Pope Francis’ coffin to be sealed Friday evening ahead of Saturday funeral

[Michie]

Pope Francis’ coffin will be sealed in a liturgical rite this evening ahead of his solemn funeral, set to take place the next morning on Saturday, April 26.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo,will preside at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin beginning at 8 p.m. Rome time April 25, the Vatican announced. After his death on April 21, the pope’s body — dressed in red liturgical vestments with the miter and pallium — had been placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining.

Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, Pietro Parolin, Roger Mahony, Domenique Mamberti, Mauro Gambetti, Baldassare Reina, and Konrad Krajewski have been invited to attend the ceremony, according to Vatican News. Other Holy See officials will be present to assist with the ceremony.

The liturgy closing the coffin will end the three days of Pope Francis’ lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, during which a massive number of Catholics from around the world have come to pay their respects. As of Thursday evening, an estimated 90,000 people have entered St. Peter’s Basilica — many waiting hours in line — to catch a glimpse of the late pope.

Continued below.

Pope Francis’ coffin to be sealed Friday evening ahead of Saturday funeral

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, will preside at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin beginning at 8 p.m. Rome time on Friday, April 25.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[Michie]

1:30 Eastern time on EWTN.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Probably has to do with the fact that Pope's like Francis, aren't embalmed. They will examine him in the future
to see if his body is uncorrupted.

 

[Michie]

Probably has to do with the fact that Pope's like Francis, aren't embalmed. They will examine him in the future
to see if his body is uncorrupted.

He is not embalmed??

 

[JimR-OCDS]

He is not embalmed??

I don't believe any of the recent popes were embalmed. This is to confirm that if they remain uncorrupted in the future,
embalming can't be the reason why it happened.

 

[Michie]

I just read he had a temporary embalming.

Ahead of his lying-in-state, Pope Francis's body was made ready to withstand Rome's warm spring weather with a temporary embalming and a touch of make-up, an expert told AFP.

Embalming and make-up: Pope's body prepared for lying-in-state

Ahead of his lying-in-state, Pope Francis's body was made ready to withstand Rome's warm spring weather with a temporary embalming and a touch of make-up, an expert told AFP. The body of the 88-year-old, who died on Monday, will be on display for three days in Saint Peter's Basilica from...

www.yahoo.com

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I just read he had a temporary embalming.

Ahead of his lying-in-state, Pope Francis's body was made ready to withstand Rome's warm spring weather with a temporary embalming and a touch of make-up, an expert told AFP.

Embalming and make-up: Pope's body prepared for lying-in-state

Ahead of his lying-in-state, Pope Francis's body was made ready to withstand Rome's warm spring weather with a temporary embalming and a touch of make-up, an expert told AFP. The body of the 88-year-old, who died on Monday, will be on display for three days in Saint Peter's Basilica from...

www.yahoo.com

Well, the skeptics will use this for the reason his body is found to be uncorrupt in the future.

 

[Michie]

I’ve been researching it. Many popes were embalmed from what I read. Pope Pius XII was a particularly gruesome example.

Going Out With A Bang: What Happened To The Pope Who Was Embalmed Organs-In?

Going out with a bang in the worst possible way.

www.iflscience.com

 

[Michie]

Pope John – incorrupt

A...

www.messengersaintanthony.com

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Pope John – incorrupt

A...

www.messengersaintanthony.com

Apparently, the embalming wasn't a usual embalming as the organs and brain were still present,
per the article.

I got into an argument when I posted a picture of St Bernadette's incorrupt body. A person showed
Lenin's incorrupt body and said it was the same reason. Embalming fluid was injected after the blood
and organs were removed. Not so St Bernadette, but the person was skeptical about it.

 

[Lady Bug]

How could he have been lying "in state" (sorry if the term is wrong) this long without being embalmed?

I read somewhere on FB that people were trying to take selfies next to his body!

 

[Michie]

How could he have been lying "in state" (sorry if the term is wrong) this long without being embalmed?

I read somewhere on FB that people were trying to take selfies next to his body!

This explains it. Embalming and make-up: Pope's body prepared for lying-in-state

It’s a temporary embalming that allows viewing time but not an embalming like we are accustomed to hearing about.

 

[RileyG]

He is not embalmed??

If I understand correctly, embalming is usually only done in the United States and Canada only. I do not believe St. John Paul II was embalmed.

(Not to go off topic, Queen Elizabeth II was indeed embambed and put into a seal-tight casket, but her body was never viewed by the public. I don't think embalming, as a whole, is common in Europe).

 

[RileyG]

This explains it. Embalming and make-up: Pope's body prepared for lying-in-state

It’s a temporary embalming that allows viewing time but not an embalming like we are accustomed to hearing about.

No embalming lasts forever, regardless. From what I read, some bodies are skeletal or look even worse after 10+ years, while some look like they just been buried after 30+ years. It varies from person to person.

 

[Michie]

If I understand correctly, embalming is usually only done in the United States and Canada only. I do not believe St. John Paul II was embalmed.

(Not to go off topic, Queen Elizabeth II was indeed embambed and put into a seal-tight casket, but her body was never viewed by the public. I don't think embalming, as a whole, is common in Europe).

He had a temporary embalming like Pope Francis for public viewing from what I read.

ETA:

I found this-
Today, embalming is a common practice in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Ireland, while it is much less frequent in many parts of Europe; most modern countries have embalming available in some manner.

 

[RileyG]

He had a temporary embalming like Pope Francis for public viewing from what I read.

ETA:

I found this-
Today, embalming is a common practice in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Ireland, while it is much less frequent in many parts of Europe; most modern countries have embalming available in some manner.

Ah, interesting. It wasn't common in the United States until the civil war, and Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be embalmed. He was even recognizable 30+ years after his death.

 

[Michie]

No embalming lasts forever, regardless. From what I read, some bodies are skeletal or look even worse after 10+ years, while some look like they just been buried after 30+ years. It varies from person to person.

Yes I know. It’s to follow social customs for the living for the most part.

 

[Michie]

Ah, interesting. It wasn't common in the United States until the civil war, and Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be embalmed. He was even recognizable 30+ years after his death.

I assume you read about Pope Pius II?

 

[RileyG]

I assume you read about Pope Pius II?

I think I know what you are referring to, yes.

 

[Michie]

I think I know what you are referring to, yes.

The Vatican vowed to never let that happen again. That why they do the temporary embalming but it’s only supposed to last about 10 days.