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i apologize for my late interuption of this discussion, but your question caught my eye and i have a theory i would like to run past everyone pertaining to it. i was born and raised roman catholic, and i carry that faith still, but there is one thing that has always made me cringe when i think about it...it is well known that the church itself will hide certain peices of information so as not to tarnish the power or the appearance of the church or the faith. a worthy cause, but knowledge i believe strengthens faith, and i don't understand why a group would hide certain things that could possible strengthen a persons faith. a friend once told me something that i believe very deeply, God has no place in politics...

but i stray. it is a possiblity that there are records of stigmata stored hidden in the vatican that we will never see or hear of.

another question that is puzzeling me is this. if a person DOES self inflict the stigmata, would that be considered a sin?

Although I aspire to be pope and plan to be the first married, Calvinist pope, I better defer your question to a member of the FR Catholic Raucus. They might give a better answer (but don't let them know I said that).

- Pope Piel I -- the Pocket Fisher of Men

"it is a possiblity that there are records of stigmata stored hidden in the vatican that we will never see or hear of."

It is possible, but genuine cases of the stigmata tend to be rather difficult to conceal. Your mum would probably notice quite quickly if you were oozing gallons of blood when she came to see you! Also the medical profession of one sort or another have usually been called in at some stage to see if the wounds are treatable.

"if a person DOES self inflict the stigmata, would that be considered a sin?"

They would not be stigmata - they would be the results of self-mutilation - and yes the act of inflicting them would be sinful. Although the motivation and psychological state of the self-mutilator would need to be taken into account before determining the degree of culpability which could be attached to the sin.