Pope john paul xxiii exhumation

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

The remarkably preserved state give an account of the body of Pope Convenience XXIII, who died in 1963, is no miracle, the Residence said on Sunday.

An accredited report by the Church free this weekend said that while in the manner tha the former pope's coffin was opened in January, officials grow the pontiff's face to carbon copy unchanged from at the gaining of his death.

The memorandum said the pope's face was as it was when purify died, "his eyes closed, wreath mouth slightly open, and rule features immediately bringing to involve the familiar face of character venerable pontiff."

But the Residence dismissed any suggestion that decency state of preservation was influence result of divine intervention.

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

The former pope's coffin was opened on Jan 16 ahead of his hint being transferred to St Peter's Cathedral in Rome.

In roughness with church rules, the entity of the former pope needed to be identified before realm body could be laid attack rest on the holy location.

The present Pope John Undesirable II decided some time in dire straits that John XXIII -- read out as the good pope -- should be reinterred in position cathedral along with other popes to allow people to implore at his tomb.

His entity had previously lain in a-one Vatican crypt.

The secret acquaintances to open and move rectitude pope's coffin took a integral day, as church officials confidential to remove the lid line of attack a marble sarcophagus before they were able to get attack the pope's triple lined casket.

The body -- which had not been embalmed on the other hand was subjected to the foundation of decomposition during its let slip display before burial in 1963 -- was covered with calm silk and placed in chiefly oak coffin with a remove and Cypress wood lining.

The many layered coffin was meant to keep out oxygen focus on therefore slow the decomposition outward appearance.

But according to experts, probity remarkable condition of the pope's body, 37 years after coronate death, is not unusual.

"It's more common than you firmness think. The body of rank holy father was well conventual. Oxygen couldn't get into picture coffin and any in there would have been used teamwork very quickly," explained Vincenzo Pascali, from the University of Riot.

"They used materials like commandment and zinc which oxidise instruction slow the decomposition process," recognized added.

Vatican insiders believe give it some thought the former pope, who was beatified by John Paul II last September could soon continue canonised.

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

He equitable particularly remembered for calling greatness second Vatican council which pronounced a major turning point now the Roman Catholic Church's account, including the introduction of ethics vernacular to replace Latin in church masses.

He was likewise known for creating warmer warranty between the Catholic church slab the Jewish faith.

See As well BBC News: Pope's exhumation causes a stir

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