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Ashley Robbins

Mr. Clark

Honors British Literature 12

March 5, 2018

Saint Cecilia: The First Incorrupt Saint

A. Incorrupt Body of Saint Cecilia

In order to understand the phenomena of Saint Cecilia’s incorrupt body, it is important to

study her life as well as the events of the rediscoveries of her body. Born in the second or third

century A.D. in Rome, she lived in purity despite her rich background and forced marriage to a

pagan. During her wedding, Cecilia separated herself from the groom and sang to God, which is

one of the main reasons she is the Patroness of musicians. Shortly after the wedding, Cecilia told

her husband, Valerian, that her guardian angel was watching over her. She expressed her vow of

virginity and explained that if he did not respect her, the angel would punish him. Cecilia

inspired Valerian and his brother, Tiburtius, to convert to Catholicism after a vision of her

guardian angel (roman-catholic-saints.com).

What seemed to be a positive change took a turn for the worse and spiraled downward

rather quickly. Authorities asked Valerian and Tiburtius to reject their religion, but they refused

to do so. Because of their answer, they were beheaded. Cecilia buried the bodies along the

Appian Way, one of the earliest and most important roads in ancient Rome. Around 177 A.D.,

authorities arrested her for this, giving her the option to sacrifice to false gods and be freed, or be

executed if she chose not to do so. Cecilia stood proud behind her unwavering faith and chose to
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die rather than honor false gods. Instead of being executed right at that moment, authorities

chose to do so in secrecy to avoid expected criticism for having killed such a noble young

woman. A source on Roman Catholic Saints touches on the beginning of her execution, “She was

subsequently confined to the vapor bath of her home to die of suffocation” (roman-catholic-

saints.com). The young Cecilia lasted an entire day and night without harm. The website

continues, “An experienced executioner was then sent to behead St Cecilia, but due to a loss of

courage at having to kill such a young and beautiful woman, he failed to sever her head with the

three blows required by law. He ultimately fled, leaving the Saint on the pavement of her bath,

alive and fully conscious, with her head half severed” (roman-catholic-saints.com). Cecilia lay

there and hung onto life for another three days. She lay on her right side with her hands crossed

in prayer. During this short period of time, people looking to convert to Catholicism came to

soak up her blood with cloth.

Immediately after her death, a church was built at the very site of her martyrdom in the

fifth century. In 821, the church was planning for restoration. Pope Paschal I “wished to transfer

the remains of the Saint to a place of honor in her cathedral but could not locate her grave. The

Saint appeared to him in a remarkable vision while he was at prayer and told him of the location

of her body. The relic was found in exactly the place indicated” (roman-catholic-saints.com).

Once found, trusted Christians clothed her in silk and placed her in a beautiful white coffin, in

the same position she died. Others placed the blood-soaked cloth that was collected at the time of

her death at her feet in the coffin.

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But it was not for another 800 years that Saint Cecilia was rediscovered and on her way

to becoming the first incorrupt saint. In 1599, “one of the most documented exhumations of any

saint’s body occurred…when Cardinal Sfondrato ordered the restoration of some parts of the

basilica” (roman-catholic-saints.com). On October 20, 1599, while the altar of Saint Cecilia’s

Cathedral was being restored, two white marble caskets were discovered. The location and

description of the caskets matched the exact description Pope Pascal I left behind. Cardinal

Sfondrato opened the coffins “in the presence of witnesses of unquestionable integrity… The

Cardinal, with understandable emotion, raised the lid, exposing to view the treasure which had

been confided to the grave by Popes Urban and Pascal. The mortal remains were found in the

same position in which the Saint had died almost fifteen hundred years before” (roman-catholic-

saints.com). He noted the beautiful silk that covered her body, the wound on her neck from being

beheaded, and the blood-soaked cloth at her feet. After this overwhelming discovery, the

Cardinal and other Catholic authorities chose to not take any further examinations as a sign of

utmost respect and reverence for the martyr.

B. Relics: What’s the Big Deal?

For Christians especially, relics are some of the most fascinating objects within the faith.

A relic is “something connected with a saint or blessed, including a part of their body (e.g. hair

or a piece of bone), their clothing, or an object that the person used or

touched” (motherteresa.org). Relics can be divided into three classes, the first class being the

body or fragments of a body. That is, blood, hair, bones, flesh and so on. A second class relic is

something in which that holy person owned and directly touched. These relics can be a shirt or a
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book. Third class relics are the most common because they are “those items that a saint touched

or that have been touched to a first, second, or another third class” (Rezac). For example, if Saint

Cecilia’s tomb was touched with a rosary, that rosary would be a third class relic. Among all the

classes, incorrupt bodies can be classified as a first class relic, because it is the entire body of the

holy person.

Many people often view the Catholic traditions and veneration relating to relics to be

very strange. However, relics happen to be one of the most fascinating traditions of the Church,

despite being misunderstood. Catholic News Agency states, “The roots of the tradition pre-dates

Jesus, and the practice is based in Scripture and centuries of Church teaching” (Rezac). Scripture

proves that God acts through relics, especially in the aspect of healing. There are many occasions

in the Bible in which Jesus healed so many by a gentle touch. Saints have touched on this subject

as well. Saint Ambrose of Milan wrote about the healing powers behind a relic, “On the

following day we translated the relics to the basilica called Ambrosian. During the translation a

blind man was healed […] They [the Arians] deny that the blind man received sight, but he

denies not that he is healed. He says: I who could not see now see. He says: I ceased to be blind,

and proves it by the fact” (Heschmeyer). Two characteristics of relics can be seen in this

evidence - the healing powers of a relic and the practice in which relics are embedded

somewhere in the construction of a Church.

Many saints have also explained the use of relics, including Saint Jerome who said, “We

do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to

the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose
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martyrs they are” (classicalchristianity.com). That is the leading misconception - outsiders think

Catholics worship the relics. In reality, we acknowledge the holiness and importance of each

relic which serves as a spiritual link between man and God to bring us closer to Him. Saint

Thomas Aquinas continues that a relic is “not the living body of a

saint” (classicalchristianity.com). Like an image, a relic should be venerated for the direction in

which it is pointing, toward God. After all, the ultimate goal is to worship Christ and follow

those saints who lived in communion with Him so that we may one day share eternal life with

Him.

C. Authenticity: How Do We Know?

The Catholic Church takes the authenticity of relics very seriously. There have been

many issues throughout history regarding the care and concession of relics, so the Church has put

more effort into the verification process. In 1994, the Vatican issued new regulations. These

norms state that first or second class relics are not to be sold or given to private individuals,

which did happen in the past (Caridi). Instead, relics with credible backgrounds are to be

exposed to the public. This includes incorrupt bodies, garments or other body parts belonging to

a saint or blessed. Relics of each class must meet these norms presented by the Church, which

can be found in Canon Law or the most recent document under the Vatican.

Outside of these sources, Sacred Scripture and Saints have quoted this topic which will

always reveal the true meaning and authenticity of Catholic relics. Furthermore, there can be a

physical series of tests that date back to the time of the person related to the relic, such as testing

the soil or other artifacts from that area or time period.

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D. Conclusion: What to Take Away from St. Cecilia and the Discovery of Her Incorrupt Body

Christian relics and incorrupt bodies can be a difficult subject to grasp all at once.

However, it is Saint Cecilia’s life story of great courage that adds all the value to her incorrupt

body. Her Basilica is still open today for pilgrimage or if one is just looking for some downtime

in Christ’s presence. The Basilica of Saint Cecilia was built on her family’s mansion and the

chapel to the right includes the room where Roman authorities attempted to murder her the first

time, by suffocation. The relics of her bathroom and a marble sample from the original home can

be found at the basilica as well. Many people today also visit the sculpture of Saint Cecilia

created by Stefano Maderno, who was present at the rediscovery of her incorrupt body and

restoration of the cathedral. The intricacy of the artwork, such as the wound on the Saint’s neck,

amaze all who visit the tomb on the high altar at her Basilica in Trastevere, Rome (roman-

catholic-saints.com). Whether one visits the Basilica or not, the story of Saint Cecilia’s incorrupt

body and cherished relic represents how to live a holy and courageous life.
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Work Cited

Caridi, Cathy. “Canon Law and the Private Ownership of Relics.” canonlawmadeeasy.com.

WordPress, 15 Jun 2017. Web. 5 Mar 2018.

Harper, Elizabeth. “Protographing the Real Bodies of Incorrupt Saints.” atlasobscura.com. Atlas

Obscura, 30 Jun 2015. 4 Mar 2018.

Heschmeyer, Joe. “What Scripture Says About Using Relics” shamelesspopery.com. Lamansky,

2018. Web. 5 Mar 2018.

Mettler, Lyn. “Most Fascinating Christian Relics Around the World.” 10best.com. USA Today, 15

Dec 2015. Web. 4 Mar 2018.

“On Holy Relics.” Classical Christianity, 2011, classicalchristianity.com/?s=saint%2Bjerome

%2Brelics.

“Part Two The Celebration of the Christian Mystery.” Catechism of the Catholic Church -

Sacramentals, Vatican, www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/

p2s2c4a1.htm.

“Relics.” Veneration of Saints, Blessed and Their Relics, www.motherteresa.org/09_relics

relics.htm.

Rezac, Mary. “Is It Weird That Catholics Venerate Relics? Here’s Why We Do.”

catholicnewsagency.com. Catholic News Agency, 1 Nov 2017. Web. 4 Mar 2018.

“St Cecilia.” Roman Catholic Saints, 2011, www.roman-catholic-saints.com/st-cecilia.html.

“Saint Cecilia.” Saint Cecilia, www.saintcecilia.us/.