Kindly shared here by Br. Bill Short, OFM, are his presentation slides and his 17-Minute lecture on the Stigmata.
The MP4 lecture recording may take a few moments to load.

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Pietro Paolo Agabiti, St. Francis, 1528

What is a stigma?
A stigma is a ‘mark,’ for example a brand-mark, a tattoo, or even a birth-mark. If there is more than one mark, the plural would be ‘stigmata.’ For instance, cattle might have a brand (stigma) to identify its owner. A Roman slave had a stigma, usually branded on the hand, indicating slave status. St. Paul refers to the stigmata (translated often as ‘brand-marks’) of Christ on his body, perhaps scars from whipping (Gal 6:17).  The Coptic Christians today often bear a tattoo, or stigma, of a cross on their inner wrist as a sign of their Christian faith.

The Stigmata of Francis

The earliest report of the Stigmata comes from Thomas of Celano, The Life of Saint Francis, written in 1228 at the request of Pope Gregory IX for the canonization of Francis.  Thomas writes about Francis having a vision of a Seraph “like a crucified man” during a 40-day period of prayer on Mount La Verna. The event occurred “around the Feast of the Holy Cross” (September 15). “A little while” after that event “marks” (stigmata) began to appear on Francis’s body.  Thomas says no one really saw these marks during the lifetime of Francis because he kept them covered... but many did have clues that they existed.

Pietro Lorenzetti, Stigma of St. Francis, Lower Church, San Francesco, Assisi, 1320

The Role of Lady Jacopa

Giotto - St. Francis Mourned by St. Clare, 1300. Upper Church, San Francesco, Assisi

In his second Life (The Remembrance), written in 1245, Thomas adds more details. Lady Jacoba and Brother Elias prepared the body of Francis for burial during the night of October 3, 1226. They saw the “marks” (stigmata) on the body, and Jacopa convinced Elias that they were not disfiguring but beautiful.  Therefore, the marks on the body were not covered up.

Later, St. Francis's funeral procession stops at San Damiano and Clare and the sisters see and venerate the marks (stigmata) on the body of Francis.  The fact that these marks were seen on the body of Francis after his death is very well-documented.  But what do they mean? 

The Earliest Interpretation

Right after his death (by Lady Jacopa, according to Thomas) the earliest and first interpretation was that these marks, the stigmata, were beautiful: “like pearls adorning his body,” or “like black mosaic pieces” in an overall white mosaic.  Thomas gives his own interpretation:  they resemble the wounds on the body of Christ at His Passion and death, the heads of nails and the scar over a wound in the side.  The body of Francis, the servant, resembles the body of Christ, his Master.

Differing interpretations

• Some modern psychiatrists interpret stigmata as an external, physical manifestation of a strong internal state (extreme identification with another person).

• Bonaventure affirms that this was a miraculous “stamping” of the body of Francis at the very instant when the crucified Seraph (Christ) appeared to him:  the “seal of approval” of Francis and his Order.

• Modern authors (e.g., Chiara Frugoni) suggest these are symptoms of tubercular Hansen’s disease (leprosy), from his long service of lepers.
  

  

St Francis Receiving the Stigmata 1240-1250

Another Interpretation

All of these approaches can be combined. Francis shows an “extreme” identification with Christ in every aspect of his life and behavior, ways of speaking, dressing, treating others.  The veneration of the faithful toward these stigmata over the centuries support the idea that Christ put His “sign of approval” on Francis in many ways, not just physical marks.  A lifetime of direct service to people with an infectious disease (Hansen’s) could result in contracting the illness, making the marks a sign of a life of self-giving love for others, like Christ.

Stigmata: solidarity with suffering of others

Pope Francis frequently invites us to solidarity with those who are suffering (See his video message here). Compassion means “suffering with,” and marked the life of Francis.  Like Francis, we are called to have compassion for those that suffer. Those suffering from Covid-19, our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, for all those who suffer persecution for their faith. And for the unknown suffering of our family, friends, and neighbors. The Feast of the Stigmata on September 17th calls us to compassion for the suffering of Christ today in the members of the Body of Christ.

Pope Francis

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Br. Bill Short, OFM, has a special love of things medieval, is a professor at the Franciscan School of Theology, and the  Director of the Collegium S. Bonaventurae – International Center for Franciscan Studies and Research in Rome.  Br. Bill gave this reflection for the Feast of the Stigmata for the San Luis Rey Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order and is shared here with his kind permission.