Lisa, I am sure you are correct. The ROC does not want to step on any toes with the ROCOR especially. Just why it remains so skepticle of the Imperial recovery is a rmystery to me. There is even some controversy over a relic of Ella, a finger, that was making the rounds a while back. It seems, it COULD be actually the finger of her companion, Varvara, but no testes are allowed.
At the same time, GD Maria is very close to the ROC patriacrh and even stays at the Novodechny [sic] convent when in MOscow, usuall attending Church charity events. Even she takes no position ofn any of the relics, keeping in line with the Patriarch.
At the end of the day, what does it really matter? Carting a bunch of bone slivers around the globe for the faithful to slobber over? A bit pagan to me. Leave her buried and at peace with her god.
Yes, it certainly would be an embarrassing blunder if the finger turned out to belong to Saint Barbara and not to Saint Elizabeth; however, I am inclined to believe that the finger does belong to Saint Elixzabeth for the following reasons:
1) Saint Elizabeth's body was still identifiable at the time of her internment at Saint Mary Magadalene Russian Orthodox Church. Her sister, Victoria, writes of recognizing her sister when she first saw Saint Elizabeth's body.
2) Saint Barbara was a smaller woman in height in comparsion to Saint Elizabeth. I doubt that the bodies were misidentified.
3) When the coffins were exhumed and opened in preparation for the canonization, Saint Elizabeth's body was reported to be partially incorrupt. All reports that I have read mention the removal of her right hand for relics. This relic is kept at the ROCOR cathedral in New York City. I have not read any mention of fingers removed from Saint Barbara's body for relics.
There is controversy regarding how the sample taken from the finger was tested. One report states that the finger is contaminated with DNA from two other sources, making the finger an unreliable source for testing. It may well be Ella's finger nonetheless.
If the finger does belong to Saint Barbara, then I would guess that a finger was removed from her body at the time of the exhumation and at some point accidently switcheded with the finger belonging to Saint Elizabeth. I doubt however that that would have happened. If it did, that certainly is very embarrassing.
