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The miracle of St. Bernadette


Sea_maid13

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The miracle of Bernadette Soubirous is one that has been seen as a miracle of God, proof that there is an Almighty force. Bernadette Soubirous was born on January 7, 1844 in Lordes, France. Her family was very poor, she had 5 other siblings. In 1858, when she was 14 years old, she reported seeing an apparition of a woman in a nearby grotto , the Roman Catholic Church denied her claims that she had seen was appeared to be the holy image of the Virgin Mary. During that year, she sighted 18 visions in all, the vision eventually told her of a hidden spring with special healing powers. People from her town believed that she had defintley seen the image of the Virgin Mary, so she hid from the public eye, becoming a nun at the Sisters of Charity and Christian Instruction in Nevers. She had many illnesses but never went to the "healing spring" for help, and at age 35, she died from tuberculosis on April 16, 1879.

Her body was later exhumed for burial, and when the Bishop Gauthey of Nevers found her body, they were astonished by her condition. She looked just the way she did 31 years after she died. She appeared as though decay never reached her body, yet no one embalmed her body, and even embalmed bodies would not be in such an amazing condition. If you do see a picture of her, her lips still have color to them, her skin is still toned, and her expression is serene. Although she has been dead for over 130 years, she looks like she is sleeping.

On April 3, 1919, her body was exhumed a second time, and she still was in the same condition as she was when they last reburied her. She was finally put to rest in 1925, her body relocated to the Chapel of St. Bernadette in Nevers, in a gold and crystal case.

This has truly amazed and and mystefied many people, including myself. If anyone has seen her body or heard of this occurence, tell me your thoughts.

Edited by Sea_maid13
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I saw this ont TV last night. Quite amazing actually.

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yeah... they did a special about a group of monks that can do that too... i'm not sure how that's a miracle... and who the hell decides if someone can be a saint? that is the most rediculous thing i've ever heard of...

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that is the most rediculous thing i've ever heard of...

With what you said, maybe your body will decayed in just a matter of minutes when you die.

They have live a holy life not like us.

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This is very interesting. Has the body ever been medically examined to verify the claims?

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yeah... they did a special about a group of monks that can do that too... i'm not sure how that's a miracle... and who the hell decides if someone can be a saint? that is the most rediculous thing i've ever heard of...

Catholics have some standards about choosing Saints:

How does the Church choose saints?

Canonization, the process the Church uses to name a saint, has only been used since the tenth century. For hundreds of years, starting with the first martyrs of the early Church, saints were chosen by public acclaim. Though this was a more democratic way to recognize saints, some saints' stories were distorted by legend and some never existed. Gradually, the bishops and finally the Vatican took over authority for approving saints.

In 1983, Pope John Paul II made sweeping changes in the canonization procedure. The process begins after the death of a Catholic whom people regard as holy. Often, the process starts many years after death in order give perspective on the candidate. The local bishop investigates the candidate's life and writings for heroic virtue (or martyrdom) and orthodoxy of doctrine. Then a panel of theologians at the Vatican evaluates the candidate. After approval by the panel and cardinals of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the pope proclaims the candidate "venerable."

The next step, beatification, requires evidence of one miracle (except in the case of martyrs). Since miracles are considered proof that the person is in heaven and can intercede for us, the miracle must take place after the candidate's death and as a result of a specific petition to the candidate. When the pope proclaims the candidate beatified or "blessed," the person can be venerated by a particular region or group of people with whom the person holds special importance.

Only after one more miracle will the pope canonize the saint (this includes martyrs as well). The title of saint tells us that the person lived a holy life, is in heaven, and is to be honored by the universal Church. Canonization does not "make" a person a saint; it recognizes what God has already done.

Though canonization is infallible and irrevocable, it takes a long time and a lot of effort. So while every person who is canonized is a saint, not every holy person has been canonized. You have probably known many "saints" in your life, and you are called by God to be one yourself.

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This is very interesting. Has the body ever been medically examined to verify the claims?

Good question, but I doubt it. I wonder how she is remaining so well preserved. Embalmed bodies decay, this one has me scratching my head.

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Good question, but I doubt it. I wonder how she is remaining so well preserved. Embalmed bodies decay, this one has me scratching my head.

I think if you look at this scientifically you might start to see some answers. She was probably originally burried in a lead coffin and I think it's known that sawdust and charcol was packed in around her body. This helped to preserve it when she was intrrered. Upon exhumation, she actually did have a little decay in her facial area and today her face is covered with a light coat of wax. Now that she's on display, she's in an airtight crypt, there's just very little way for her body to decompose naturally. This was always my scientific understanding of why she looks so good.

She's not the only person to be on display in a public place showing little signs of decay.... so is Lenin of Russia... although I've heard he's starting to look a little rough around the edges in recent years because they've had some trouble keeping the crypt airtight and temperature controlled.

Just my two cents.

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The healing spring which St. Bernadette uncovered over a hundred years ago still flows today. A shrine has been built, and pilgrims visit this site in Lourdes, France, from all over the world. People bathe and drink from the healing waters, and many miracles continue to be attrubuted to this healing spring.

:innocent::rolleyes::sleepy::rofl::unsure2:

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This has truly amazed and and mystefied many people, including myself. If anyone has seen her body or heard of this occurence, tell me your thoughts.

I've heard of this story and seen documentary shows, and I believe it. I also saw a segment in a documentary about a child in a coffin (kept by the Catholic church in Italy) with that same undecaying property. In a different docu, real medicine men/shamans/holy men of Africa are apparently not eaten by scavengenging animals when they give up their body or die in the wilderness or desert.

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I've heard of this story and seen documentary shows, and I believe it. I also saw a segment in a documentary about a child in a coffin (kept by the Catholic church in Italy) with that same undecaying property. In a different docu, real medicine men/shamans/holy men of Africa are apparently not eaten by scavengenging animals when they give up their body or die in the wilderness or desert.

Did it also inform you in your documentary watching, that they placed wax over her face and hands, (not sure if they painted it or not) to cover up the fact that her skin was turning black, and her eye sockets were so far sunken in that they were afraid that her image would freighten people?

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I think if you look at this scientifically you might start to see some answers. She was probably originally burried in a lead coffin and I think it's known that sawdust and charcol was packed in around her body. This helped to preserve it when she was intrrered. Upon exhumation, she actually did have a little decay in her facial area and today her face is covered with a light coat of wax. Now that she's on display, she's in an airtight crypt, there's just very little way for her body to decompose naturally. This was always my scientific understanding of why she looks so good.

She's not the only person to be on display in a public place showing little signs of decay.... so is Lenin of Russia... although I've heard he's starting to look a little rough around the edges in recent years because they've had some trouble keeping the crypt airtight and temperature controlled.

Just my two cents.

I agree with you Miss! Just about a month ago on UM there was a thread about an ancient (I think about 2,000 year old) Chinese Aristocrat who is still fairly well preserved due to a mysterious liquid she was in as well as charcoal and sawdust packed in her tomb.

Did it also inform you in your documentary watching, that they placed wax over her face and hands, (not sure if they painted it or not) to cover up the fact that her skin was turning black, and her eye sockets were so far sunken in that they were afraid that her image would freighten people?

Excellent points airika!

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Did it also inform you in your documentary watching, that they placed wax over her face and hands, (not sure if they painted it or not) to cover up the fact that her skin was turning black, and her eye sockets were so far sunken in that they were afraid that her image would freighten people?

I really don't remember since it was probably close to 30 years ago. Although, the child in the coffin docu was recent, three years ago, and she was still intact. I believe the priest said that the child's been in the coffin for several years (and she still looked great, spooky but intact). I believe the show was on Travel or History channel.

Edited by dlv
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I really don't remember since it was probably close to 30 years ago. Although, the child in the coffin docu was recent, three years ago, and she was still intact. I believe the priest said that the child's been in the coffin for several years (and she still looked great, spooky but intact). I believe the show was on Travel or History channel.

I don't believe in miracles from a god, christian god or otherwise. It's not above the catholic church to lie, (I think everyone knows this much by now) just to "prove their faith, THE faith". Not many people know as to what preservation tactics were actually applied. All that the church is saying, is that it's an "act of god, it's a miracle". It even states in the bible, that god was not going to perform anymore miracles like he did back then.

Edited by airika
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I agree with you Miss! Just about a month ago on UM there was a thread about an ancient (I think about 2,000 year old) Chinese Aristocrat who is still fairly well preserved due to a mysterious liquid she was in as well as charcoal and sawdust packed in her tomb.

Excellent points airika!

I didn't see that thread, I might have to go look for it now!

Sawdust and charcoal combined wiht lead is an excellent perservative. It's a strange phenomomon that people who work in lead mines ( or are otherwise exposed to lead) actually stay very youthful looking.... they of course die young because lead is a heavy metal that is not only toxic, but the body can't shed lead once it's in the system. I think part of the scientiic evidence is that St. Burnadette was burried in a lead coffin which may have contributed greatly to her state of perserve, along with the sawdust and charcoal. Her state of preservation today is largely due to the fact that her face and hands are covered in wax, and the glass crypt she is encased in is steril and airtight. Bodies don't decompose very quickly (in fact painfully slowly) in a sterile, airtight, tempereature and humidity controlled enviroment.

Just ask Lenin and he's no Saint. hahaha

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It's a strange phenomomon that people who work in lead mines ( or are otherwise exposed to lead) actually stay very youthful looking.... they of course die young because lead is a heavy metal that is not only toxic, but the body can't shed lead once it's in the system.

Miss, This is interesting to say the least. My dad has been an assayer in the gold mining industry for around 20 years or so. I remember when I was little, they thought he had lukemia, because he was green, and very sick. They finally figured that it was his lead, and the amounts have never been seen that high in a living person. It's fatal around 70ppm, and my dad's was 134ppm. (Almost double the lethal limit) My dad has been taking herbal suppliments, Apple Pectin I believe it is, drawl the lead from the system, but it will never take it all out, and it settles in the bones. I had no idea about it making you look younger, which would explain why he looks early 40's, and he's past his mid 50's.

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Miss, This is interesting to say the least. My dad has been an assayer in the gold mining industry for around 20 years or so. I remember when I was little, they thought he had lukemia, because he was green, and very sick. They finally figured that it was his lead, and the amounts have never been seen that high in a living person. It's fatal around 70ppm, and my dad's was 134ppm. (Almost double the lethal limit) My dad has been taking herbal suppliments, Apple Pectin I believe it is, drawl the lead from the system, but it will never take it all out, and it settles in the bones. I had no idea about it making you look younger, which would explain why he looks early 40's, and he's past his mid 50's.

That's true! I've seen your dad! Remember when people kept mistaking your mother in law for his mother, even though they're about the same age! How weird. I never related his lead levels to that! Interesting.

Edited by uhmanduh
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Wow Arika! I'm glad to hear that it sounds like your father is still doing well and has found a type of treatment that's helping him! That's amazing! That is a HUGE amount of lead!

My former husband worked for a tug boat company when we were in our early 20's and one of the jobs he worked on every summer was transfering lead, nickel, and zinc ore from a mine is Alaska out to an off-shore freighter. He had to be tested for his lead levels every 3 months to make sure they weren't escalating to dangerous levels. His never did, although he seemed to suffer from side effects still from being exposed to all those heavy metals (a type of environmental toxicity, where allergens seemed to affect him dramatically). The specialist he used to see was the one who was talking to us about lead poisonings side effect of youthfulness and preserve in the human body. They're not really sure why it happens from what I can gather. It's totally weird! I have always wondered when reading stories in history about people who died young and beautiful if that was a result of exposure to lead in pottery glazes, drinking vessels, etc...

Edited by MissMelsWell
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Wow Arika! I'm glad to hear that it sounds like your father is still doing well and has found a type of treatment that's helping him! That's amazing! That is a HUGE amount of lead!

My former husband worked for a tug boat company when we were in our early 20's and one of the jobs he worked on every summer was transfering lead, nickel, and zinc ore from a mine is Alaska out to an off-shore freighter. He had to be tested for his lead levels every 3 months to make sure they weren't escalating to dangerous levels. His never did, although he seemed to suffer from side effects still from being exposed to all those heavy metals (a type of environmental toxicity, where allergens seemed to affect him dramatically). The specialist he used to see was the one who was talking to us about lead poisonings side effect of youthfulness and preserve in the human body. They're not really sure why it happens from what I can gather. It's totally weird! I have always wondered when reading stories in history about people who died young and beautiful if that was a result of exposure to lead in pottery glazes, drinking vessels, etc...

This all makes a bit more sense now that we add the lead into the equation as a possibility. She was very sick when she was a child, and if I remember correctly, slightly autistic. (Which may have actually been a brain developement problem due to lead poisoning.) I do remember it saying that she had definate learning disabilities, and it was thought that other students had the same problem. I'm sure if they would have dug up many other bodies, and then opened the caskets, the same "miracle" may have occured. (Which may have also led to her delusional sightings of the virgin mary.)

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I don't believe in miracles from a god, christian god or otherwise. It's not above the catholic church to lie,

I respect your belief system. Besides, I'm not defending the Catholic church, as if they need defending. On the other hand, I believe in miracles, for I've seen and felt them, the different levels of changes, from healing to beauty to ugliness to rejuvination to the basic power of material things.

It even states in the bible, that god was not going to perform anymore miracles like he did back then.

Then again, humans wrote all the holy books, not God. I certainly take my own experiences before others, any time, any day, any hour.

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