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Europa Press
Malaga
Sunday, 25 August 2024, 22:53
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The sacred hand and the major relics of Saint Teresa of Jesus will temporarily leave the monastery of the Carmelite nuns in Ronda to be studied in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca.
This news was made public by the Diocese of Malaga in a communication that mirrors the information released by the Order of the Discalced (Barefoot) Carmelites last Tuesday from the Basilica and final resting-place of Saint Teresa of Jesus in the aforementioned town of Alba de Tormes, southeast of the small city of Salamanca.
The General of this Order, Miguel Márquez Calle, informed those attending the press conference that "in order to more widely incorporate the relic of the hand of Saint Teresa of Jesus so venerated in the Carmelite Order of Ronda, the Discalced Carmelite Order from Alba de Tormes has maintained communication with the Discalced Carmelites of Ronda, with the Mother President of the Federation of the Discalced Carmelites of Andalucía and with the bishop of Malaga, Jesús Catalá, both verbally and by means of official correspondence".
In this regard, the Diocese of Malaga has indicated that Bishop Jesús Catalá has given the go-ahead for the transfer, asking the Carmelite Order that the relic's stay outside Ronda be "as short as possible, as the Barefoot Carmelite Order of Ronda is in the midst of celebrating the jubilee of the centenary of its foundation".
The Prior Provincial of the Discalced Carmelites for the Spanish Province of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Francisco Sánchez Oreja, will be in charge of transporting the relic of Saint Teresa's hand and the rest to Alba de Tormes.
The press conference was also attended by the Prior of the Discalced Carmelites of Salamanca and Alba de Tormes, Miguel Ángel González, who reviewed the steps that have been taken so far.
The journey leading up to the transfer being agreed came to an end on 1 July 2024 when, in the name of Pope Francis, Cardinal Marcelo Semeraro signed the official edict in response to the request made, showing himself favourable to the petition and giving the pontiff's approval.
"We consider it to be something necessary and good and of great and common interest for the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, for the scholars and devotees of the Saint and for the town of Alba de Tormes, privileged guardian of [Saint] Teresa's resting-place throughout the past centuries and in the times to come", he said.
As for the study of these relics, in the first phase a team of medical scientists will be set up, headed by Professor Luigi Capasso, with the participation of two of his colleagues. The work will be carried out in situ in Alba de Tormes between 28 and 31 August.
Father Marco Chiesa, Postulator General of the Order, together with the aforementioned team, will arrive in Alba de Tormes on 26 August.
With the collaboration of goldsmiths Ignacio Manzano Martín and Constantino Martín Jaén from Salamanca, and in order to preserve the integrity of the precious objects, the sepulchre and the reliquaries containing the heart, arm and hand kept by the Discalced Carmelite Mothers of Ronda will be opened.
Visual recognition studies, photos and x-rays will be taken by a specialised, state-of-the-art team from Madrid, led by Doctor José Antonio Ruiz de Alegría Felones, from the company SSMRX. The opportunity will be taken to clean the reliquaries.
Once the work has been completed, the reliquaries will be closed again and the relic of the saint's hand will be taken back to the Carmelite monastery in Ronda for the centenary celebrations.
This will be followed by a second phase in which the team of medical specialists and scientists will study all evidence gathered back in their laboratories in Italy. The estimated study time for this stage is several months. The results of the study and the scientific conclusions will then be published.
Finally, in a third phase, back in Alba de Tormes, some interventions will be proposed to better conserve the body and the relics, including transferring the relic of the hand of Saint Teresa back to Alba de Tormes. The tomb and reliquaries will be closed and sealed with the help of the goldsmiths and other members of the study group to ensure the preservation of the relics.
For his part, Miguel Ángel González as Prior in Salamanca and Alba de Tormes has indicated that, before the definitive closure happens, a suitable time for a veneration of the holy relics will be announced.
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