The GRUESOME Details of the Crucifixion of Jesus w/ Fr. Andrew Dalton LC

Summary

The speaker explores the crucifixion of Jesus, focusing on the placement of the nails and the resulting wounds, comparing historical and medical perspectives with religious interpretations. They discuss the Shroud of Turin, the science behind crucifixion, and the profound suffering endured during the process. The narrative also touches on the theological significance of these events, emphasizing the divine love demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice. The talk concludes with a promotion for the Hallow app, a Catholic prayer and meditation tool.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Stigmata, a phenomenon of Saints experiencing the wounds of Christ, often appear on the palms, but historical and archaeological evidence suggests crucifixion nails were driven through the wrists.
• 🛠️ The Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus, shows nail wounds in the wrists, supporting the idea that nails were placed in the wrist area to support the body's weight during crucifixion.
• 👨‍⚕️ French surgeon Pierre Barbet conducted experiments on cadavers to demonstrate that nails through the palms would not support a body during crucifixion, as the tissue would tear.
• ⚠️ Crucifixion nails in the wrists would pass through the ulnar and median nerves, causing excruciating pain, a term that originates from the Latin 'ex cruciatus,' meaning 'out of the cross.'
• 💡 Despite the historical inaccuracy, stigmatists' wounds on the palms are seen as a symbolic representation of Christ's wounds, conveying the idea of sharing in Christ's suffering.
• 🏋️‍♂️ During crucifixion, the weight of the body would shift between the nails in the wrists and feet, causing intense pain and difficulty in breathing, leading to a prolonged and agonizing death.
• 🩸 The blood flow patterns on the Shroud of Turin suggest that Jesus’ body was in different positions on the cross, indicating a struggle to breathe, further prolonging the agony.
• 🙏 Jesus' words from the cross, such as 'Father, forgive them,' may have been repeated as a refrain, showing his continuous prayer for his persecutors despite the immense suffering.
• 🏛️ The Romans engineered crucifixion as the most extreme form of punishment, designed to be a public display of suffering to deter others from committing similar offenses.
• 🕊️ The Shroud and the crucifixion are seen as the ultimate display of divine love, with Jesus' suffering and death portrayed as a profound act of love and sacrifice for humanity.

Q & A

What are the two kinds of things the speaker wants to distinguish in the discussion?

The speaker wants to distinguish between Saints' private revelations and historical archaeological objects, noting that they don't necessarily coincide.

Why does the speaker mention the Stigmata in relation to the Shroud of Turin?

The speaker brings up the Stigmata to illustrate that while many stigmatists have nail wounds in the palms, the Shroud of Turin shows the wounds in the wrists, suggesting that historical accuracy and the symbolic representation in private revelations may differ.

What does Pierre Barbet's experiment on cadavers reveal about crucifixion?

Pierre Barbet's experiment revealed that a nail through the palm cannot support the weight of a human body, as the soft tissue would tear. This suggests that the nails were likely placed in the wrists during crucifixion.

How do stigmatists justify the depiction of nail wounds in the palms despite historical evidence suggesting otherwise?

Stigmatists argue that the wounds in the palms, though not historically accurate, are a way to symbolically communicate participation in the sufferings of Christ, aligning with centuries of Christian artwork and tradition.

Why is the positioning of the nail wounds significant in understanding the Shroud of Turin?

The positioning of the nail wounds is significant because it reflects the method of crucifixion used to sustain the weight of the body, and the Shroud's depiction in the wrists is considered more historically accurate compared to depictions in the palms.

What is the significance of the bifurcation in the blood flow from the wrist wounds on the Shroud?

The bifurcation in the blood flow, with a pattern of about five to seven degrees, indicates the different positions of Jesus' hands on the cross as he struggled to breathe, moving between a position where he could exhale and one where he sagged down.

How does the act of crucifixion exacerbate the suffering of the victim?

Crucifixion exacerbates suffering by causing intense pain as the victim struggles to breathe, needing to push up on the nails in their feet and pull on the nails in their wrists to exhale, which is an agonizing and repetitive process.

What does the term 'excruciating' derive from, and why is it relevant to the discussion?

The term 'excruciating' derives from 'ex cruciatus,' meaning 'out of the cross,' signifying the intense pain specifically associated with crucifixion. This is relevant as it highlights the extreme suffering experienced by those who were crucified.

Why did the Romans design crucifixion as the 'sumum' of all punishments?

The Romans designed crucifixion as the 'sumum' of all punishments to serve as a highly visible and agonizing deterrent, displaying the victim's suffering prominently to discourage others from committing similar offenses.

What insight does the speaker offer about Jesus' repeated prayer on the cross?

The speaker notes that Jesus' prayer, 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,' is introduced with an imperfect tense in the original text, suggesting that Jesus might have been repeating this prayer as a refrain, showing his continuous plea for forgiveness for his persecutors.