Podcast Summary: Acontece que no es poco | Muerte y explosión del papa nazi Pío XII

Host: Nieves Concostrina (Cadena SER)
Date: October 9, 2023
Episode Theme:
A darkly humorous dive into the death and infamous post-mortem of Pope Pius XII, known as “the Nazi Pope,” exposing his controversial legacy and the grotesque aftermath of his demise.

Main Theme and Purpose

Nieves Concostrina, in her singular irreverent style, revisits the life, death, and particularly peculiar post-mortem of Pope Pius XII. The episode explores not only the Pope's controversial complicity with the Nazis during WWII but also how his messy embalsamation led to a literal explosion of his corpse—an event that forced the Vatican to rethink its funerary protocols. This episode uses irony and biting critique to shed light on the hypocrisy and secrecy within the Vatican, making history both shocking and entertaining.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Portrayal of Pius XII and Historical Context

• Pius XII’s Infamy: Nieves wastes no time in labeling Pius XII as "el Papa nazi", highlighting his well-known complicity with the Nazis.

  • Quote [01:14]:
    "Mucho tardó en morirse este pollino, para lo bicho que era... Tenía de persona piadosa lo que Paqui rinde físico cuántico, era un canalla, era un hipócrita... y lo más grave, cómplice de los nazis."
    (Nieves, 01:14)

• Recent Revelations: Discussion of recently declassified documents confirming that Pius XII received direct reports on the Holocaust and ignored pleas for help.

  • Quote [03:54]:
    "Se ha hecho pública la carta del cura alemán que le escribió informándole a Pío XII en diciembre de 1942 de que 6.000 personas eran asesinadas diariamente en los hornos de las SS..."
    (Nieves, 03:54)

2. Vatican Secrecy and Complicity

• Route of the Rat: A brief mention of Vatican networks that helped Nazis escape after WWII.

  • Quote [04:33]:
    "Desde el Vaticano se facilitó la salida de los nazis desde Europa hacia América. La famosa ruta conocida como Ruta de la Rata."
    (Nieves, 04:33)

• Systemic Abuse & Silence: Pius XII’s inaction compared to the broader culture of silence surrounding other Church scandals.

3. The Death and Embalming Disaster

Segment Timestamp: [06:00 - 11:16]

• Pius XII Dies (09/10/1958, Castel Gandolfo)

  • Cause: Heart attack, after days of agony (Nieves quips about him "suffering a little").

• The "Explosion"

  • The event: An ill-conceived embalming method developed by Dr. Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi (Pius’ doctor/embalmer) led Pius XII’s body to putrefy at extraordinary speed. Instead of traditional methods, the body was swaddled in plastic film and spices like meat marinating—intended to make him look “fetén” (perfect).
    • Quote [06:23]:
      "El médico... quiso emplear un nuevo método de embalsamamiento... envolvió al Papa en plástico... y el Papa se maceró. Sí, pero se maceró malamente. Más que macerarse, fermentó."
      (Nieves, 06:23)

• Descent Into Grotesque

  • The rapid decomposition: His chest literally “exploded” due to gas buildup, some fingers detached, nose crumbled, skin turned green-black, and the stench became so unbearable that Swiss guards had to be relieved every 10-15 minutes during the public viewing in St. Peter’s Basilica.

    • Quote [08:13]:
      "Nunca se había visto a un Papa pudrirse con tanta prisa... El pecho papal explotó. Explotó por la acumulación de gases. Se le desprendió algún dedo..."
      (Nieves, 08:13)

    • Memorable reaction [10:27]:
      "Aquel embalsamamiento chapucero fue un desastre. Y por eso el Papa fermentó y explotó. Que por Dios y por la Virgen ¿Dónde se ha visto que un Papa explote?"
      (Nieves, 10:27)

4. Embalming Myths and Biblical Misinterpretations

Segment Timestamp: [09:34 - 10:22]

• Dr. Galeazzi justified his method based on apocryphal, “novelesque” ideas about ancient embalming (inspired by the Bible), which Nieves dismisses as “cuento chino” (tall tales). Traditional aromatic herbs masked odor but never truly preserved corpses.

5. The Doctor’s Greed and Vatican Reform

Segment Timestamp: [11:50 - 14:09]

• Galeazzi’s Corruption

  • He sold exclusive information—and even deathbed photos—to the press (Paris Match), breaking protocol and ethics.
    • Quote [12:03]:
      "A este hombre debería haber acabado en realidad detenido... negociaba con agencias de noticias, publicó fotos de Pío XII en la cama mientras agonizaba..."
      (Nieves, 12:03)

• Scandal Leads to Change

  • From then on, the Vatican forbade embalmers from “creative methods” and banned outside photography during papal deaths. John XXIII picked his own embalmers to avoid "exploding", and John Paul II restricted images only to Vatican records.

6. Tone and Reflection

• Throughout, Nieves wields scathing irony, refusing to mythologize papal figures and vowing not to sugar-coat Church history.
  • Closing sentiment [13:57]:
    "Sirva este acontecido maloliente y asqueroso sobre el Papa nazi como prueba de que un pontífice, por muy sumo que sea, cuando se muere, apesta más que un ateo."
    (Nieves, 13:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pius XII’s character:
  "...un canalla, era un hipócrita... cómplice de los nazis." [01:14]
• On the embalming disaster:
  "El pecho papal explotó. Explotó por la acumulación de gases." [08:13]
• Wry conclusion:
  "Cuando se muere, apesta más que un ateo." [13:57]

Key Timestamps

• 01:14: Nieves’ blunt assessment of Pius XII’s legacy
• 03:54: Confirmation Pius XII knew and ignored Holocaust reports
• 06:23: Details of Galeazzi’s botched embalming
• 08:13: The infamous “explosion”
• 12:03: The doctor’s betrayal and photo scandal
• 13:57: Irreverent final reflection on papal mortality

Conclusion

In her classic irreverence, Nieves Concostrina leverages the bizarre, embarrassing fate of Pius XII’s corpse as a metaphor for the rot within the Vatican and the failures of its most infamous “nazi” Pope. Her historical retelling is both grotesque and illuminating, shattering myths with sarcasm and giving listeners history that's as unforgettable as it is shocking.