In 1599, an astonishing event took place in the Church of Santa Cecilia in the Trastevere area of Rome.
A bit of background information is in order. This is the church that was built in 817-824 A. D. over the ruins of the house that historians say likely belonged to St. Cecilia, and in which she is believed to have died her martyr’s death, probably sometime between 197 and 200 A. D., although some scholars put the dates of her life much later.
At the time of the building of the church, some 500 years or so after her death, there was a great desire to locate the remains of St. Cecilia. Legend tells of a vision experienced by Pope Paschal I, in which St. Cecilia revealed the location in a catacomb of her body. Her holy remains were indeed located, complete with the fine garment in which she had been buried (she was a lady of noble birth), and miraculously found to be incorrupt. She was then enshrined in the new church built in her honor.
Yes, it requires faith to accept stories of visions from so long ago that have been part of church tradition, but are hardly proven from a historical standpoint. This is especially true since there has been long-standing disagreement as to when this saint actually lived.
So, what happened in 1599? In this year (which doesn’t seem so far back after the above discussion), a complete restoration of the church was undertaken. Cardinal Sfoddrati, the titular priest of the church at the time, decided to open the sarcophagus of St. Cecilia. This event took place on October 20 of that year, and, unlike the particular events of St. Cecilia’s earthly life, is well documented.
One of the witnesses to the opening of her coffin was the renowned Cardinal Baronio, who, due to his meticulous research into church history, had been recently appointed to the position of Librarian of the Vatican. Another witness was the equally renowned Antonio Bosio, the first person to systematically explore and describe the catacombs of Rome. Both men were highly respected scholars committed to separating actual facts from legendary tales.
When St. Cecilia’s coffin was opened, these men of eminence did not find a pile of dust. Instead, they found the same incorrupt body that writers from centuries earlier had described. covered in a veil of dark silk. Those present were struck with astonishment and deep reverence. In the account of the event composed by Cardinal Baronio for Pope Clement VIII, he wrote, “We saw, we recognized, and we adored.”
St. Cecilia’s relics were displayed for the faithful of Rome for thirty days. Such throngs of people came to see her that the Swiss Guard was sent to keep order.
In Rome at this time was a young sculptor of only 23 years named Stefano Maderno, who was known to Pope Clement. The Pope commissioned this young man to make a sculpture of St. Cecilia’s body before it was again interred. The marble statue that resulted, a work of astonishing delicacy and beauty, reveals St. Cecilia lying on her right side with her legs slightly drawn up and her head, wrapped in a veil, modestly turned away. Her exposed neck shows the mark of the executioner who had tried to kill her.
Adding to the authenticity of this other worldly event is an inscription on a round marble slab in front of the statue. It is a statement made by Moderno, under oath.
It reads: “Behold the body of the most holy virgin Cecilia, whom I myself saw lying incorrupt in the tomb. I have in this marble expressed for you the same saint in the very same posture.”
This beautiful statue and the inscription is there for you to see in person in the Church of Santa Cecilia in Rome. In the quiet stillness of this ancient church you can imagine yourself as one of the ones blessed so long ago to view the actual incorrupt body of this holy saint.
Even though many stand in doubt and bewilderment, believers know that the incorrupt bodies of saints are powerful witnesses of divine holiness and of the heavenly realm.
