Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi

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Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi (1891 - 1968) was an Italian medical doctor who served as Pope Pius XII's personal physician from 1939 until his dismissal in 1956. He managed to be present at the death of Pius XII 1958 and created a scandal in this context with his attempt to publish pictures and stories about the dying pontiff. ^[1] During his service in the Vatican he was officially titled "Archiatra Pontificio". The pope also made him an honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Riccardo Galeazzi Lisi was the half brother of the influential architect and banker Enrico Galeazzi Lisi, who was instrumental in the excarvations under Saint Peter. ^[2] Late in 1953, Pope Pius XII became sick. A strong hic-up developed and his Swiss doctor asked him to rest. He refused with the consequence that soon after he had to rest for five weeks. In a race with death, his gastritis prohibited food-intake and the hic-up accelerated. He was ready to resign the Papacy. ^[3] Our time needs a fully capable active Pope he told his assistant Robert Leiber. But the doctors assured him, that with time he would recuperate. Blood transfusions kept the Pope alive and, after months, he could resume his full duties. Like all Popes before and after him, a group of physicians watched constantly over him including Professors Gasbarini and Paul Niehans ^[4] During his long illness in 1954, American doctors were consulted by intervention of Francis Cardinal Spellman. ^[5] Niehans and the American doctors concluded that the origin of the illness was incurable in Hypothalamus of the Brain. ^[6]

Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi kept the title Archiatra Pontificio until 1956, when he was succeeded by Professor Gasperini, who already was a member of the team. After the death of Pius XII, he gave an article and photographs of the dead Pope to a French magazine, Paris Match, and to an Italian magazine. He also tried to publish a diary which he had composed of the last four days of Pius XII. After the press conference of RGL, in which he described in great detail the embalming the body, on October 20, the cardinals, before the conclave, - not Pope John as some claimed, since he was not elected on November 20, 1958 - dismissed him on October 20 ^[7] At he request of the assembled Cardinals he had to resign on October 20, 1958 even before he conclave. ^[8] He was censured by the Italian Medical council for unethical behaviour, a decision which he managed to revert on procedural grounds. ^[9] He was also held responsible for the premature wires news of the death of Pope Pius. Allegedly he had told waiting journalists, he would open the window of the Papal bedroom at this event. The window was later opened by a unsuspecting nun, who thus triggered the news of the death of Pope Pius, while he was still fighting for his life. Observers at the time did not blame Galeazzi alone. Modern news media such as TV for the first time in Church history were fully present and many traditional positions in the Papal residence Castel Gandolfo were vacant or understaffed in October 1958. A totally new challenge (TV) was meeting an unprepared, understaffed Papal summer redidence. ^[10]

Pius died on October 9, 1958 in Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence.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."^[11] His funeral procession into Rome was the largest congregation of Romans as of that date. Cardinal Angelo Roncalli (John XXIII) wrote is his diary on October 11, that probably no Roman emperor had enjoyed such a triumph, which he viewed as a reflection of the spiritual majesty and religious dignity of Pius XII. ^[12]

When Pius died, Galeazzi-Lisi assumed the role of Pius' embalmer. Together with the extraordinary temperature in Rome, the day long procession without any air-conditioning from Castel Gandolfo to Rome, the embalment echniques of Galeazzi-Lisi contributed to an early decay of the body of the dead Pontiff. It is reported that while transporting the pope's body from Castel Gandolfo to the Vatican, pressure within the coffin due to gases created clear noices, when the hearse reached the centre of Rome ^[13] However, the body was prepared over night and was laying in state in St. Peter, as tens of thousands mourners walked nearby without any problems seven persons deep, for several days, contrary to silly allegations some fourty years later, that the decay blew off the seals.^[14] and the stench caused by the decay was such that guards had to be rotated every 15 minutes, otherwise they would collapse.

Galeazzi-Lisi was never officially blamed for his embalming services, nor was he ever blamed by the Vatican for the medical condition of the Pope, which, as with all Popes, was in the hand of a committee of doctors. He was punished for his indiscretion with the media and his misuse of his medical privileges.^[15] and banned from Vatican City for life.^[16]

In the view of some he continues to be seen as a quack, and responsible for worsening the pontiff's medical problems and hastening his death. In 1960 Galeazzi-Lisi attempted to dispel accusations made against him, in his book "Dans l'Ombre et la Lumière de Pie XII" ("In the Shadow and the Light of Pius XII") ASIN B0007IXPV6.

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