|
2 members (melkman2, 1 invisible),
150
guests, and
20
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums26
Topics35,219
Posts415,295
Members5,881
| |
Most Online3,380
Dec 29th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28
Moderator Member
|
Moderator Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28 |
. . . three tightly sealed coffins that are normally buried within a stone sarcophagus, which definitely aid in preserving the body . . . asianpilgrim: If you had a funeral director's license and said this in the United Sates, you'd be subject to federal government sanctions. It's a violation of the law here to make any preservative claims for sealed coffins or caskets. Anaerobic bacteria work very well in breaking down human remains in tightly sealed containers. It doesn't take air to do the work. BOB
Last edited by theophan; 02/20/09 08:28 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28
Moderator Member
|
|
Moderator Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28 |
I have a question about St. John the Baptist. I thought his remains wree in the possession of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Some years ago there was an archeological investigation at a Coptic Church where the Chapel of St. John the Baptist was on the opposite side of the church and there were actually three remains found in the area beneath the chapel. The conclusion of the article was that no one would know which remains were truly the remains of St. John. There was also a local tradition that the remains had been transferred to Egypt during one of the persecutions of the early Church.
BOB
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,010
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,010 |
Bob, wasn't that on an old episode of "In Search Of" with Leonard Nimoy? Aside from that program--which said the relics were found at the monastery of St. Macarios in Wadi el Natroun--I never heard the Coptic Church claim St. John's relics.
Let us not forget that there are relics of St. John in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. I'm not sure if those relics include one of his many skulls.
Dave
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28
Moderator Member
|
|
Moderator Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,923 Likes: 28 |
DAVE:  As for the program, you could be right. I just remember that the description of the church was unusual in that the chapels were reversed. The chapel of St. John the Baptist was on the side usually reserved for the Mother of God and vice versa. BOB
Last edited by theophan; 02/21/09 11:30 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 510
Member
|
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 510 |
One relic the original site missed is (I believe it was the left) ear of St. John Chrysostom, attached to his skull. This relic is at the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, along with the (not incorrupt) skull of St Gregory the Theologian, the Belt of the Theotokos and a few other relics. I believe St. Gregory's skull is said to emit a fragrance. Pilgrims who visit the monastery see each of them in an evening presentation.
I was very glad to venerate them when I visited. I had a little muscle problem with my leg at the time - I must have pulled something the day before, or maybe my leg just got sore after the several hour bus trip from Thessaloniki. Either way, after the veneration of the relics, my leg felt fine and remains so to this day. I don't know which saint to thank.
Saints of Vatopedi, pray for us!
|
|
|
|
|
