Quote:
Originally Posted by lookingforsomething
Recently, my Uncle who is seeking treatment currently for Kidney Cancer, which has spread to his lungs, visited a church in(I believe Wisconsin) to see a man that has Stigmata?(do you "have" stigmata? I may be wording that wrong, sorry!  My Uncle and Aunt are devout Catholics. I was wondering if in general The Stigmata is something than only Catholics believe in, or Christians in general. I was reading the book my Uncle recieved from the man,(who by the way sees several hundred people a month, and doesn't ask anything in return as far as money) and it's seems pretty hard to dispute that fact that it is real. What does everyone think about Stigmata? I've been "google"ing it and can't come up with too much! |
I posted a thread about Father Pio, who was recently named a Catholic Saint and also had stigmata for nearly 50 years. There's links to many websites about him, and his other supernatural attributes. None of the websites have his full story, so some digging is necessary. But his thoughts were that it was a blessing for a human to be allowed to be so near to God through sharing Christ's suffering. It also made him feel very unworthy and conflicted at times too, but overall it's viewed as a manifestation of the supernatural ability of God and God's presence. Stigmata gives others hope, and knowing that God helps an individual deal with their circumstances of stigmata is at least a reassurance to others. Father Pio's stigmata was not officially recognized as authentic by the Church, but it was by many of his followers.
Padre Pio - Catholic Saint
If stigmata is an apparition like any other, then these tend to be seen as lending credibility to Christ.
I saw a TV documentary about another women with stigmata too, and believe that stigmata is a sign from God. It might be considered to be part of the charasmatic "dimension" of the Church as described in this Bishop's investigation excerpt which sanctioned another apparition as being authentic:
Quote:
......Apparitions and visions can be referred to, as constants in
the history of salvation.
Through them God gives the visionary, the visible perception
of invisible realities, as spiritual beings, or of visible
realities but of another time and place.
Visions and apparitions include some kind of message or
teaching, generally oral. This is what is ordinarily called
"private revelation". Although it is possible for this kind of
revelation to take place without an apparition or vision. Of
course, an authentic vision or apparition, though without a
message, is a revelation itself, while proving the existence of the
supernatural by making visible invisible realities.
To admit or not to admit the possibility of visions and
apparitions, depends on one's position concerning the possibility
that realities, which are beyond the material field of positive
methods of investigation, could exist and be perceived.
Who believes in God also admits that God can communicate with
the beings He created. This possibility of course, does not
guarantee that a concrete phenomenon is a communication with God.
It is necessary to critically analyze each phenomenon in order to
guarantee it as a supernatural occurrence. The existing
difficulties to reach this analysis is not cause to say they are
not valid, thus reject their authenticity "a priori" or to adopt a
systematically negative or skeptical attitude.
The apparitions and visions related in the Sacred Scriptures
are numerous both in the Old and New Testament. Hence, they are
confirmed in their supernatural authenticity by divine inspiration
and by the Magisterium of the Church.
From the Church's patristic origins to our days there have
been numerous apparitions which have turned the history of the
Church. These apparitions form part of the charismatic dimension
of the Church which is conjugated with Its ministerial dimension,
though we have to mention that the ministerial dimension is a
charisma in itself.
As the II Vatican Council expresses in its constitution "Lumen
Gentium", N. 12: "The Holy Spirit not only sanctifies, guides the
nation of God through the sacraments and ministry, and adorns it
with Its virtues; but also distributes grace, even special grace,
among the faithful of any kind or condition, distributing Its gifts
to each one as It pleases (1 Cor 12, 11), with which It enables
them capable and ready to comply to diverse works and duties that
are necessary for the renovation and greater edification of the
Church". And as for the extraordinary gifts, It observes: "The
judgement over the authenticity and over their reasonable exercise
belongs to those who have authority in the Church, those who have
the responsibility above all, not to suffocate the Spirit but to
test it all and keep what is good (cfr Tes 5, 12 y 19, 21)".
The above text gives us an insight to understand the meaning
that visions, apparitions and private revelations have in the life
of the Church. They belong to Its charismatic dimension, and
constitute a demonstration that Christ is present among us until
the consummation of the centuries (Cfr Mat 28, 20), and that the
Holy Spirit, soul of the Church, acts on It and gives It life. In
some cases to enlighten and to guide a specific person; in others
to promote a certain style of spirituality or a certain form of
pastoral action; or to renew and up to date evangelic lines that
routine has made ineffective, or inconsequence has segregated; or
towards the solution of a crisis or the acceptance of a historical
challenge. ....
APAR-L Archives -- November 1994, week 5 (#56)
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Last edited by sun; 09-09-2007 at 05:59 AM.
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09-07-2007, 02:22 PM
Stigmata??
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Stigmata
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