$STIGMATA
(2009 - 2018) Vocation is not a choice to C.D.V. It is not the result of reasoning or desire. God has chosen a life for him and since childhood he has accepted it. His seminary path to become a priest was marked by events that have influenced his growth indelibly. Bringing him to live his faith in a totalitarian way. By the will of God with no thought or action to alienate him from his journey. "Give up yourself, please, become a tool to spread the word of God, convert, save souls, give hope." Hide the signs. Cit. C.D.V:
"The redness and pain I got them from a particular time of my childhood; The first time I bled was on a Friday, I was on the mountain, then everything stopped, every wound closed and I have not bled for many years, only on the Holy Friday the signs appeared again, so, it was easy to hide well. "
C.D.V. is 25 years old, he has not yet become a priest.
The first appearance of stigmata phenomenon is dated 1224 A.C. September 14th , San Francesco from Assisi received the signs 2 years before his death while praying on Penna mount ( Arezzo, Italy) , since then many other people claimed to have been blessed by the “stigmata gift”, the Vatican has always been cautious about this signs. Stigmata phenomenon has been analysed several times during history, it is something that happens only in Catholic religion.
There are many theories on the origin of this kind of phenomenon, the first one explains stigmata as voluntarily or unintentionally self-inflicted wounds, this behaviour is lead by the desire to be in the spotlight or just to be as close as possible to God appearance and to feel his pain. The second theory is based on hysterical neurosis , which in the worst case could cause skin problems as well as vascular and motorial issue. The third theory is based on pathological somatization, purpura psychotic syndrome (Gardner & Diamond syndrome) which could cause stigmata appearance in subjects under heavy stressful situation. The last theory is the supernatural origin of the phenomenon. The total count of stigmatized people in Italy is more than 300, only seven of them have been proclaimed Saint by the Vatican and seven have been proclaimed blessed. According to the Vatican reports, stigmata phenomenon has not been considered during the canonization process.
C.D.V. was born in Ponza island, Italy, in a Catholic family. He first felt the vocation by the age of six and by the age of 11 he received for the first time the stigmata while praying on the hills close to his house, at the age of 13th he moved to mainland to begin the seminary path to become a priest. His spiritual guide was Father Amorth, a notorious Italian exorcist who took him under his protection and helped him growing up through the pain, difficulties and isolation that the stigmata caused to him. He changed several seminary schools due to tensions that his particular situation created with other seminarians.
While in Rome, he met Bishop Alessandro Gemma who become one of the most passionate supporters of his phenomena, phenomena that are not limited to stigmata, sometimes, while on ecstasy state he also sweat a good smelling oil, connected to his presence several Catholic statue cried the same oil and occasionally bled, during this moments he usually falls in ecstasies during which he receives divine messages from the Virgin Mary. C.D.V. is supported by a small Marian association whose members pray with him and help him during the most tough stigmata period, the holy week before Easter. Nowadays Christian is living in an isolated place in central Italy to avoid crowd and keep studying to become a priest.
mirkoviglino.eth
Mirko Viglino (b.1980 Rome) is a documentary photographer based in Rome. He has a background as commercial pilot and air traffic controller. He graduated at ISFCI Photojournalism School and received the WSP masterclass scholarship. His works has been published and exhibited across Europe, USA and Asia and won several international awards. He has been represented by the Dorothy Circus Gallery and he has received the National Geographic Emergency Fund Grant in 2020. His work is focused on extraordinary beliefs, cold cases, and personal stories. His storytelling mixes traditional documentary photography, cinematic lightning techniques, and investigative journalism.
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