The Catholic Church, Supernatural, and Miracles

Professor Saiber brought up an amazing point that people that belong to supernatural heavy faiths such as Catholicism may not turn to SF because they already have their sense of otherworldly phenomena.

From Jesus and Mary transcending to heaven to believing in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist (term for it is transubstantiation), Catholics take a lot on faith and teaching.  And while some miracles of the faith remain mysteries, others baffle the world through their scientific justification.

So below I will show some of the most proven – and still nearly unbelievable – miracles in the Catholic Church.  It should also be noted that just because something cannot be explained does not mean another thing must be true, but it should be also noted that many of these miracles would not have been able to be forged by the simple peasants back when they originated.  I’ve also only researched ones with more hard evidence, not just crow testimony.

Incorruptible Bodies

There are a couple huge misconceptions about these saintly bodies.  While, obviously, it does not mean the bodies never disintegrate, it does mean it typically happens much slower.  The main point of these bodies is that they never go stiff.   Not all incorruptibility is a marker for sainthood, and heavy checks go into place to make sure the bodies have not been tampered with.

Actual science is a little baffled by these cases, mainly because of the lack of stiffness in the corpse, which should be present even if embalming (which cannot be used in the Catholic Church for incorruptibility) or other preservation tactics.  Skeptics, who are in their right to be, often dismiss these cases without looking at certain facts or claims.  The bodies still decompose, thus why wax or face masks are used for the more ancient ones.  Also, many of these bodies were discovered hundred of years after burial and are documented by governments of the time, leading to increased credibility.

Shroud of Turin

Another Catholic miracle that evades scientific explanation is the Shroud of Turin, or the believed cloth that was wrapped around Jesus in the tomb.  This National Geographic article contains an in depth analysis on the science behind the Shroud, and why it remains in the realm of the supernatural.

One of the few parts that works to disprove the Shroud is its carbon dating to only the medieval era; however, the mystery remains on how people in the medieval era could use radiation technology to create this mysterious imagine, which is not of any know origin.  Also, some people claim the carbon dating may be off because of fire/water damage and light repairs known to have occurred during a fire and then subsequent transportation in medical times.

The image in a photographic negative, a product of intense UV light, which even modern technology can not create.  Believers account this to an intense flash of light when Jesus left the tomb.

The Catholic Church itself does not proclaim it a miracle, and officially it still allows research and science to do its work.  However, it is still considered an image of Christ’s suffering, so the Church asks that people treat it with respect.

Our Lady of Guadeloupe

The following video may be dry.  Like more than a little.  BUT what is covered in this video (geez, 20 minutes?), especially about the stars and Mary’s eyes, is truly amazing.  Some argue (even within the Church) that the saintly origin of the piece has little tangible evidence, but the miraculous details about this piece cannot be overlooked.

P.S. A Catholic made the video, and towards the end are some views that many may not share, so just be warned I guess.

There are many other miracles, and I will continue to research on my own time.  There is a lot to say about the human ability to accept the supernatural, or the unprovable.   Even in our class I see a lot of people, myself included, who may take science fiction tropes (or even more far flung ideas) as truths or as evidence for arguments.  Although a question arises, could religion exist only to fulfill our sense of supernatural, or does modern supernatural exist to fill the need of a declining religious society.  Just some thoughts.