From April 2, 2010 to May 23, 2010 the Shroud of Turin will once again go on public display. It is the first time the burial cloth showing the image of a crucified man has been on display since it underwent an intensive restoration processes in 2002. It is expected that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims will make the trip to catch a brief glimpse of the shroud and on May 2 Pope Benedict XVI will be one of them.
The Shroud of Turin is an amazing piece of history that for believers presents to us the image of the crucified Christ. Doubters in the Shroud’s authenticity have called for intensive scientific research to verify the claim that it is actually the image of Jesus. This has been allowed and the result after hundreds of thousands of hours of scientific testing is that there is no good explanation for how the image could appear on the Shroud by an artist or forgerer. In fact, some very peculiar findings add credibility to the belief that it actually is the burial cloth of Christ, and that the image (much like the image of our Lady of Guadalupe) appears on the cloth because of a miracle.
Like the many Eucharistic miracles, the incorruptible Saints, and the image our Our Lady, the Shroud has inspired many Christians to confront the reality of the Gospel and has strengthened the faith of those who look upon it with faith.
For more information on the shroud and the scientific research that has been done, you can visit the the Archdiocese of Turin website, or the website of the Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association.
- Patrick Looby
