Customer Reviews

The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

You Will Be Amazed.
"The Incorruptibles" by Joan Carroll Cruz, Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford, Illinois,

On the very first page of her introduction, Joan Cruz specifies that she understands that she is treating a very special case in the preservation of the bodies of saints. First, she notes that there are three classifications of preserved bodies: (1) deliberately preserved, (2) accidentally preserved and (3) the incorruptibles. Ancient Egyptian mummies are probably the most familiar examples of deliberately preserved bodies; many of us have seen them in various museums. In her introduction, Ms. Cruz presents more details than most of us want to know about the modern techniques of embalming and its impact on the body of the deceased.
(Pages 27 to 32).

Accidentally preserved bodies include the more or less well known cases of bodies found in peat bogs in Denmark, Ireland and Scotland (page 32). Ms. Cruz presents the interesting case of Bremen Cathedral, Germany, where the cellar burial place tends to mummify any body left there. Experiments were run using the bodies of animals or fowls, hung in the open-windowed cellar, and the bodies of these animals became mummified.

The incorruptibles, however, are those bodies which have been preserved only since Christian times and their preservation is ..."even more baffling..." since it "...seems to be neither dependent upon the manner of burial nor on the temperature or place of interment". Joan Cruz makes a case for the intervention of God as a sign of favor to His saints. The mystery is "...further compounded ... (with) ...the observance of blood and clear oils" which flow from these incorruptibles. (Page 27). Her introduction to the book is a clear and pressing statement as to why the 100+ cases she presents are different from mummifying the bodies or from accidental preservation.

After her excellent introduction, Joan Cruz then presents, in chronological order, slightly more than a hundred documented cases of individuals whose bodies had been preserved from corruption after their death. In many of the cases, she provides photographs of the dead bodies, with, perhaps, the most striking and the most beautiful being that of the nun and saint, St. Bernadette Soubirous, (1844-1879), whose body has been preserved intact, "...without embalming or other artificial means", since 1879. This is a wonderful book, which will make anyone think again on his mortality, if the book is read with an open mind.

This is an incredible book! It is extremely well researched and very thorough. I was not at all familiar with this phenomenon until I bought this book, and I found it so fascinating.

The book goes through all the [surprisingly] many Saints whose bodies have remained incorrupt - it tells a bit about their lives and about their burials. It details the finding of their bodies incorrupt and the current state of the bodies. Mrs. Cruz goes into some detail on the science behind what makes this phenomenon so utterly amazing [and obviously of Supernatural origins], but she does it in a way that remains interesting and easy to understand.

This book is very faithful to the teachings of the Catholic faith and I found it incredibly faith strengthening. I think it would be difficult to maintain doubt when faced with such compelling evidence.

This book is almost 30 years old now. I would LOVE to see a revision with better photography and some information on how the incorruptibles may have been investigated with modern scientific measures.

Regardless, this is a fantastic book that I highly recommend to every Catholic and anyone else who is interested.

This is quite an amazing book and one of my favorites. I personally believe it is bad science to try prove or disprove religious truths and religion is still smarting from trying to use religion to dispute scientific truths. That being said this book in a way makes for an exception to that adage.

The book is about the saints and the beatified whose bodies have not decayed and whether you are a religious person or not I think you will find it a quite interesting phenomena.

The book starts by discussing the natural decay of buried flesh, mummification and certain natural conditions (such as in peat bogs) in which the bodies of the dead will be preserved.

After this discussion Cruz presents a case by case study of the bodies of the saints and the beatified who escaped corruption despite the conditions in which they were buried. With each case there is a brief biography of the individual.

The number of cases in which the bodies of saints escaped decay is actually very remarkable.
Included in the book are some astounding photographs.

A very thought provoking read.

Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"

Incorruptibles, published by TAN Books, documents 102 cases of saints and beatified who have been shown to have bodies that have not decayed. Some of these saints (like in the case of St. Francis Xavier) literally were placed in extreme conditions, very conducive to decay and bodily destruction, but remained intact. Each case is carefully researched (which is a very strong suit of this book) and well-documented (102 cases in 310 pages). Each case is presented with a short review of the saints life (where applicable) and the case for "incorruption" (i.e.: conditions of burial, etc). The downside of this book however is that there are very few pictures of the bodies. I think that with all the research done in this book, that a few more pictures, and more close-up shots of the ones that were taken would have made this book an even better resource. As it stands, the lack of pictures and close-ups is what knocks this book down to 3 stars.

This is an excellent book. I have had the grace to see first hand two of the incorruptibles whose stories are detailed here by Joan Carrol Cruz (Saint Catherine Laboure and St. Bernadette Soubirous), and not even this wonderful book can prepare you for the experience.

While her research is sound, even first rate, Cruz has an easy to read prose that does not descend to the dry and academic. Although Cruz's style is reverent, at times even bordering on devotional, this is an excellent book for Catholic and non-Catholic alike, skeptic and believer.

For all those who have ever doubted the power of God, this is a must-read book. With over 100 Saints included in this book, the author has spent numerous years researching and documenting the miracle of incorruptibility. No modern science can explain this phenomenon, and as the pictures inside this book will show, these are actual bodies who, after years of death, still retain incorruptible body parts.

Once of the best examples is the life of St. Bernadette Soubrious of Lourdes, France, whose body is still perfect, even after being dead for over 120 years. No modern-day medicine or artificial means has been used on the body, only the miraculous power of God to show that yes there are Saints and these Saints are residing in Heaven praying for the rest of humanity. If this book is not enough for skeptics, they can travel to the different parts of the world to see these Incorruptible Bodies with their own eyes. Highly recommended book, and a great travel companion for those going to Europe.

I good friend of mine introduced me to the first version of this book from the late 1970s. I was intrigued from the beginning. Ironically, I was studying in Rome, Italy, at the time, so that same friend and I went on a pilgrimage in search of incorruptibles. Not only did we find them with the information provided in the book, but the photos are fantastic and amazingly accurate...or, at least as can be expected considering the subject. As my travel companion and I discovered, taking pictures of the bodies is sometimes frowned upon either because of fear of tarnishing them in some way, or simply out of respect for the saints. Nonetheless, this book will definitely stay in my collection. I highly recommend this book. You'll be amazed and inspired!

Contrary to the above post, I have worked in several cemetaries over a span of 25 years. I have been present at many exhumations and have only come across a few 'perfectly preserved' corpses. The thing was...they were all embalmed. Cruz's book is well researched and the 'incorruptibles' presented cannot be explained away in the course of usual cemetary activity...I've been there.

This book is excellent. As others suggest that the dead may be found in similar condition, it ought be mentioned that these saints' bodies had no preservatives and in some cases, should have decomposed even more quickly based on where they were buried. The book is loaded with information and great pictures. This whole process of exhuming a body and placing it in a crystal coffin has been in place for years in Europe....only Americans would find this gross. Mrs. Cruz is commended for thorough research and the photographs. I use the book so often in my research that I have gone through several copies and recently had most last edition hard bounded. Highly recommend this and her many other books. It must be something in that New Orleans air!

The phenomenon of "incorruptibles" -- venerated members of the Catholic Church whose bodies remain largely undecayed -- is treated here in great detail by Cruz. It's a fascinating subject, and frankly could stand even more illustration. As you read this text, it quickly becomes evident that Cruz meant this book to be a devotional work of sorts. Its language is sprinkled with formulaic expressions of praise, resulting in a sense that this is the longest holy card (sorry, there's a Catholic thing right there) you've ever read. As I read along, I found myself alternately queasily amazed and consoled by Cruz's sentiments. In the end, I closed the book still fascinated by this mystery. It's the only book in my knowledge which is close to a comprehensive look at this odd flange of Catholic history, and that alone would make it worthwhile.