics
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History of the body
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Gift
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Catholicism
Language(s)
en
Access(Rights)
metadata.only