This seems to be the place to ask you Catholics a question I've had for a couple of weeks.
I was watching TLC, some show on mummification, and they said that each pope has been mummified after his death, and that the part of JP2 that was removed in surgury after the assasination attemp has already been mummified.
Is this for real? And if so why, and why just the pope and not all Catholics? Do they claim to have Peter's mummified body, or what is the oldest pope's mummy they have? I'm not trying to start any trouble, I just want a better understanding of this one thing.
bump for better understanding. Maybe patent knows, or knows someone who knows.
Can't really provide good answers, but I am not familiar with Popes being mummified. St. Peter is in the tombs of the Vatican, but I do not believe his remains are mummified. Most of the Popes reside in the crypt under St. Peter's. I don't know of any Popes for sure that were mummified, so obviously I can't tell you an earliest. There was talk when John XXIII was exhumed recently that his body was sort of mummified after it was exhumed to preserve it. Other then that I'm not to helpful here.
patent