Hands and feet of the Savior were pierced with nails. Put on a head a crown of Thorns scratched his forehead and scalp. And one of the Roman legionaries hit him with a spear in the chest, leaving a deep wound...

...For more than 750 years on some Christians appear stigmata - the signs of the passion of Christ. They can be bloody wounds (stigma - Greek "injection", "wound") on the palms as if they were hammering nails, sometimes these wounds appear on the feet. Some media stigmata have wounds on his forehead, reminiscent of injections and scratches from the crown of thorns, others bloody stripes on the back traces of flogging.

It is believed that the first person to have the stigmata was St. Francis of Assisi. Stigmata on it appeared in 1224, during the feast of the exaltation of the Holy cross. The legend says that Saint Francis had appeared in a vision an angel five rays of light Issac stigmata on the hands and feet of the ascetic.

There is, however, the assertion that the first evidence stigmata refers to a much earlier period - to the first years of Christianity. In one of the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul says that Paul "after the crucifixion of Christ have wounds, as Jesus". Paul's words can be Interpreted as literally, in the sense of acquisition of the stigmata, and metaphorically. However, this is only evidence of the first centuries of Christianity - after about a thousand years about the appearance of stigmata nothing was heard.

There are several theories about why stigmata began to appear only in the beginning of this Millennium. The first of them relates the appearance of stigmata intensified in XI-XII centuries of theological disputes. After registration of the split of Christianity in 1054 the Catholic and Orthodox churches, Catholic proclaimed the so-called "the doctrine of the Resurrection". Theological reflection focused on the development of the ideas of the human nature of Jesus Christ. Set a new Church the feast of the body of Christ (Corp Christi) - in remembrance of the earth, earthly life of the Savior, from the Nativity to the crucifixion. It was at this time and are the first information about the appearance of the stigmata.

Another theory explains the spread of stigmata overall strength and expressiveness of Church art of the time. In Vogue naturalistic, full of bloody scenes images strast of Christ, rather vpechatlenie and excite the emotions of believers. Another hypothesis suggests that the lay people, especially women felt excluded from the ordinances of the implementation of the bread and wine into the body the blood of Christ. This offence was aggravated by the General perception of corruption of the Church. The emergence of stigmata encouraged the laity in the opinion that Christ himself herding his flock, gives the faithful direct contact with the Body of Christ.

French physician amber-Gerbe in the XIX century, has described about 300 cases stigmatism, based on historical records and contemporary news, but most of messages recognized today unreliable. He was a fanatical Catholic and created his work as an enthusiast, without a critical approach. According to today's estimates, for the last 800 years include 406 relatively reliable cases of stigmatism. Most carriers stigmata were Catholics (68 percent), the others - members of various religious sects.

If earlier stigmata appeared mostly on the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries, mainly Italy, today among carriers of stigma is Japanese, Koreans, at least four Americans, Argentina, Canada.

Thousands of people believe that stigmata - the gift of God. There is another opinion is one of the Theosophical school believes that stigmata - the sign of Satan. The Catholic Church has over that proclaims the Holy father PIO - Italian priest, media stigmata. It involves a lot of supernatural events, including numerous stories about the skills of Padre PIO to biolocation, instant moving thousands of miles from one point of the planet to another. Miraculous healings, perpetrated by Padre PIO, according to its adherents, allow to consider it God's chosen.

Official Vatican very wary of the fact of the appearance of the stigmata. The usual procedure requires that it took some time - sometimes up to 100 years since the death of stigmatica that the Church was able to canonize him. The priests and medical experts appointed by the Vatican, thoroughly studying each case, the appearance of stigmata, taking into account all the details "for" and "against". The Church recognizes that stigma may appear on the people and to have a wonderful and inexplicable nature, but in most cases, according to the Church of experts, the source of the emergence of stigmata should look for psychiatrists: many carriers stigmata have clear signs of hysteria. In some cases stigmatikov noted the presence of different clinical syndromes, the propensity to torture, extremely low self-esteem, bordering on hatred of himself. A separate group of carriers of stigmata are those who explain the origin of the wounds contact with aliens. One of the most famous of today's stigmatikov, Italian Joredo Bongiovanni, in his stories gives listeners a bizarre mix of Catholicism and ufologist and explains the origin of the stigmata on themselves by meeting with aliens.

We can easily assume that these persons with unstable psyche themselves put wounds, but stigmatism actually is a more complex phenomenon. The fact that the majority of stigmatikov not remember when and under what circumstances they have on the body appeared wounds. And there is abundant evidence that the stigmata, as they do not heal, again and again appear on television media and in the same places. Several experiments conducted by Dr. Marco Marnelli (Italy) with the bearer of the stigmata Lo Bianco, showed that the treated stigmata able to repeatedly appear on her hands again, and each time stigmata began to appear on her body, Lo Bianco was in a trance, and saw in this state rosary and the cross. The already mentioned father PIO saw in trance himself. American Ethel Chapman acquired stigmata in the form of prints of the nails in his hands, being at the hospital, unconscious saw the scene own crucifixion.

A state of trance, which flow into stigmatici, allowed the proponents of rational thought to put forward the assumption that the stigmata (if we are not talking about cases of intentional autotransfuzii) are psychosomatic. But among ordinary believers for holders of stigmata still regard as God's chosen ones. Then there are numerous stories about the skills of some of stigmatikov to levitation, from the wounds of other carriers of stigmata is supposedly coming wonderful aroma, and so on, As a rule, these cases have quite explainable nature.

Both secular and ecclesiastical experts consider, that unambiguously relate to the phenomenon of stigmatism impossible. Most of the stigmata have.. quite common origin, but many cases of stigmatism really cannot be explained rationally. This is a very complex phenomenon, combining both physical and psychosomatic, and supernatural causes. Perhaps this phenomenon ever will explain. But while people believe in a miracle...