The body of the saint, who died 442 years ago, is still in good condition.

SSaint Teresa of Jesus, also known as Saint Teresa of Avila, lived in Spain during the 16th century. Although she died 442 years ago, the Church claims that her body is still in good condition.

The remains are kept under a strict security system: there are 10 keys to the tomb – three of them belong to the Carmelite Order, three to the Carmelite Priest General of Rome, three to the Duke of Alba and one to the King. This security system was established in the 17th century.

Each set of keys opens a part of the tomb: the grate, the marble box, and the silver box. The tomb was opened at the end of August and required permission from Pope Francis.

Italian scientists and doctors attended the operation. The aim was to conduct an analysis of the saint’s body, heart, one of her arms and one of her hands in order to legally recognize the state of preservation, as reported by El Pais.

According to the Diocese of Avila, it was possible to verify that St. Teresa’s body had been preserved in the same way since the last exhumation in 1914. Researchers compared the current state with photographs taken 110 years ago, which show St. Teresa’s face and feet.

New photographs and X-rays of the remains have been taken, and all the material has been sent to a laboratory in Italy. In the coming weeks, a report will be issued with the scientific conclusions about the preservation of the saint.

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