Q. 1. What does it mean that the bodies of some Saints are incorruptibles?

A. 1. When the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church speak of the incorruptibles, it is a belief that through Divine intervention, some human bodies of the saints and beatified avoided the normal process of decomposition after death. Such is believed to be a sign of their holiness.

The bodies of the incorruptible usually undergo little or no decomposition or delayed decomposition.

Some of the incorruptibles of the Catholic Church are St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. Catherine Laboure, St. John Vianney, Sr. Theresa Margaret, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Francis Xavier, St. Louise de Marillac, and Blessed John XXIII.