The Vatican: Book Says John Paul Flagellated Himself

Pope John Paul II flagellated himself regularly to imitate Christ’s suffering, according to a book published Tuesday by the Vatican official in charge of the process that could lead to the pope’s sainthood. The book says that John Paul, who died in 2005, engaged in a practice known as mortification, the self-infliction of pain in order to feel closer to God, whipping himself with a belt that he kept in his closet. The book also said that when he was a bishop, he often slept on the bare floor so he could practice self-denial and asceticism. / digest

By REUTERS Published: January 26, 2010

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