Stigmata woman who played Jesus in school play sparks religion debate in Samoa

Claims that a young woman developed Christ-like wounds after playing Jesus in a play have sharply divided opinion in Samoa, igniting debate over whether the bleeding cuts to her body are miraculous or a hoax.

The country’s prime minister is among those who believe Toaipuapuaga Opapo Soana’i developed stigmata – wounds corresponding to the injuries Christ suffered on the cross – after starring in a Sunday school production at Easter.

Others are sceptical about the claims, dismissing the 23-year-old’s wounds as a hoax or psychosomatic injuries brought on by religious hysteria.

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Veteran Samoan journalist Cherelle Jackson said the case had prompted heated debate, including threats of violence in Samoa’s online chat forums, unprecedented in a country that is normally a model for religious harmony.

“This story has generated one of the most aggressive, intense and no doubt the most widespread discussions on Samoan public forums online,” she said.

Media have run images of Soana’i with bleeding wounds on her hands, feet and forehead, with believers making pilgrimages to her home village.