THE SCIENCE
It was December 12, 1531, when the Blessed Mother appeared to native Juan Diego on a nearby hill in Tepeyac, not far from Mexico City. She left the impression of her image on his tilma [cloak] as proof of the visitation. Since that time, the tilma has been the source of much curiosity and controversy for its remarkable qualities. Today Guadalupe's following has spread beyond the borders of Mexico to include the entirety of the Americas, as well as abroad.
SOURCE : www.infallible-catholic.blogspot.com
For over 500 years, the tilma has miraculously withstood the test of time in its remarkable preservation. Numerous scientific studies have been done on the tilma in search of how this could be and findings remain controversial, resting in that fuzzy zone between mystery, theory and fact.
Part of the mystery is based on the fact that at the time of the impression, there was no known technique to treat the surface beforehand to help the fabric withstand normal wear and tear through the years, let alone over 500! Yet it is perfectly preserved, in spite of two happenings that could have destroyed it: 1) In 1785, a worker accidentally spilled a strong Nitric acid solvent on much of the image, and it reportedly simply 'repaired' itself in a period of about 30 days time, when other fabrics would have been completely destroyed, and 2) an activist hid a bomb in some roses placed before the tilma in 1921. Everything in the vicinity of the bomb was shattered but the tilma came through unscathed, the glass on the frame it hung in untouched.
Tests done in the late 1970s found no brush strokes to support the idea that it could be a painting of some sort, although there were indications of paint materials in subsequent years that flaked off over time, leaving the original piece fully in tact and perfectly preserved. Nor was there any presence of vegetable, animal or mineral elements to suggest paint or dye materials that would have been used in the 1500s, and synthetic paint materials simply did not exist at that time.
Further studies report that the painting holds the constant temperature of 98.6 Fahrenheit, the same as a human being.
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. An examination of Guadalupe's eyes by both ophthalmologists and physicians over the years have concluded that a number of figures are visible in both eyes when the pupils are greatly magnified using today's high-technology. These figures are explained as the witnesses present at the time Juan Diego unfurled his tilma for the Bishop of the local church, reflected in her eyes as would have been the case in real life.
Studies done by two NASA scientists in 1979, called the image 'living', as they claim to have even registered a heart beat.
Mysteries surround the tilma, and whether borne of hopeful truth or fiction, the tilma in the Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City remains one of the most visited shrines to Guadalupe in the world today.
SOURCES
"The Mystery in Our Lady's Eyes", www.sancta.org
"The Tilma of Guadalupe: A Scientific Analysis", www.themiraclehunter.com
"Science Sees What Mary Saw From Juan Diegos Tilma", www.catholiceducation.org
Part of the mystery is based on the fact that at the time of the impression, there was no known technique to treat the surface beforehand to help the fabric withstand normal wear and tear through the years, let alone over 500! Yet it is perfectly preserved, in spite of two happenings that could have destroyed it: 1) In 1785, a worker accidentally spilled a strong Nitric acid solvent on much of the image, and it reportedly simply 'repaired' itself in a period of about 30 days time, when other fabrics would have been completely destroyed, and 2) an activist hid a bomb in some roses placed before the tilma in 1921. Everything in the vicinity of the bomb was shattered but the tilma came through unscathed, the glass on the frame it hung in untouched.
Tests done in the late 1970s found no brush strokes to support the idea that it could be a painting of some sort, although there were indications of paint materials in subsequent years that flaked off over time, leaving the original piece fully in tact and perfectly preserved. Nor was there any presence of vegetable, animal or mineral elements to suggest paint or dye materials that would have been used in the 1500s, and synthetic paint materials simply did not exist at that time.
Further studies report that the painting holds the constant temperature of 98.6 Fahrenheit, the same as a human being.
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. An examination of Guadalupe's eyes by both ophthalmologists and physicians over the years have concluded that a number of figures are visible in both eyes when the pupils are greatly magnified using today's high-technology. These figures are explained as the witnesses present at the time Juan Diego unfurled his tilma for the Bishop of the local church, reflected in her eyes as would have been the case in real life.
Studies done by two NASA scientists in 1979, called the image 'living', as they claim to have even registered a heart beat.
Mysteries surround the tilma, and whether borne of hopeful truth or fiction, the tilma in the Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City remains one of the most visited shrines to Guadalupe in the world today.
SOURCES
"The Mystery in Our Lady's Eyes", www.sancta.org
"The Tilma of Guadalupe: A Scientific Analysis", www.themiraclehunter.com
"Science Sees What Mary Saw From Juan Diegos Tilma", www.catholiceducation.org
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