The examinaion of the tomb and remains of Saint Teresa of Jesus began on the morning of 28th August, in Alba de Tormes. It was overseen by italian specialists from the Dicastro for the Causes of Saints, at the Vatican. The analysis focussed on the state of the body and on the ‘major relics’, consisting of parts of the body: the heart and the arm. In this way their “conservation” and “veneration” will be guaranteed.
The General Postulator, Fr Marco Chiesa, confirmed that the body of Saint Teresa of Jesus has remained the same as it did when it was last seen in 1914. The Postulator General said that it is too early to give any details about the results that are yet to be carried out. Fr. Marco Chiesa stated, “The Order believes it is opportune to carry out this work and it will be the specialists, after further research, who will give us their conclusions. We know from similar studies that we can find out very interesting data about Teresa and also get advice about how to conserve the relics, but this will come at a later phase. The other reliquaries will be cleaned.
The first phase of the examination of the tomb and the reliquaries of Saint Teresa was completed on the afternoon of the 30th August. Fr Marco Chiesa recalled, “The team of scientists, led by Professor Luigi Capasso, told us that the state of conservation of the reliquaries of Saint Teresa was exceptional. The first phase of this process that took place in situ in Alba de Tormes has already been completed. The second phase will begin with an examiniation in laboratories in Italy. This will take several months. During 2025 we will have the conclusions and the third phase will then be carried out in Alba de Tormes.”
The first data has emerged on St Teresa health in her final years. From this first phase in situ the medical team has concluded that Teresa had a very fragile constitution. In the last years of her life she walked with a marked curviture of the spine. Such curviture is usually due to weakness of the vertebrae in the back bone and provokes fractures. The medical team indicated that Teresa did not have osteoperosis. The deformation of the vertebrae in her spinal cord would have made it difficult for Teresa to breath, at least in the last years of her life. From a medical point of view, in this first examination, it was found that the Saint suffered from rhematoid arthritis in her left knee. In the final years of her life, Saint Teresa of Jesus suffered from a foot sore which would have caused her pain when she walked. This first analysis tells us that there was no fracture in her left arm but rather a dislocation in the wrist.It took months before anything could be done. Then the healer from Medina del Campo and an assistant pulled the arm to discloate it from the shoulder joint. In other words, the cure was worse than the illness. The arm remained useless for the last five years. The question of the arm is well documented in the writings of St Teresa herself and in the testimonary at her beatification.
