Editing Pope Pius XII (section)

==Later life, illness and death==
===Late years of Pope Pius XII===
{{Main|Late years of Pope Pius XII}}
A long illness in late 1954 caused the pope to consider [[Papal renunciation|abdication]]. Afterwards, changes in his work habit became noticeable. The Pope avoided long ceremonies, canonizations and consistories and displayed hesitancy in personnel matters. He found it increasingly difficult to chastise subordinates and appointees such as his physician, [[Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi]], who after numerous indiscretions was excluded from papal service for the last years, but, keeping his title, was able to enter the papal apartments to photograph the dying pope, which he sold to French magazines.<ref>Schneider, p. 80</ref> Pius underwent three courses of [[Rejuvenation (aging)|cellular rejuvenation]] treatment administered by [[Paul Niehans]], the most important in 1954 when Pius was gravely ill. Side-effects of the treatment included hallucinations, from which the Pope suffered in his last years. "These years were also plagued by horrific nightmares. Pacelli's blood-curdling screams could be heard throughout the papal apartments."<ref>Gerard Noel, ''Pius XII, The Hound of Hitler'', p. 3</ref>

Pius XII often elevated young priests as bishops, such as [[Julius Döpfner]] (35 years) and Karol Wojtyła (later [[Pope John Paul II]], 38 years), one of his last appointees in 1958. He took a firm stand against pastoral experiments, such as "[[worker-priest]]s", who worked full-time in factories and joined political parties and unions. He continued to defend the theological tradition of [[Thomism]] as worthy of continued reform, and as superior to modern trends such as [[Phenomenology (philosophy)|phenomenology]] or [[existentialism]].<ref>See ''[[Humani generis]]''.</ref>

===Illness and death===
[[File:1983pasca.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Mother [[Pascalina Lehnert]], Pius XII's housekeeper and confidant for 41 years, until his death<ref name="Gerard Noel, p.9"/>]]
[[File:Correio da Manhã AN 439.jpg|left|thumb|Photograph of Pius XII on his deathbed in Castel Gandolfo, taken on 10 October 1958]]

With frequent absences from work, Pope Pius XII had come to depend heavily on a few close colleagues, especially his aide [[Domenico Tardini]], his speechwriter [[Robert Leiber]], and his long-serving housekeeper Sister [[Pascalina Lehnert]]. The Pope still addressed lay people and groups about a wide range of topics. Sometimes he answered specific moral questions addressed to him. To professional associations he explained specific occupational ethics in light of church teachings. Robert Leiber helped him occasionally with his speeches and publications. Cardinal [[Augustin Bea]] was his personal confessor. Sister Pascalina was for forty years his "housekeeper, muse and lifelong companion".<ref>Noel, p. 4</ref>

On Monday, 6 October 1958, at around 8:30 CET (7:30 GMT), he suffered a stroke, weakening him greatly in addition to his other maladies, after having taken ill the previous day after a series of meetings. He received the [[Last rites]]. However, his condition suitably improved until 8 October when he suffered a second stroke. By the mid-afternoon, his doctors had reported that Pius XII was suffering from a severe cardio-pulmonary collapse and by 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT) believed that his death was imminent. Just before sunset, Pius XII contracted pneumonia and doctors immediately moved to bring in oxygen and blood plasma. His last words were reportedly, "Pray. Pray that this regrettable situation for the church may end".<ref name=accounts>{{cite web|url=https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=3304|title=Newspaper Accounts of the Death of Pope Pius XII|publisher=Catholic Culture|accessdate=7 February 2022}}</ref>

On the last full day of his life, his temperature rose steadily and his breathing became difficult. At 3:52 CET (2:52 GMT) on Thursday, 9 October, a Feast of Saint [[Denis of Paris]], he gave a smile, lowered his head and died. The cause of death was recorded as acute [[heart failure]]. Domenico Tardini prayed the ''[[Magnificat]] Anima mea dominum'', the Virgin Mary's praise of the Lord, in Latin. His doctor Gaspanini said afterwards: "The Holy Father did not die because of any specific illness. He was completely exhausted. He was overworked beyond limit. His heart was healthy, his lungs were good. He could have lived another 20 years, had he spared himself."<ref>Lehnert, Pascalina, p. 191</ref> [[Francoist Spain|Spain]] declared ten days of mourning;<ref name="delpher.nl">{{cite news | url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:011234329:mpeg21 | title=Gevonden in Delpher – de Tĳd : Godsdienstig-staatkundig dagblad | newspaper=De Tĳd : Godsdienstig-Staatkundig Dagblad | date=9 October 1958 }}</ref> [[Fourth Brazilian Republic|Brazil]] declared five days of mourning;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.planalto.gov.br/CcIVIL_03/decreto/1950-1969/D44611.htm | title=D44611 }}</ref> [[Italy]] declared three days of mourning and the closure of offices and schools as a sign of respect;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=3304 | title=Library : Newspaper Accounts of the Death of Pope Pius XII }}</ref> [[Estado Novo (Portugal)|Portugal]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://casacomum.org/cc/visualizador?pasta=06533.071.15978 | title=06533.071.15978 }}</ref> and [[Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)|Cuba]] declared three days of mourning.<ref name="delpher.nl"/>

The Testament of Pope Pius XII was published in the month of his death.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=20 October 1958 |title=Religion: Pius XII, 1876-1958 |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,863973,00.html |access-date=22 January 2023 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>

===Botched embalming===
[[File:Tumulo pio xii.jpg|thumb|''The Pope of Mary'': A [[Madonna and Child]], added by John Paul II in 1982, hangs over the tomb of Pius XII.]]
Pius XII's physician, [[Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi]], reported that the pontiff's body was embalmed in the room where he died using a novel process invented by Oreste Nuzzi.<ref name=ModernMummies>{{cite book|title=Modern Mummies|first=Christine|last=Quigley|year=1998|url=https://archive.org/details/modernmummiespre0000chri |publisher=McFarland & Co.|isbn=978-0-7864-0492-6|page=204}}</ref>

Pope Pius XII did not want the vital organs removed from his body, demanding instead that it should be kept in the same condition "in which God created it".<ref name="AP 11Oct58"/> According to Galeazzi-Lisi, this was the reason why he and Nuzzi, an embalmer from [[Naples]], used an atypical approach with the embalming procedure.<ref name="AP 11Oct58"/> In a controversial press conference, Galeazzi-Lisi described in great detail the embalming of the body of the late pontiff. He claimed to have used the same system of oils and resins with which the body of Jesus Christ was preserved.<ref name="AP 11Oct58">{{cite news |title=Embalming of Pope Pius Like That of the Christ |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-embalming-of-pope-pius/171089262/ |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Spokane Chronicle |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=11 October 1958 |pages=6}}</ref>{{clarify|date=July 2017}}

Galeazzi-Lisi asserted that the new process would "preserve the body indefinitely in its natural state".<ref name=ModernMummies/> However, whatever chance the new embalming process had of efficaciously preserving the body was obliterated by intense heat in [[Castel Gandolfo]] during the embalming process. As a result, the body decomposed rapidly and the viewing of the faithful had to be terminated abruptly.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Peleschuk |first1=Dan |title=The Man Who Made the Pope Explode |url=https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/the-man-who-made-the-pope-explode/94408/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926084705/https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/the-man-who-made-the-pope-explode/94408/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 September 2020 |website=Ozy.com |date=26 May 2019 |publisher=OZY |access-date=30 August 2021 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=April 2025}}

Galeazzi-Lisi reported that heat in the halls where the body of the late pope lay in state caused chemical reactions which required it to be treated twice after the original preparation.<ref name="AP 11Oct58"/> Others describe Galeazzi and Nuzzi "crawling over the catafalque in the dead of night... to renew their embalming".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Land, S.J. |first1=Philip S. |title=How Pius XII Died |journal=America Magazine |date=8 November 1958 |page=162 |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=35444452&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=25 April 2025}}</ref> [[Swiss guard]]s stationed around Pius XII's body were reported to have become ill during their vigil, and the body of the pope reportedly turned "emerald green".<ref name=ModernMummies/><ref>{{cite news |title=Preservation of popes after death marked by secrecy |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-07-fg-embalmer7-story.html |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=7 April 2005 |last=King|first=Laura}}</ref> However, other sources indicate it was the smell of the chemicals and resins that caused the eyes of the [[Noble Guard]] to water.<ref>{{cite news |title=Embalming a Pope |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/ogdensburg/ogdensburg-advance-news/1958/10-26/page-7 |access-date=25 April 2025 |work=Ogdensburg Advance News |date=26 October 1958 |page=4}}</ref>

===Funeral===
His funeral procession into Rome was the largest congregation of Romans as of that date. Romans mourned "their" pope, who was born in their own city, especially as a hero in the time of war.<ref>Lehnert, Pascalina. ''Ich durfte ihm dienen'', p. 197</ref> Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (later [[Pope John XXIII]]) wrote in his diary on Saturday, 11 October 1958 that probably no Roman had enjoyed such a triumph, which he viewed as a reflection of the spiritual majesty and religious dignity of the late Pius XII.<ref>[[Peter Hebblethwaite|Hebblethwaite, Peter]]. ''John XXIII, Pope of the Council'' (revised edition), HarperCollins: Glasgow. 1994</ref>

When Pius XII was interred, the small crucifix and rosary that he held in his hands as he died were buried with him.<ref name=accounts/>