Where will John Paul be buried?
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said the pope would “almost surely” be buried in a grotto beneath the basilica, where Pope John XXIII lay before his remains were taken up to the main floor. The underground chamber already contains the remains of 147 popes. Q: Are there special burial rituals for a pope? A: The pope traditionally is dressed in white vestments, and two layers of white silk are laid over his head and hands. The body is placed inside a cypress coffin, and that coffin is encased in two others: first a lead coffin engraved with the pope’s name and the dates of his pontificate, then a coffin made of elm. In keeping with John Paul’s devotion to rank-and-file Catholics, his casket will be set on the ground during the service, not on a stand. An open Bible will be on top of the casket. Traditionally, the pope is buried with a death certificate, key documents of his papacy, a velvet pouch containing coins and medals struck during his papacy and the remnants of his Fisherm
