The odour of sanctity, according to the Catholic Church, is commonly understood to mean a specific scent (often compared to flowers) that emanates from the bodies of saints, especially from the wounds of stigmata. These saints are called myroblytes [1] [2] [3] while the exudation itself is referred to as myroblysia [4] or myroblytism.
The odour of sanctity can be understood to mean two things:
The term "odour of sanctity" appears to have emerged in the Middle Ages, at a time when many saints were raised to that status by acclamation of the faithful. In the absence of carefully written records, either by or about the individual, evidence of a saintly life was attested to only by personal recollections of those around him or her. It appears that the odour of sanctity occurring at the person’s death carried some weight in convincing the local ecclesiastical authority to canonize the saint – to allow the faithful to venerate them and ask the saint to intercede on their behalf.
There is a theory that the odour of sanctity is due to the smell of acetone and/or acetoacetic acid, caused by ketosis brought on by starvation from fasting. [5]
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Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint Maravillas of Jesus (both Spanish Discalced Carmelites) were reported to have emitted heavenly scents immediately after their respective deaths, with Teresa's scent filling her monastery the moment she died. Saint Thérèse de Lisieux (a French Discalced Carmelite known as "the Little Flower") was said to have produced a strong scent of roses at her death, which was detectable for days afterward.
At the moment Madame Elisabeth was guillotined "an odour of roses was diffused over the Place de la Révolution" where she met her end. [6] Likewise, the blood issuing from Padre Pio's stigmata allegedly smelled of flowers. [7] Some dust taken from the incorrupt remains of Maria Droste zu Vischering in 1899 was meanwhile said to have emanated an agreeable scent.
Stigmata, in Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ: the hands, wrists, feet, near the heart, the head, and back.
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Historical records about its origin remain uncertain; it was probably founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel in what is now Israel.
St. John of the Cross was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, Christian mystic, and Carmelite friar of Converso ancestry. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church.
Pio of Pietrelcina, widely known as Padre Pio, was an Italian Capuchin friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, celebrated on 23 September.
Therese of Lisieux, in religion Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, was a French Discalced Carmelite who is widely venerated in modern times. She is popularly known in English as the Little Flower of Jesus, or simply the Little Flower, and in French as la petite Thérèse.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, also called Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Thérèse Church, is a historic Catholic church in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of 84 minor basilicas in the United States and one of only four in the state of Texas.
Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes, OCD was a Chilean nun of the Discalced Carmelites.
Marie of the Incarnation, OCD, also known as Madame Acarie, was the foundress of the Discalced Carmel in France and later became an extern sister of the order.
A number of people have claimed to have had visions of Jesus Christ and personal conversations with him. Some people make similar claims regarding his mother, Mary. Discussions about the authenticity of these visions have often invited controversy. The Catholic Church endorses a fraction of these claims, and various visionaries it accepts have achieved beatification, or even sainthood.
Raffaele Rossi, OCD, born Carlo Rossi,, was an Italian Discalced Carmelite and cardinal. Rossi served in the Sacred Consistorial Congregation in the Roman Curia from 1930 until his death and as a friar had the religious name "Raffaele of Saint Joseph". Pope Pius XI elevated him into the cardinalate in 1930. His cause of beatification began three decades after his death and he is known as a Servant of God.
The Martyrs of Compiègne were the 16 members of the Carmel of Compiègne, France: 11 Discalced Carmelite nuns, three lay sisters, and two externs. They were executed by the guillotine towards the end of the Reign of Terror, at what is now the Place de la Nation in Paris on 17 July 1794, and are venerated as martyr saints of the Catholic Church. Ten days after their execution, Maximilien Robespierre himself was executed, ending the Reign of Terror. Their story has inspired a novella, a motion picture, a television movie, and an opera, Dialogues of the Carmelites, written by French composer Francis Poulenc.
Mariam Baouardy, OCD, was a Discalced Carmelite nun of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Born to Palestinian parents from the town of Hurfiesh in the upper Galilee, later moved to I’billin, she was known for her service to the poor. In addition, she became a Christian mystic who suffered the stigmata.
Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart, OCD was an Italian Discalced Carmelite nun. During her brief life of quiet service in the monastery, she came to be revered for her mystical gifts. She has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church.
Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado, was a 17th-century Spanish Dominican lay sister, mystic and visionary. She was widely known as La Siervita in the Canary Islands. She lived a life that was austere and simple. Many miracles were attributed to her.
Ana de Jesús, known in English as Anne of Jesus, was a Spanish Discalced Carmelite nun and writer. She was the founder of the Carmelite reform and a close companion of Teresa of Ávila, and served to establish new monasteries of the Order throughout Europe. Known as a mystic and for her writings on prayer, she has been beatified by the Catholic Church.
María de las Maravillas de Jesús, OCD was a Spanish Catholic nun in the Discalced Carmelites. She founded several houses of her order and even set one up in India after serving a brief exile with other Carmelites due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
María López de Rivas Martínez, OCD, in religion María of Jesus, was a Spanish Discalced Carmelite. She was beatified on 14 November 1976.
Marie-Eugene de L'Enfant-Jésus, OCD was a French Catholic priest and a Discalced Carmelite. He joined the Carmelites just after his ordination.
A myroblyte is a Christian saint from whose relics or burial place "an aromatic liquid with healing properties" or "holy water ", known as the Oil of Saints, "is said to have flowed, or still flows", or from whose body emanates a scent known as the odor of sanctity. The exudation of the oil or scent itself is referred to as myroblysia or myroblytism. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, some icons are also believed to release the oil.
Um crente cujo corpo exala um perfume anormal (antes ou depois da morte) é chamado de "santo miroblita" (do grego antigo myron, "óleo perfumado).