In an exclusive interview with the last surviving member of the most prestigious medical team in the Vatican I learned about the Vatican's commitment and effort to modernize embalming techniques in order to preserve the Catholic Church's most sacred body parts and bodies.
Now retired and nearing the age of 90 years old, this woman shared her story with an exceptional alertness. As a medical surgeon her job was to examine the internal organs of recently deceased Popes and prepare them for burial. She also treated over 30 bodies and various bodily relics during her career, some dating as far back as the 3rd Century.
In her living room on a Sunday afternoon, wearing a pink wool sweater and pearls and serving me cream puffs, she showed me before and after photographs of bodies from the 13th Century that she recreated from a pile of bones.
Her work is in the spotlight recently as she mummified the body of Pope John XXIII, who will soon be recognized as a saint in addition to Pope John Paul II in a ceremony to be conducted by Pope Francis in April.
Check out the full story in The New York Post- Article Link
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