# Cloth over Pope's face

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloth-over-popes-face/299111>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloth-over-popes-face/299111 "2005-04-13T10:00:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloth-over-popes-face/299111/1 "2005-04-13T10:00:22Z")

</div>

I read in the news that the Pope’s face was covered with a white silk cloth prior to the casket being closed. Anyone know the reason for this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloth-over-popes-face/299111/2 "2005-04-13T12:51:07Z")

</div>

According to [The Age](http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2005/04/07/1112815672191.html) - “As papal tradition insists, the Pope’s face is covered in a cloth of white silk, then his body is placed in three coffins, one inside the other,” but why the tradition exists is a mystery.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cloth-over-popes-face/299111/3 "2005-04-13T15:07:42Z")

</div>

So people will have a “Shroud of Krakow” as a tourist attraction centuries hence?