There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not the deceased body of Pope John Paul II was embalmed for his viewing, which took place a full two days after his death. The Vatican claims that the deceased Pope was not embalmed, only cosmetically "prepared" for the viewing, while Australia's Daily Telegraph claimed the Pope was "embalmed...with his face – strangely smaller in death than in life." The Reigion News Blog had this to say:
John Paul II's embalmed corpse was placed on display in the Apostolic Palace so that prelates, diplomats and Italian government officials could pay their last respects. The body will be moved to St Peter's Basilica amid great pomp this afternoon to lie in state. The Prefect of Rome said it would stay there for three to four days.The reason the Vatican remains firm is that Pope Pius X, who reigned from 1903 to 1914, abolished the custom of removing organs, which are normally removed to make embalming more durable. The Vatican could possibly have its own definition of embalming which excludes the removal of internal organs. News.Scotsman.com characterized John Paul II's appearance at the viewing as "shocking...It is evident that he wished to be viewed as he had become."
So, the question remains: Were the Pope's remains chemically altered, albeit poorly, or not?
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