e
decreed that all further mangling of the human body, the very
mention of which fills the soul with horror, should be henceforth
abolished.

"The custom referred to is observed with regard to those who happen
to be in any way distinguished by birth or position, who, when dying
in foreign lands, have expressed a desire to be buried in their own
country. The custom consists of disemboweling and dismembering the
corpse, or chopping it into pieces and then boiling it so as to
remove the flesh before sending the bones home to be buried--all
from a distorted respect for the dead. Now, this is not only
abominable in the sight of God, but extremely revolting under every
human aspect. Wishing, therefore, as the duty of our office demands,
to provide a remedy for this abuse, by which the custom, which is
such an abomination, so inhuman and so impious, may be eradicated
and no longer be practiced by anyone, We, by our apostolic
authority, decree and ordain that no matter of what position or
family or dignity they may be, no matter in what cities or lands or
places in which the worship of the Catholic faith flourishes, the
practice of this or any similar abuse with regard to the bodies of
the dead should cease {33} forever, no longer be observed, and that
the hands of the faithful should not be stained by such barbarities.

"And in order that the bodies of the dead should not be thus
impiously and barbarously treated and then transported to the places
in which, while alive, they had selected to be buried, let them be
given sepulture for the time either in the city or the camp or in
the place where they have died, or in some neighboring place, so
that, when finally their bodies have been reduced to ashes or
otherwise, they may be brought to the place where they wish to be
buried and there be interred. And, if the executor or executrix of
the aforesaid defunct, or those of his household, or anyone else of
whatever order, condition, state or grade he may be, even if he
should be clothed with episcopal dignity, should presume to attempt
anything against the tenor of this our statute and ordination, by
inhumanly and barbarously treating the bodies of the dead, as we
have described, let him know that by the very fact he incurs the
sentence of excommunication, from which he cannot obtain absolution
(unless at the moment of death), except from the Holy See. And