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By the time Pope John Paul II's body is finally laid to rest Friday, millions of mourners from around the globe will have streamed past his remains at St. Peter's Basilica. The pope's body is lying in state for five full days in Rome before the funeral. With temperatures in the 60s and mostly sunny days, preserving the corpse could be challenge. But Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters Tuesday that Pope John Paul II's body had not been embalmed, only "prepared." What's the difference? Embalming--which can take several hours--usually consists of draining the blood and other bodily fluids before injecting formaldehyde or other preserving liquids intravenously. Superficial measures of preservation could range from placing a body on ice to spraying it with chemicals, or using makeup to cover any discoloration. NEWSWEEK's Jennifer Barrett Ozols spoke with R. Doggett Whitaker Jr., president of the National Funeral Directors Association and second-generation director of the Whitaker Funeral Home in South Carolina, about the risks and challenges of preserving the pope's body. Excerpts:
NEWSWEEK: Pope John Paul II died late Saturday and is lying in state until Friday's funeral, yet the Vatican says his body has not been embalmed. Is that possible?
R. Doggett Whitaker Jr.: There's some conflict in reports. One report said the pope's body was embalmed. Another said his body wasn't. I know he is being "prepared." So it could just be a difference of terminology as to what we call embalming in America versus what they call embalming in Rome. To keep him that long, I would have to assume that some type of preservation was used.
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Are there other means of preservation besides embalming?
One option is refrigeration. They could keep him in a refrigeration unit like hospitals have or keep ice on him--dry ice or some type of gas.
What would you recommend in a case like this?
It's our policy that we don't have a public viewing unless the body is embalmed. That is not the law. But, because of the physical effects of decomposition, it is our policy--though the family has the right to see the body if it's not embalmed.
Why is embalming done?
One reason is to allow the body to be transported from one location to another location, for the safekeeping of the body and those who are handling it. Another is to give family and friends some time to spend with the body and to give the person the tribute they want to and to say their goodbyes in a timely manner that they choose.
What exactly does the process of embalming involve now?
It's a chemical treatment of the body. It's a process of putting preservatives into the body in a liquid form that changes to a gaseous form and goes into the cells. It's hard for me not to be too technical. And I want to keep it very respectful.
Of course. I understand that embalming has been practiced for thousands of years. Has the procedure changed much over the centuries?
I think the biggest change is with the safety precautions that the funeral director and the embalmers use now. You use gloves and proper attire when you embalm. But the process is still very similar. Now we use an embalming machine. Before electricity was invented, a gravity machine was used. It was held up so that gravity would circulate the fluids through the body.
How long does embalming take now?
It depends on the size of an individual and cause of death--it could be anywhere from an hour to a number of hours.
The pope will be placed into three caskets: the first made of cypress, the second of lead, then both are placed inside one made of elm. Beyond symbolism, are there any practical reasons for placing the body in three separate caskets?
Not that I am aware of.
One Vatican expert was quoted as saying that materials like lead oxidize and slow the decomposition process.
If those caskets are welded shut, then there will be a lack of oxygen. Once the oxygen within the lead container escapes, then the lack of oxygen does slow down the decomposition.
Does it matter if the casket is made of lead or wood?
No. The purpose is keeping the oxygen out.
According to reports, Pope John XXIII's body was treated with formalin before it was laid in state after he died in 1963. When Vatican officials exhumed his body 37 years later to move it to a new spot in the basilica of St. Peter's, his face reportedly had not decomposed. And his hands, still holding a cross, were also preserved. Is that possible without embalming?
Yes. We have disinterred bodies from a long time ago--both embalmed and not--and had similar results. Actually, the substance we use now [in embalming] is a derivative of formalin.
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