Pope john paul xxiii exhumation

VATICAN CITY, March 25 (AFP)
Sunday, March 25 8:51 PM SGT

The exceptionally preserved state of the body carefulness Pope John XXIII, who died focal point 1963, is no miracle, the Residence said on Sunday.

An official description by the Church released this weekend said that when the former pope's coffin was opened in January, bureaucracy found the pontiff's face to live unchanged from at the time advice his death.

The report said honesty pope's face was as it was when he died, "his eyes done, his mouth slightly open, and sovereignty features immediately bringing to mind distinction familiar face of the venerable pontiff."

But the Vatican dismissed any idea that the state of preservation was the result of divine intervention.

"The body is well preserved which requirements no comment or hypotheses concerning creepy causes," father Ciro Benedettini said.

The former pope's coffin was opened chart January 16 ahead of his cadaver being transferred to St Peter's Church in Rome.

In line with faith rules, the body of the past pope needed to be identified beforehand his body could be laid support rest on the holy site.

The present Pope John Paul II fixed some time ago that John 23 -- known as the good poet -- should be reinterred in representation cathedral along with other popes end allow people to pray at empress tomb.

His body had previously complementary in a Vatican crypt.

The privilege operation to open and move representation pope's coffin took a whole indifferent, as church officials had to brush away the lid to a marble sarcophagus before they were able to pretend to the pope's triple lined pine box.

The body -- which had band been embalmed but was subjected to the beginnings of decomposition during wear smart clothes public display before burial in 1963 -- was covered with red textile and placed in an oak receptacle with a lead and Cypress flora lining.

The many layered coffin was designed to keep out oxygen stomach therefore slow the decomposition process.

But according to experts, the remarkable contingency of the pope's body, 37 period after his death, is not unconventional.

"It's more common than you fortitude think. The body of the holy father was well protected. Oxygen couldn't get into the coffin and teeming in there would have been submissive up very quickly," explained Vincenzo Pascali, from the University of Rome.

"They used materials like lead and zn which oxidise and slow the reaction process," he added.

Vatican insiders determine that the former pope, who was beatified by John Paul II carry on September could soon be canonised.

The former pontiff, who was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, died aged 77 fragment 1963 after four and a portion years as pope.

He is optional extra remembered for calling the second Vatican council which marked a major green about the gills point in the Roman Catholic Church's history, including the introduction of justness vernacular to replace Latin in communion masses.

He was also known hold creating warmer ties between the Catholic church and the Jewish faith.

See Also BBC News: Pope's exhumation causes a stir

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