Spain: Body of St. Teresa of Avila Still Incorrupt

The newspaper La Croix reports that the order of the Discalced Carmelites has received authorization from the Vatican to conduct “a study on the body of the reformer of Carmel, [which] will be conducted in three phases over the coming months: visual examinations, photographs, X-rays will be conducted, followed by laboratory examination of elements taken. The results of these studies will be made public.”

The article details that this is “the third time this event has taken place since her death in 1582.” Previous exhumations took place in 1750 and 1914, the last of which was the subject of a photographic report. The body of St. Teresa rests in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Salamanca.

InfoCatolica reports that “the postulator general of the Order of Discalced Carmel, Marco Chiesa, and the prior of Alba de Tormes, Miguel Ángel González, detailed the work carried out in the morning to conclude that the state of conservation of the saint is the same as that documented by a photograph in 1914.” Which is a way of affirming that the body of the saint is still incorrupt.”

La Croix further explains that, “according to Fr. Marco Chiesa, postulator general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC Castilla y León, the objective of this exhumation was to ‘verify aspects of the saint's life’ such as ‘her illnesses and problems,’ as well as ‘the state of conservation of the body, to see how to preserve it for centuries.’”

InfoCatolica adds that “a team of Italian doctors and scientists will study the body and the major relics, which include everything from the heart to the arm, for ‘the analysis, conservation and veneration of the same.’ These experts will follow the instructions of the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.”

Fr. Marco Chiesa further specified that “the Order considers it opportune to do this work and it is the specialists who, after their exhaustive work, will give us conclusions. We know, thanks to similar studies, that we will be able to learn some very interesting data on Teresa as well as recommendations for the conservation of the relics.”

InfoCatolica also notes that, according to Fr. Chiesa: “A spiritual contribution of this study will be concrete in determining the state of St. Teresa at the time of her death. ‘We know that during the last years it was difficult for her to walk, in the pains that she herself described.’”

“Analyzing the foot in Rome, we found the presence of calcareous thorns [heel spurs] that made it almost impossible to walk. But she walked. . . her desire was to continue and move forward, despite the physical defects,” said the Postulator General.