Fake OCA Saint Abp Dimitry of Dallas

[Barbara]

Claims being put forward that Abp Dimitry of Dallas and South for the OCA is incorrupt

Picture supposedly taken 5 years after his repose

What do people on the Forum think about this ? I don't believe it myself

[SavaBeljovic]

People often forget incorruption can be considered a punishment too: The Uniate Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos who signed the Union of Lyons travelled to Mt. Athos with an entourage of Uniate priests in the 13th century while on his way to fight the Hungarians, he at first went to the non-Greek monasteries on Mt. Athos and murdered monks who refused to accept the Union of Lyons.

When he left Mt. Athos to meet the Hungarians in battle, his army was decimated despite outnumbering the Hungarians. Him and the Uniates stopped in Mt. Athos on their way back where they died; however Michael VIII's corpse nor those of the Uniates with him corrupted -- which is odd as on Mt. Athos there are no incorrupt relics of any Saints, all bodies on Mt. Athos corrupt -- the corpses of Michael VIII and the Uniates all gave off a foul stench and have horrified expressions on their faces. They're kept in one of the Monasteries there as a reminder.

There's a story from the life of St. Nektarios of Aegina about a woman who got into an argument with her husband about his drinking. One day he came home and was drunk, and his wife slapped him. She felt bad about this and went to St. Nektarios to confess, to which he told her: "God has forgiven you but your hand will not corrupt even after death!" As sure enough, after she reposed, the entirety of her body except her right hand corrupted.

I believe our dearest brother @eish has mentioned that in Romania when they find an incorrupt body, they at first do a service asking for God to remit the sins of the person whose body is incorrupt. Only if it's discovered two-three more times to be incorrupt do they consider it to be a blessing from God and not a sign of a punishment.

The Roman Catholics often tout having incorrupt Saints and while many of them are fake (being covered in wax or such) not all of them are. Monophysites and even Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims all claim to have incorruption amongst themselves. Obviously this doesn't mean these people are blessed by God, as "miracles" (anything superseding natural order) can come from one of two sources: God or the demons.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's sorcery or demonic influence at work with the incorruption of Hindus/Muslims/Papists etc. but it could also be a warning from God. I know a few years ago the OCA invited these scientists to try to figure out why Dimitri Royster and they were able to "prove" it wasn't explainable by science -- i.e. no natural mummification occurred nor are the conditions in that church able to preserve a body that long.

We have incorrupt Saints in the Orthodox Church and we know what they taught and how they lived. We unfortunately know what Dimitri Royster taught and who he belonged to. It's more than likely actual incorruption, but not as a blessing from God.