Posted on 04/07/2005 12:40:06 PM PDT by billorites
As morbid details go it was repulsive, but fascinating. And perhaps not quite what it seemed. The Vatican's spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, told journalists yesterday that the Pope had not been embalmed before his lying in state in St Peter's Basilica, merely that his body had been "prepared". With the high spring temperatures in Rome, putting a corpse on display without preservatives for four days might seem a high-risk strategy. There are plenty of tales from history of exploding bodies (Henry VIII was apparently quite spectacular) and disintegrating cadavers (Pius XII turned black in 1958 and his nose fell off - and that was in October).
If this were true, come Friday John Paul II would not be a pretty sight for the expected 200 world leaders, even if they found him a salutary reminder of the passage of all earthly vanities. "Yes, well, they've obviously embalmed him - don't worry about that," said Barry Albin, the owner of Albin and Sons, London undertakers. Mr Albin is a qualified embalmer and a Roman Catholic, so he has taken a close and well-informed interest.
"I think you will find that he's been chilled and the body may be lying on an ice-tray. He's not got a wax mask so I should say that they have embalmed him at least from the neck upwards and they will have covered the body in skin creams. I am confident that his head's had cream all over it."
A full embalming treatment could take all night, with a saline solution injected into an artery - preferably one hidden in the arm or neck; all the oxygenated blood drained off from a vein; plus all the other waste products removed from the body. A solution, probably of lanolin and 2% formalin plus salt and rose-water, would be injected.
"That's what I'd do if I was embalming the Pope," Mr Albin said.
The Signoracci family has embalmed popes in the past, although the current head of the family firm, Massimo, 48 - who would have been very new to the job the last time a pope was buried - would not confirm whether his clan had performed the task this time.
He did concede to journalists: "It is a huge emotion to be near and work on someone so famous and loved."
Oddly enough, I've never had occasion to use that phrase.
Interesting article.
I am uncomfortable with all the attention this has received, but then again who stopped to read the article? Me!
A microscopic footnote to a huge and wondrous life . . .
LOL. And maybe you'll never get to use that phrase!
More information than I really need...
I saw in the most recent pictures of this morning that the cheeks now have a definite pinkish color and much less grayness around the chin, so I think some touch up cosmetic work has been performed in the last 24 hours - sometime after the Presidental entourage viewed the body.
From
http://www.overcomeproblems.com/incorruptables.htm
Incorruptibles
Specimens of preserved human bodies or "mummies" have been discovered throughout the centuries, some even from before the Egyptian Pharaoh times when the art of embalming originated. Many of these preserved bodies have survived decomposition for as many as 3000 years. Of all preserved bodies that have been discovered over the centuries, each fall into one of three categories:
1. Accidentally preserved - These type of preserved bodies were determined to be preserved due to accidental means such as having been buried in dry, hot sand, or lava, or having been placed in an area with high radioactivity. As long as air or moisture did not reach these bodies, they can many times be preserved from significant, but not total decay. However, when accidentally preserved bodies are discovered, they are typically discolored, wrinkled, distorted, are skeletal looking and have no elasticity. In addition they always have a bad odor and always decay rapidly once bandaging is removed for scientific examination.
2. Deliberately preserved - Deliberately preserved corpses are those that were purposely embalmed or otherwise treated before burial with the intention of trying to prevent decomposition. As long as air or moisture did not reach these bodies, they can many times be preserved from significant, but not total decay. In most older cases of deliberately preserved human bodies discovered, the body cavities were filled with specific materials like resin or resin-soaked sawdust, or the entire body was submerged in specific materials such as honey, rum, or sand. In more modern methods of attempting to prevent corpse decomposition, the body was typically submerged or filled with resin, tar, salt, alcohol, or a combination of these. Again, when deliberately preserved bodies are discovered, like accidentally preserved bodies, they are typically discolored, wrinkled, distorted, are skeletal looking and have no elasticity. In addition they always have a bad odor and always decay rapidly once bandaging is removed for scientific examination.
3. Incorruptibles - These type of preserved bodies started being discovered back in the early centuries after Christ, though surprisingly, they do not fall into either the accidental or deliberate preservation categories above. The causes for "incorruptibles" remaining free of decomposition have baffled scientists to this day. These bodies are discovered in many different environments, including environments that would typically cause an accidental or deliberately preserved corpse to decompose rapidly. They remain free of decay regardless of manner of burial, delay in burial, temperature, moisture, rough handling, frequent transference, having been covered in quicklime (a decaying agent), or proximity to other decaying corpses. They cannot be explained by science or reason. Some common characteristics of an incorruptible body:
Incorruptibles are typically found lifelike, moist, flexible, and contain a sweet scent that many say smells like roses or other flowers, for years after death.
Incorruptibles are almost never embalmed or treated in any way due to the religious order's beliefs that the person came from.
Incorruptibles remain free of decay, some for centuries, despite circumstances which normally cause decay such as being exposed to air, moisture, other decaying bodies, or other variables such as quicklime, which is typically applied to a corpse to accelerate decomposition.
Incorruptibles many times contain clear, flowing oils, perspiration, and flowing blood for years after death, where accidental or deliberately preserved bodies have never been recorded to have such characteristics.
Other partial incorruptibles have been found throughout the centuries where certain parts of the body decay normally, while other parts such as the heart or tongue remain perfectly free of decomposition.
What is most astounding of all is the fact that for each incorrupt body discovered, after research has been done to determine who the person was, it has always been determined that the person was an extremely devout Catholic. This inevitably leads to the question, How can the process of decay, which has no intelligence, choose which bodies to devour and not to devour, and why do they happen to be devout Catholics? This phenomena is simply miraculous.
In addition, many unexplainable miracles have occurred throughout history when people have come in contact with these incorruptible remains, and despite regular medical examinations, scientists have not determined why. These incorruptible bodies are on display all over the world to this day (mainly in Europe), and nearly all bodies who have been identified and whose background has been researched thoroughly, have been canonized by the Catholic Church as Saints due to their publicly devout Catholic life.
Specific examples of incorrupt bodies discovered over the past 2000 years, most of which are still on display:
Saint Bernadette Soubirous (pictured at the top of the page) - St. Bernadette was the original visionary at Lourdes, France and died in 1879 in Nevers, France. Her body was exhumed 30 years later in 1909 and was discovered completely incorrupt and free of odor. The body was again exhumed a second time ten years later in 1919 and was still incorrupt. Her body is still on display in the Chapel of St. Bernadette in Nevers, France to this day.
Blessed Paula Frassinetti - Died in 1882 and her body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt in 1906. Her body is on display in the Chapel of the Convent of Santa Dorotea in Rome, Italy.
St. Catherine Laboure' - Died in 1876 and was exhumed and found incorrupt in 1933. Her body is on display under the side altar in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Sun in Paris.
St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney (Cure' of Ars) - Died in 1859 and was exhumed and found incorrupt in 1904. His body is on display above the main altar in the Basilica at Ars in France.
St. Vincent Pallotti - Died in 1850 and was exhumed and found incorrupt in 1906 and 1950. His body is on display under the main altar in the Church of St. Salvatore in Onda, Italy.
St. Teresa Margaret - Died in 1770 and was exhumed and found incorrupt in 1783. Her body is on display in a glass case at the Monastery of St. Teresa in Florence, Italy.
St. Andrew Bobola - Died in 1657 and 40 years later his body was dicovered and found incorrupt. His body is on display under the main altar in the Church of St. Andrew Bobola in Warsaw, Poland.
Bl. Osanna of Manua' - Died in 1505. Her body is on display under the altar in Our Lady of the Rosary in the Cathedral of Manua, Italy. In 1965 the relic of her body was examined in depth and still found to be well preserved (460 years old!)
St. Catherine of Bologna - Died in 1463 and has been incorrupt and on display in an upright position for over 500 years.
St. Rita of Cascia - Died in 1457. Her body is on display in a glass case in the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, Italy. It is also publicly known that her body has been seen in different positions in the glass case, as well as eyes have opened and closed unaided.
Bl. Margaret of Metola (Castello) - Died in 1320 and was found incorrupt in 1558. Her body is on display under the high altar of the Church of St. Domenico at Citta-di-Castello, Italy.
St. Zita - Died in 1278 and her body is on display in a glass reliquary in the Basilica of St. Frediano in Lucca, Italy
St. Sperandia - Died in 1276 her body is on display in the Benedictine convent church of Cingoli, Italy. Her body was exhumed eight different times, the last in 1952. It is still incorrupt to this day and exudes a sweet fragrance.
Saint Alphege - Was Archbishop of Canterbury and was captured, put in prison, and eventually murdered by his captors in 1012. Ten years later his perfectly incorrupt body was discovered.
Saint Withburga - Died in 743 and incorrupt body was discovered 55 years later. Her remains were on display for over 300 more years thereafter until destroyed during the Reformation.
Saint Agatha - Died in 251 and body was discovered incorrupt in the eleventh century. Parts of her incorrupt body are still in existence today.
Saint Cecilia - Died in 177 and body was discovered incorrupt in 1599, is known to be the first saint to be incorrupt.
Thanks for the list of "incorruptibles." I'd never seen one put together like this. And I've always been curious about the phenomenon.
Ping for comment if any you have.
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