What is thanatopraxy and who is Andrea Fantozzi who cared for the body of Benedict XVI
Andrea Fantozzi was the first to bring thanatopraxy to Italy, a practice with which the remains of Pope John Paul II had already been treated. Now he has dealt with those of Benedict XVI and Pelé has also received the same treatment. Here's what it consists of
It's called thanatopraxy and in the last few days it has been the practice used to preserve the body of two characters who have made history in different worlds: on the one hand, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and on the other, the football criminals Pelé.
In our country there is even the Italian national institute of thanatopraxy, a treatment introduced in Italy by Andrea Fantozzi, who had already taken care of performing it on the remains of Pope John Paul II.
WHAT IS TANATOPRAXIS
As the Institute's website explains, thanatopraxis, not to be confused with permanent embalming, is not only a post-mortem treatment which consists of hygienic conservation of the body after death, but it is above all a treatment that has the purpose to create a highly hygienic process in the funeral and cemetery sector.
AN INJECTION THAT PRESERVES THE CORPSE
Thanatopraxy, through an injection into the arterial system of a preserving fluid and a series of aesthetic treatments which allow to preserve an intact image, avoids the decomposition process for a few weeks. The appearance, in fact, remains intact in any type of environment from 10 to 15 days before burial.
Furthermore, with the treatment the natural return to dust of the body is guaranteed in a maximum time of 10 years, while it usually takes about 40 years and in some cases even 80.
Thanatopraxis, observes the Institute, is also a useful practice for forensic medicine as, by stopping the decomposition, it is easier to carry out the investigations.
WHO IS ANDREA FANTOZZI
The pioneer of this treatment in Italy is Andrea Fantozzi, originally from Capistrello, in the province of L'Aquila. Considered the leading expert on thanatopraxis by universities and institutions, in 2005 he had already dealt with the remains of Pope John Paul II together with a team of doctors.
In Avezzano, still close to the Abruzzo capital, Fantozzi, after a long and rich journey that began in 1990 with the creation of the Italian association of thanatopraxy (Assotan), of which he is president and founder, also founded in 1995 the national institute Italian thanatopraxis (Init).
Other well-known names the Institute has dealt with include Luciano Pavarotti, Rosa Carniato Benetton, Nicole Bulgari and Enzo Jannacci.
THE PRODUCT THAT REPLACED FORMALIN
Fantozzi is also president of Italtan , a company that since 1990 has been developing products intended not only for thanatopraxy, but also for funeral homes, hospitals and funeral homes. Among the inventions of which she is certainly most proud is the Fluytan , which has obtained the European patent. It is a fixative solution for preserving corpses that has replaced formalin, now considered carcinogenic since 2004.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS ABOUT THANATOPRAXIS
Although thanatopraxis is legally authorized in many European countries and is spreading rapidly, despite having arrived later than in the United States, where it is practiced on almost all corpses, in Italy, the Mortuary Police Regulations provide precise provisions for embalming but nothing for thanatopraxis.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/cose-la-tanatoprassi-e-chi-e-andrea-fantozzi-che-ha-curato-la-salma-di-benedetto-xvi/ on Tue, 03 Jan 2023 15:04:19 +0000.