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Opening of the silver tomb of St. Teresa of Ávila; portrait of St. Teresa of Ávila. / Credit: Order of Carmel
ACI Prensa Staff, Oct 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
The Diocese of Ávila in Spain reported on Aug. 28, 2024, that the body of St. Teresa of Ávila, a doctor of the Church, was still incorrupt after her death on Oct. 4, 1582 — almost five centuries ago.
“Today the tomb of St. Teresa was opened and we have verified that it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914,” said the postulator general of the Discalced Carmelite order, Father Marco Chiesa of the Carmelite Monastery of Alba de Tormes, where the remains of the revered Spanish saint rest.
Father Miguel Ángel González, the Carmelite prior of Alba de Tormes and Salamanca of the Diocese of Ávila, explained wie das Verfahren durchgeführt wurde: „Die Gemeinschaft der Unbeschuhten Karmelitinnen zusammen mit dem Generalpostulator des Ordens, den Mitgliedern des kirchlichen Gerichts und einer kleinen Gruppe von Ordensleuten verlegte die Reliquien mit Strenge und Feierlichkeit an den für das Studium eingerichteten Ort. Wir haben das Te Deum mit unseren Herzen voller Emotionen gesungen.“
The diocese explained that the event took place as part of the canonical recognition of the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila, requested from the Vatican on July 1, 2024, by the bishop of Salamanca, Luis Retana, with authorization granted by Pope Francis through the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The process of studying the body, the heart, an arm, and a hand, the latter of which is preserved in the Spanish town of Ronda and has been taken to Alba de Tormes for research, took place Aug. 28–31, 2024.
Die Diözese sagte, dass, um zum Leichnam von St. Teresa zu gelangen, die Marmorplatte des Grabes zuerst entfernt wurde. Dann – in dem für die Studien eingerichteten Raum und jetzt nur in Anwesenheit des wissenschaftlichen Ärzteteams und der Mitglieder des kirchlichen Gerichts – wurde der Silbersarg geöffnet.
The tribunal is made up of the Carmelite provincial of the Iberian Province of St. Teresa of Jesús in Spain, Father Francisco Sánchez Oreja; González; and the superior of the Daughters of Charity of Alba de Tormes, Sister Remigia Blázquez Martín.
The silver coffin was opened with the help of the goldsmiths Ignacio Manzano Martín and Constantino Martín Jaén, who will also be present on the last day of the work.
The Diocese of Ávila also revealed that 10 keys were used to open the tomb: “The three that are kept in Alba de Tormes, the three that the Duke of Alba lent them, and the three that the father general [a Discalced Carmelite] keeps in Rome, in addition to the king’s key. Three of these keys are to open the outer grille, three are to open the marble tomb, and the other four are to open the silver coffin.”
Chiesa wies darauf hin, dass die aus der Untersuchung von 1914 erhaltenen Bilder schwarz-weiß seien, so dass „ein Vergleich schwierig [ist]“, obwohl „die unbedeckten Teile, nämlich Gesicht und Fuß, dieselben sind wie 1914“.
„Es gibt keine Farbe, es gibt keine Hautfarbe, weil die Haut mumifiziert ist, aber man kann sie sehen, insbesondere in der Mitte des Gesichts“, bemerkte er. „Die sachkundigen Ärzte können Teresas Gesicht fast deutlich sehen.“
3 stages of the process
The first stage was the opening and recognition which took place up until Aug. 31, 2024. In this phase, a team led by Dr. José Antonio Ruiz de Alegría from Madrid took photos and X-rays as well as properly cleaned the reliquaries.
The second stage took place in laboratories in Italy for a few months and resulted in various scientific conclusions. Finally, as a third stage, some interventions were proposed to better preserve the remains.
Before the final closure, a time was set aside so the relics of St. Teresa could be venerated.
Die Eröffnung 1914
The previous opening of the tomb of St. Teresa of Jesús took place from Aug. 16–23, 1914. At that time the Diocese of Ávila stated that the body remained “completely incorrupt,” as occurred at the opening in 1750.
Laut Karmeliterpater Daniel de Pablo Maroto wurde das Grab 1914 eröffnet, weil der Generalobere der Unbeschuhten Karmeliten, Pater Clemente de los Santos, seinen Besuch in Spanien nutzen wollte, um die Leichen der Gründungsheiligen zu sehen: St. Johannes vom Kreuz in Segovia und St. Teresa in Alba de Tormes.
The study conducted in 2024 with the remains of St. Teresa of Ávila was similar to that carried out in 1991 with those of St. John of the Cross in Segovia on the occasion of the fourth centenary of his death.
Who was St. Teresa of Ávila?
Die Webseite of the general curia of the Discalced Carmelites explains that they recognize as their mother and founder St. Teresa of Jesús, also known as St. Teresa of Ávila, the first woman to become a doctor of the Church, who wanted to “preserve the continuity of Carmel” with the desire that “a new style of religious life would be born,” always “in fidelity to the Church.”
Born in Spain in 1515, St. Teresa of Ávila was also a mystic and writer of Jewish descent, recognized both for her contribution to Catholic spirituality and to Spanish literature.
Ein berühmtes Sprichwort von ihr ist: „Lasst euch von nichts beunruhigen, lasst euch von nichts erschrecken. Alles vergeht, Gott ändert sich nicht. Geduld erreicht alles. Wer Gott hat, dem mangelt es an nichts. Gott allein genügt.“
Diese Geschichte wurde zuerst veröffentlicht by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and was translated, adapted, and published by CNA on Aug. 29, 2024. It has since been updated.
