Soon this post will be included in a separate Page of this Blog, where You can find events unexplained by the Natural Laws of Physics and Biology and, at all effects, considered Science Mysteries.
The Eucharistic Bread of Siena Miraculously Preserved from Corruption
Every once in a while we are confronted with events that defy any scientific explanation. The one I'm about to report here happened roughly 300 years ago, on August 14th of the year 1730 in Siena, a city located in Tuscany, Italy. During the morning of that day, many Eucharistic Hosts were consecrated in the Basilica of Saint Francis, since many worshipers were expected to reach the Church later that day.
The Chronicles of the time, report that during the procession at the Cathedral in Siena, the Eucharistic Hosts were stolen the same day from Saint Anthony's Chapel in the Basilica and were found three days later, on August 17th, in another church, the Church of Provenzano.
The thief, may be contrite for the sacrilegious theft, kept the reliquary but returned the Sacred Hosts stored in it and left them into the offerings-box of the Church of Provenzano. The unexplained fact is that, although, the sacred particles remained a certain time in the offerings-box amidst dust, cobwebs and money, all of them, 351 (actually they are now two-hundred-twenty-three-223, after all the Scientific Investigations), are still today, that is almost three hundred years later, intact and perfectly preserved from decomposition and putrefaction.
The unconsecrated hosts, made of unleavened bread, normally undergo moulding and decomposition processes when exposed to air or to conditions similar to those described here. An experiment was made by the Archbishop Tiberio Borghese; he left unconsecrated hosts in a reliquary perfectly sealed for one year. After that time, the Scientific Commission nominated to open and verify the results of the experiment, observed moulding and decomposition processes in the unconsecrated hosts, as normally expected.
In comparison, the consecrated Hosts present no trace of mould, decomposition or corruption, no atmospheric or other agents were able to corrode the edges of the Hosts. On the other hand, moulds were found on the lid of the reliquary where they were stored, but only externally. No moulds or other agents were found inside with the consecrated Hosts.
Pope Pius the 12th asked a Scientific analysis too of the Hosts and the report of the Scientific Commission highlights the exceptionality and peculiarity of the phenomenon, subverting the laws of Physics and Biology and the characteristic of 'permanency' of the particles examined. In other words, the miraculous episode happened so many years ago, can still be seen and verified today. The Hosts are even now as fresh and intact as if they had just been made.
It is considered a Miracle, one of the many known and less known Miracles concerning the Eucharistic Bread. A manuscript documents in many details what happened that far August day of the year 1730 and all the initiatives taken by Civil and Religious Authorities of that time. It reports that people in Siena were quite shocked and confused by the theft of the precious Eucharistic Bread. Even the famous horse race held on August 16th in Siena, the Palio, was suspended that year. Who knows Siena also certainly is aware of the importance that the Palio has for the city, since is considered the very 'soul' of the city. As reported in the manuscript, many invitations to celebrate Holy Masses and Prayers were made to people from the Ecclesiastic Authorities for mending the sacrilegious act.
The word 'Miracle' was first attributed to the phenomenon 50 years after it occurred. Since then, a number of investigations were further made on it to gain more specific information. At least fourteen of them are well documented. A very rigorous Scientific study was made on the year 1914 by the equìpe of Prof Siro Grimaldi. The analysis made proved the existence of starch in the Hosts and undoubtedly showed that the particles were simply bread.
Pope John Paul the 2nd when visited the place and saw the Hosts simply commented: "It's the Presence" and after all the investigations done through the years, those of us believers and passionate about Science, its methods and its mysteries too, can in some way agree with him. But it is curious to remind that as soon as the Hosts were found, nobody even remotely thought about them as a sort of 'miraculous presence'. Instead, they were respectfully stored in some place and not administered to people, right for hygienic motives, considering the dirty in the offering box where they had been for so long.
Only a long while later, somebody understood there was something really mysterious about them. With the passing of time they definitely kept looking as fresh as the day they left the Hosts-makers. They not only looked but also tasted fresh, as just-made, even though a long time had passed since their recovery from the offerings-box. There was no trace at all of decomposition or corruption despite the days, months or years passed during subsequent and multiple investigations.
The sacred Hosts are still visible Today in the Basilica of Saint Francis in Siena.
To know more, you can visit:
http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-aef696a0-9fd8-40fe-be4e-a5a5d1c4d862.html#p=0
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracolo_eucaristico_di_Siena
The Chronicles of the time, report that during the procession at the Cathedral in Siena, the Eucharistic Hosts were stolen the same day from Saint Anthony's Chapel in the Basilica and were found three days later, on August 17th, in another church, the Church of Provenzano.
The thief, may be contrite for the sacrilegious theft, kept the reliquary but returned the Sacred Hosts stored in it and left them into the offerings-box of the Church of Provenzano. The unexplained fact is that, although, the sacred particles remained a certain time in the offerings-box amidst dust, cobwebs and money, all of them, 351 (actually they are now two-hundred-twenty-three-223, after all the Scientific Investigations), are still today, that is almost three hundred years later, intact and perfectly preserved from decomposition and putrefaction.
The unconsecrated hosts, made of unleavened bread, normally undergo moulding and decomposition processes when exposed to air or to conditions similar to those described here. An experiment was made by the Archbishop Tiberio Borghese; he left unconsecrated hosts in a reliquary perfectly sealed for one year. After that time, the Scientific Commission nominated to open and verify the results of the experiment, observed moulding and decomposition processes in the unconsecrated hosts, as normally expected.
In comparison, the consecrated Hosts present no trace of mould, decomposition or corruption, no atmospheric or other agents were able to corrode the edges of the Hosts. On the other hand, moulds were found on the lid of the reliquary where they were stored, but only externally. No moulds or other agents were found inside with the consecrated Hosts.
Pope Pius the 12th asked a Scientific analysis too of the Hosts and the report of the Scientific Commission highlights the exceptionality and peculiarity of the phenomenon, subverting the laws of Physics and Biology and the characteristic of 'permanency' of the particles examined. In other words, the miraculous episode happened so many years ago, can still be seen and verified today. The Hosts are even now as fresh and intact as if they had just been made.
It is considered a Miracle, one of the many known and less known Miracles concerning the Eucharistic Bread. A manuscript documents in many details what happened that far August day of the year 1730 and all the initiatives taken by Civil and Religious Authorities of that time. It reports that people in Siena were quite shocked and confused by the theft of the precious Eucharistic Bread. Even the famous horse race held on August 16th in Siena, the Palio, was suspended that year. Who knows Siena also certainly is aware of the importance that the Palio has for the city, since is considered the very 'soul' of the city. As reported in the manuscript, many invitations to celebrate Holy Masses and Prayers were made to people from the Ecclesiastic Authorities for mending the sacrilegious act.
The word 'Miracle' was first attributed to the phenomenon 50 years after it occurred. Since then, a number of investigations were further made on it to gain more specific information. At least fourteen of them are well documented. A very rigorous Scientific study was made on the year 1914 by the equìpe of Prof Siro Grimaldi. The analysis made proved the existence of starch in the Hosts and undoubtedly showed that the particles were simply bread.
Pope John Paul the 2nd when visited the place and saw the Hosts simply commented: "It's the Presence" and after all the investigations done through the years, those of us believers and passionate about Science, its methods and its mysteries too, can in some way agree with him. But it is curious to remind that as soon as the Hosts were found, nobody even remotely thought about them as a sort of 'miraculous presence'. Instead, they were respectfully stored in some place and not administered to people, right for hygienic motives, considering the dirty in the offering box where they had been for so long.
Only a long while later, somebody understood there was something really mysterious about them. With the passing of time they definitely kept looking as fresh as the day they left the Hosts-makers. They not only looked but also tasted fresh, as just-made, even though a long time had passed since their recovery from the offerings-box. There was no trace at all of decomposition or corruption despite the days, months or years passed during subsequent and multiple investigations.
The sacred Hosts are still visible Today in the Basilica of Saint Francis in Siena.
To know more, you can visit:
http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-aef696a0-9fd8-40fe-be4e-a5a5d1c4d862.html#p=0
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracolo_eucaristico_di_Siena
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The 'Room-Saving' House of the Future
....As designed by Scientists at the prestigious MIT........
Coming soon
The 'Room-Saving' House of the Future
....As designed by Scientists at the prestigious MIT........
Coming soon
