São Paulo, SP (UOL/Folhapress) – simpler coffin and lower exposure of the body. These were some of the changes ordered by Francisco, killed at the age of 88 on Monday (21), to the rites of his funeral and the next popes to come.
In addition to reiterating the message of simplicity of Christianity, the Romani Pontificis Exequerum Ordo, as the order published in April last year is called, can help minimize embarrassing situations that have already occurred at funerals of some pontiffs.
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Pio 12 ‘Body exploded’
Pio 12, or “Papa Pacelli,” as it was popularly called, was the last case recorded by unsuccessful embalming technique. He is known as the Pope who stayed in front of the church during World War II.
Prior to his death in 1958, he was convinced to undergo a “cutting -edge” method for embalming. Ophthalmologist Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi, head of the Vatican medical team, said he replicated an efficient technique, even used by important figures such as Carlos Magno, king of the Franks, and the early Christians of history.
To The New York Times at the time, the doctor described the process as “aromatic osmosis.” “The method consisted essentially of spraying on Pope’s body and clothing resins, oils and other chemical compounds. No injection was used, and a cellophane sheet was placed and left over the body for twenty hours.”
The body exploded. And it was not in the figurative sense. The faithful and all who accompanied the funeral heard a strong noise that came from the coffin where the pontiff was. His body exploded due to the gases formed in the rotting process, which can be avoided with well -made tanatopraxia. Historians say that, at this moment, the casket porters and who was closest to passed out.
Even without a nose, the church still decided to go on with the funeral of Pio 12. In addition to the strong odors, the explosion made her eyes swell. There was also the darkening of the skin and the distrust of the face. A wax mask was improvised to cover the back eyes and a cool nose, and thus continue the wake. The mouth also stretched, forming a smile described as scary.
Emergency measures were taken. Even before arriving in St. Peter, a stop in the St. John Lateran stands was necessary to place the Pope’s body in the coffin and thus continue the route to the Vatican, as even the guards and even loaders fainted by the strong smell.
Galeazzi-Lisi, responsible for the catastrophe, became persona non grata (unwanted person in free translation) in the Vatican city. In addition, by selling photos of the Pope in health treatment to magazines and newspapers of the time, he led the title of “first corrupt doctor.”
How are the wake of popes?
A Pope’s funeral follows a solemn rite, traditionally held in St. Peter’s Square. The ceremony is presided by the dean of the College of Cardinals, and is composed of the following moments:
1 – Rite of ordering and fostering: Includes prayers and biblical readings, asking for the Pope’s eternal rest.
2 – Mass of Requiem: A special celebration is held to ask God to welcome the soul of the pontiff in heaven. During this mass, specific readings and prayers are made by the deceased Pope.
3 – Last prayer and final rite: The Pope’s coffin is sprinkled with holy and incense water, symbolizing the purification and surrender of his soul to God.
In all, the process can reach nine days, three of which are exposure of the body. For this to happen without complications, the Pope’s body must go through a tanatopraxia process – or embalms – that delays the process of natural decomposition of the body through cleaning, necromance and application of chemicals such as formaldehyde.
How was the process in Francisco?
Formaldehyde liquid was injected into the body. Substances go through the entire circulatory system and help remove blood from the body, which come out of an opening made in the neck, through the jugular vein. The professional who performs the process can massage the body to assist in drainage. Preservative agents preserve the body, and dyes give a more realistic and natural color.
Fluids were also removed. Intestinal content and other liquids resulting from the decomposition process also need to be extracted. This is important to inject more embalming products and to eliminate organic material.
Aesthetic intervention makes it more natural. In the necromagriating phase, the clean skin is reconstituted by cosmetics. Normally, the eyes are sealed, and the jaw is arrested or the mouth is discreetly sutured to keep it closed -after death, the stiffness of the muscles can force the jaw to open.
Wearing the corpse is part of the process. Francisco was dressed in the red Casula, the Pallium and the White Mithra on the head, and a rosary was placed on his hands.
Pope cannot be organ donor. Vatican authorities claim that after the death of a Pope, his body belongs to the whole church and must be buried intact. Moreover, if papal organs were donated, they would become relics in other bodies if it were eventually canonized.
