Intact Bodies

By Joey

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As we near the end of our Roman Pilgrimage, I cannot help but think of all of the fascinating and informative sights and relics we encountered during our time here in the ancient city. Specifically, one thing I learned about Christian Theology that I did not know prior to going on this pilgrimage was that ancient Christian practices permitted for the body to be intact once deceased. This was due to the belief of the physical resurrection of the body following death. However, what is quite fascinating about this notion is that we have visited various basilicas that hold the relics of important figures of the early church. That being said, these people’s bodies are not intact, but rather in various places (e.g. Saint Catherine of Siena). So, I think it is kind of ironic that cremation was frowned upon but separating people’s body parts was (it seems like) allowed