NEWS: Hopefully, The Pope Is On Ice

CULTURE: Hopefully, The Pope Is On Ice

Pope John Paul II, according to a statement from the Vatican, was not embalmed.The process, which has been performed on many of the past popes, ensures that the body will remain “lifelike” while it is on display.

The body of John Paul II will be interned in the vacant tomb of Pope John XXIII.

And you couldn't pay me to be a Swiss Guard on day seven of John Paul II on display.

they MUSThave done something, i would have to assume that they wouldn't let him decay while thousands of people pour through.

maybe its a super secret new pope-preserving procedure

Popeerware™

If god really likes him, maybe he's/she's keeping him from decomposing for a few extra days. God can supposedly do all kinds of weird shit.

Mmmm, sun-dried pope.

[Edited on Apr 06, 2005 10:01PM]

That's going to be one stinky Pope.

Yea, the rose perfumes or something. Either that, or they could be burning godawful amounts of inscense.

Popery™

I want to know how Pope John XXIII's tomb is "vacant". Did he decide he was tired of being dead and just get up and leave?

its really weird that they have him just lying there

His body was put on display during his beatification. They say his body was amazingly well preserved...FOR A VAMPIRE.

he stunk in life, he´ll stink now.

I can't believe this wasn't in the article.

The reasoning behind this is that if his body doesn't show signs of decay as soon as a normal body would, that it would be known to all that he was truly blessed or sainted or something weird like that.

The whole thing is a debacle even if he doesn't decay at a normal rate, because they'd have to do something to keep his body from bloating, so in effect he was not left untouched.

When Popes Go Bad.

Sorry.

Can you say: "maggots"?

Who's up for a trip to Popestock? I want the "White Miter Keychain" and "Pope on a Rope" (cleanse your skin while you cleanse your soul).

Yes, I'm driving the bus to hell. No, I don't care.

Will they bury him in his Popemobile?

Punch-buggery!!!

saints' bodies don't decay.

see, when a person is in the process of seeing if they can become a saint or not, one of the clues that show this person is worthy of sainthood is if their body does not decay. and then there are the miracles, yada yada yada, but i think the decaying thing is interesting.

OMFG!!! I just had this conservation with Azrael_Abyss...I agree with her...they must have to Febreze him.

Glade Plug-ins.

When Harold II (last Saxon king of England) died, the undertakers were a bit slow in putting him the ground, too. During his funeral service, his bloated corpse was on display. The smell was bad enough with him just lying there. But when his stomach burst open and his decomposing viscera sprayed the crowd, that's when things really got fun.

The moral of this story?

It doesn't matter how important you are in life, it's important to get your unembalmed carcas into the ground quickly when you die. Otherwise your stomach could explode rotting entrails onto your follows. And that's just not cool.

[Edited on Apr 06, 2005 by Krash]

*refrains from making a "popesicle" joke*

-TM

Here's an interesting tidbit from the Wikipedia entry on John Paul I: