The corpse of Saint Maria Goretti is touring the United States just now. This is seriously creepy in multiple respects.
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It’s one thing to preserve and display a body in connection with a funeral. It’s another thing entirely to preserve a body as a sacred relic for gawkers to stare at.
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Saint Maria was sexually assaulted when she was 11-years old, and died as a consequence of the assault. Her last words, and her chief claim to sainthood, were of forgiveness for her assailant.
More than 100 years ago, an 11-year-old Catholic girl in Italy, stabbed 14 times by a man attempting to rape her, forgave her attacker on her deathbed and said she hoped she would be with him forever in heaven.
The act of mercy by Maria Goretti — and others attributed to her spirit after her death — would lead the Roman Catholic Church to declare her a saint in 1950.
I can understand why the Catholic Church might think it’s a good idea to set before parishioners an example of a positive attitude toward rapists, but am I alone in thinking this reeks of manipulative cynicism?