Stigmata

"Stigmata" was a word that referred to the wounds of Jesus Christ. Specifically, it referred to wounds similar to Christ's manifesting on believers. The wounds usually showed up on the palms and feet.

There were no records of stigmata before the 13th century.

Dozens of people suffered from stigmata-type wounds during a time when the Eighth Doctor was living on Earth. The wounds bled for a time then suddenly stopped. One man, Bill, suffered not from palm wounds but from suffocation, which was the cause of death of those who had been crucified.

The Doctor theorised that some unknown alien intelligence was trying to communicate with humans by causing the stigmata. (PROSE: Mordieu)