Vatican’s secret, and deadly, project to preserve its saints

New York Post ^ | 03/22/2014 | Theresa Potenza

[Alex Murphy]

The Catholic belief of “incorruptibility” holds that if a body does not decay after death, the person is holy. It takes two miracles to become a saint; the Church once allowed a perfect corpse to count as one.

Incorruptibility is no longer a miracle, however, perhaps because so many tried to help God along. Oil and herbs were inserted into the muscle cavities of some older popes, for instance.

When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, the Vatican used a wrapping technique similar to what was believed to have been applied to Jesus. It failed miserably. Only days after his death, his nose fell off, and a Swiss Guard fainted due to the stench while he was guarding the body.

[SNIP]

In 2000, Pope John Paul II had [Pope John XXIII] exhumed to be declared “blessed,” part of the progression to sainthood. The airtight coffin had left him virtually undisturbed, and the embalming team wanted to keep it that way.

After the pope’s internal organs were removed and analyzed, the body was placed in a stainless-steel tub for several weeks in a solution of formalin and alcohol, then neutralized for several weeks.

His body then undertook a series of baths in assorted solutions for months at a time, including various mixtures of ethanol, methanol, phenol, camphor, nitrobenzene, turpentine and benzoic acid.

Finally the body was bandaged in linen cloths saturated with a solution of mercury bichloride and ethanol. Then a second team ensconced him with wax on his face and hands. The entire process took about a year.

The Church decided not to rebury Pope John XXIII, instead putting him on display for pilgrims. More than 25,000 people visit St. Peter’s Basilica every day, and many faithful still believe the incorrupt state of his body is a miracle.

[Elsie]

Parts are parts.

“So I borrowed it ‘til I did know!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQeh132J7gE

[Elsie]

That’s what happens when you’re working for tips.

[Elsie]

I just wished they’d’ve used pinking shears...

[Elsie]

The foreskin was reported stolen by a local priest in 1983.

The rash of these petty crimes need to be nipped in the bud!

[redleghunter]

JPX2011: You posted a picture of a Muslim memorizing the Qur'an and made the connection to a poster stating he should continue to memorize the Holy Scriptures. My hope is you are not equating the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God for the false anti-christ teachings of the Muslims.

In the Koran, the holy name of the Blessed Virgin Mary is mentioned no less than thirty times. No other woman's name is even mentioned, not even that of Mohammed's daughter, Fatima. Among men, only Abraham, Moses, and Noah are mentioned more times than Our Lady. In the Koran, Our Blessed Mother is described as "Virgin, ever Virgin." The Islamic belief in the virginity of Mary puts to shame the heretical beliefs of those who call themselves Christian, while denying the perpetual virginity of Mary. Make no mistake about it, there is a very special relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Moslems!

Fatima EWTN

Hebrews 4:

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

[Gamecock]

Just the tip of the, uh, iceburg!

[redleghunter]

There is not one scintilla of evidence or documentation in that article

Is the below accurate and if not do you have a credible reference:

St. Teresa, who died in 1582, is an example of how obsessed earlier Catholics were with relics of the flesh. After her death, a priest cut off her left hand, from which he took a finger, wearing it around his neck for the rest of his life. Followers later removed her heart, right arm, right foot and a piece of jaw to display as relics in various sites.

This site confirms various body parts of St. Teresa are in various locations:

St Teresa

[redleghunter]

Titan arum, corpse flower

They must have had thousands of these 'flowers' on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq in 2006.

[Gamecock]

LOL!

[redleghunter]

Oh yes Sir, Genesis is 100% Truth!

[Elsie]

I see your point.

[Elsie]

This site confirms various body parts of St. Teresa are in various locations:

It's scriptural:

Judges 19:29
When he reached home, he got a knife. He cut up his concubine. He cut her into 12 pieces. He sent them into all of the territories of Israel.

[Elsie]

[redleghunter]

There seems to be a bit of confusion on this Catholic Answers message board reference the Red Sea crossing:

Catholic Answers-Red Sea Question

[redleghunter]

Lot’s of money to be made from people looking for miracles while you play the odds using math.

Matthew 16:

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

[redleghunter]

Rule #1: It must not be, cannot be true if it impugns Rome.

Rule #2: If rule 1 is not believed, then they are biased anti-Catholic and cannot be trusted.

Probably the clearest theological method on these threads.

[redleghunter]

Shockingly, there is only one survivor from the original team, the others having died of various tumors and cancers, likely side effects of the toxic chemicals expended during their work. Nobody is currently willing to assume their task due to the peril.

That should be a clarion call to some here on FR to take up the cause of embalming!

[redleghunter]

You would think that the Vatican would put more research dollars to hire the best scientist to examine the Shroud of Turin. It is the only artifact which piques the interest of scientists.

[daniel1212]

...the Skull Chapel in Czermna, Poland, was the bizarre brainchild of ...

Well, lets just say they got their heads together on this one.

[redleghunter]

Does it stand for?:

MOre
Anti
Catholic
Bashing