Editing Stigmata (section)

===Saint Ansbert of Rouen===

Earlier reports of stigmatics do exist, however there is a lack of consensus on how the concept of stigmata was understood pre-Saint Francis.<ref>Muessig, C. (2013, February 21). "Signs of salvation: The evolution of stigmatic spirituality before Francis of assisi": ''Church history''. Cambridge Core. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/signs-of-salvation-the-evolution-of-stigmatic-spirituality-before-francis-of-assisi/5303041ED21A96178473592D1ADD06B5</ref> St. [[Ansbert of Rouen|Ansbert]] of Rouen (d. 695 AD) could be considered the earliest stigmatic due to the claims of witnesses following his death:

"When they had opened his tomb and they thought his body would stink because of the amount of time that had elapsed since it had been buried, such a sweet fragrant odor like a diversity of flowers flowed forth, and the whole church was filled with little drops of balsam. And when the brothers who had come to see him from the neighboring province... removed the clothes in which he had been buried because they wanted to change them wishing to dress him in new clothes, they found on his forearms the sign of the dominical cross, bearing the likeness of a red color. It was evident to all the faithful that this was given to be understood that while he lived he bore the arms of Christ in his heart, therefore, Christ's stigmata were revealed on the body of the dead man."<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Signs of Salvation: The Evolution of Stigmatic Spirituality Before Francis of Assisi |journal=Church History| jstor=23358905 |last1=Muessig |first1=Carolyn |date=2013 |volume=82 |issue=1 |pages=40–68 |doi=10.1017/S000964071200251X }}</ref>