This is an accepted version of this page
91-521: The Shroud of Turin Research Project (often abbreviated as STURP ) refers to a team of scientists which performed a set of experiments and analyses on the Shroud of Turin during the late 1970s and early 1980s. STURP issued its final report in 1981. The origins of the group go back to the experiments of physicist John P. Jackson, thermodynamicist Eric Jumper and photographer William Mottern in 1976. Using
182-577: A Holy Face Medal as a means of protection. Sister Maria Pierina herself died in 1945 at the end of the war. In 2000 Pope John Paul II stated that the inscription "Illumina, Domine, Vultum tuum super nos" on the Holy Face Medal underscores the need for deeper reflection on the Face of Jesus and the spread of devotion to it. The first medal of the Holy Face was offered to Pope Pius XII who approved of
273-492: A black and white photographic negative than in its natural sepia color , an effect discovered in 1898 by Secondo Pia , who produced the first photographs of the shroud. This negative image is associated with a popular Catholic devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus . The documented history of the shroud dates back to 1354, when it was exhibited in the new collegiate church of Lirey , a village in north-central France. The shroud
364-489: A dilute solution of red ochre pigment in a gelatin medium. McCrone found that the apparent bloodstains were painted with vermilion pigment, also in a gelatin medium. McCrone's findings were disputed by other researchers and the nature of the image on the shroud continues to be debated. Radiocarbon dating has established that the shroud is from the medieval period, and not from the time of Jesus. This corresponds with its first documented appearance in 1354. Defenders of
455-465: A length of linen cloth that bears a faint image, with details that are consistent with artistic representations of Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion . The shroud has been venerated for centuries, especially by members of the Catholic Church , as Jesus' actual burial shroud upon which Jesus's image was miraculously imprinted. The human image on the shroud can be discerned more clearly in
546-539: A painting or panel made to represent or imitate the Shroud". However, in 1506, Pope Julius II reversed this position and declared the Shroud to be authentic and authorized the public veneration of it with its own mass and office. The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano covered the story of Secondo Pia 's photograph of 28 May 1898 in its edition of 15 June 1898, but it did so with no comment and thereafter Church officials generally refrained from officially commenting on
637-582: A pilgrimage to Turin on 21 June 2015, to pray before and venerate the Holy Shroud and honor St. John Bosco on the bicentenary of his birth. Sindonology (from the Greek σινδών—sindon, the word used in the Gospel of Mark to describe the type of the burial cloth of Jesus) is the formal study of the Shroud. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first use of this word in 1964: "The investigation ... assumed
728-571: A public exhibition. The Shroud remained the property of the House of Savoy until 1983, when it was bequeathed to the Holy See according to the terms of the will of former king Umberto II of Italy . A fire, possibly caused by arson , threatened the Shroud on 11 April 1997. In 2002, the Holy See had the Shroud restored. The cloth backing and thirty patches were removed, making it possible to photograph and scan
819-761: A similar oratory in Rome. This was eventually opened in the Via Pietro Cavallini in 1891 and administered by the Priests, but was demolished in subsequent redevelopment. Thérèse of Lisieux was a French nun who received the Carmelite habit in 1889 and later became known by the religious name "St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face". She was introduced to the Holy Face devotion through her blood sister Pauline, Sister Agnès of Jesus. Thérèse wrote many prayers to express
910-566: Is an image of God's love as well as of human sin" and "it is an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age." The Holy Face devotion and the Holy Face Medal spread among Roman Catholics worldwide, with organizations such as the Holy Face Association. In his 2005 book On the Way to Jesus Christ , Pope Benedict XVI performed an analysis of Holy Face devotions, and characterized them as having three separate components. The first element
1001-514: Is connected to both the royal palace and the Turin Cathedral . Ownership of the shroud passed from the House of Savoy to the Catholic Church after the death of former king Umberto II in 1983. The microscopist Walter McCrone found, based on his examination of samples taken in 1978 from the surface of the shroud using adhesive tape , that the image on the shroud had been painted with
SECTION 10
#17328585158531092-553: Is contemplated I will pour out my love into the heart of those persons, and by means of my Holy Face the salvation of many souls will be obtained". She further reported that Jesus wanted a special Feast on the day before Ash Wednesday in honor of His Holy Face, to be preceded by a Novena (9 days) of prayers. After some effort Sister Maria Pierina managed to obtain permission to cast the medal and its use started to grow in Italy. As World War II started, many soldiers and sailors were given
1183-571: Is currently associated with Catholic devotions to the Holy Face of Jesus , the devotions themselves predate Secondo Pia 's 1898 photograph. Such devotions had been established in 1844 by the Carmelite nun Marie of St Peter (based on "pre-crucifixion" images associated with the Veil of Veronica ) and promoted by Leo Dupont , also called the Apostle of the Holy Face . In 1851 Dupont formed the "Archconfraternity of
1274-480: Is discipleship, and the orientation of one's life towards an encounter with Jesus. The second element is seeing Jesus in the Eucharist . The third element is eschatological, and is interwoven between the other two. Referring to Matthew 25:31–36 Benedict XVI stated that the first element (i.e. discipleship) involves seeing Jesus in the face of the poor and the oppressed, and caring for them, but to properly see Jesus in
1365-415: Is filled with argon (99.5%) and oxygen (0.5%) to prevent chemical changes. The shroud itself is kept on an aluminum support sliding on runners and stored flat within the case. The Gospels of Matthew , Mark , and Luke state that Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus in a linen shroud "sindon" and placed it in a new tomb. The Gospel of John says he used linen cloths "othonia". After
1456-406: Is for me Heaven on earth. My love discovers the charms of Your Face adorned with tears. I smile through my own tears when I contemplate Your sorrows." Thérèse also composed the Holy Face prayer for sinners : "Eternal Father, since Thou hast given me for my inheritance the adorable Face of Thy Divine Son, I offer that face to Thee and I beg Thee, in exchange for this coin of infinite value, to forget
1547-613: Is it not the Church's task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make his face shine also before the generations of the new millennium? Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face. In the same message John Paul II also related the theme of the contemplation to that of contemplating the Person of Christ as discussed in his first encyclical Redemptor hominis . [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
1638-515: Is not a matter of faith, the Church has no specific competence to pronounce on these questions. She entrusts to scientists the task of continuing to investigate, so that satisfactory answers may be found to the questions connected with this Sheet." Pope John Paul II showed himself to be deeply moved by the image of the Shroud and arranged for public showings in 1998 and 2000. In his address at the Turin Cathedral on Sunday 24 May 1998 (the occasion of
1729-468: Is not the product of an artist. The blood stains are composed of hemoglobin and also give a positive test for serum albumin. The image is an ongoing mystery and until further chemical studies are made, perhaps by this group of scientists, or perhaps by some scientists in the future, the problem remains unsolved. Joe Nickell of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry has pointed out that "STURP's leaders served on
1820-458: Is the Holy Face Medal bearing the image from the shroud, worn by some Catholics. Indeed, the Shroud of Turin is respected by Christians of several traditions, including Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians. Several Lutheran parishes have hosted replicas of the Shroud of Turin, for didactic and devotional purposes. Although the shroud image
1911-434: Is woven in a three-to-one herringbone twill composed of flax fibrils. Its most distinctive characteristic is the faint, brownish image of a front and back view of a naked man with his hands folded across his groin. The two views are aligned along the midplane of the body and point in opposite directions. The front and back views of the head nearly meet at the middle of the cloth. The image in faint straw-yellow colour on
SECTION 20
#17328585158532002-566: The Byzantine Empire and now generally regarded as lost or destroyed, as is the Hodegetria image of the Virgin Mary. Other early images in Italy, all heavily and unfortunately restored, that have been revered as acheiropoieta now have relatively little following, as attention has focused on the Shroud. In 1389, the bishop of Troyes sent a memorial to Antipope Clement VII , declaring that
2093-470: The Holy See . The tests were done on portions of a swatch taken from a corner of the shroud, and concluded with 95% confidence that the material dated to 1260–1390 AD. The dating matches the first appearance of the shroud in church history. This dating is also slightly more recent than that estimated by art historian W. S. A. Dale, who postulated on artistic grounds that the shroud is an 11th-century icon made for use in worship services. Some proponents for
2184-574: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, biophysicist John Heller, photographers Vern Miller and Barrie Schwortz, optical physicist Sam Pellicori, and electric power experts John D. German and Rudy Dichtl, as well as forensic pathologist Robert Bucklin. STURP included no experts on medieval art, archaeology, or textiles. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the shroud in Turin , it
2275-602: The Mors Pilati that describe a "veil of Veronica" imprinted with Christ's face. The oldest and best known of these images was called the vera icon ('true image'), which in the popular imagination developed a story of a person "Veronica". The story is not recorded in its present form until the Middle Ages. According to tradition Veronica encountered Jesus along the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary. When she paused to wipe
2366-554: The Roman Catholic Church made no pronouncements on its authenticity. As with other approved Catholic devotions , the matter has been left to the personal decision of the faithful, as long as the Church does not issue a future notification to the contrary. In the Church's view, whether the cloth is authentic or not has no bearing whatsoever on the validity of what Jesus taught or on the saving power of his death and resurrection. Pope John Paul II stated in 1998 that: "Since it
2457-451: The Shroud of Turin Research Project . In 1978, this group, often called STURP, was given direct access to the Shroud. Also in 1978, independently from the STURP research, Giovanni Tamburelli obtained at CSELT a 3D-elaboration from the Shroud with higher resolution than Jumper and Mottern. A second result of Tamburelli was the electronic removal from the image of the blood that apparently covers
2548-620: The Virgin Mary in which she was urged to spread the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus, in reparation for the many insults Jesus suffered in his Passion . Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus started to spread among Roman Catholics in France. Leo Dupont was a religious man from a noble family who had moved to Tours . In 1849 he had started the nightly Eucharistic Adoration movement in Tours, from where it spread within France. He later came to be known as
2639-570: The curia of Besançon in 1457. The Shroud became the palladium of the House of Savoy , and by 1466 it had been deposited in the ducal chapel in Chambéry , the capital of the Savoyard state . In 1506, Pope Julius II authorized the veneration of the Shroud as a true relic of Jesus. In 1532, the Shroud was damaged by a fire in the chapel of Chambéry, when molten silver from the reliquary passed through
2730-415: The "Holy Man of Tours". Upon hearing of Sister Marie of St Peter 's reported visions, he started to burn a vigil lamp continuously before a picture of the Holy Face of Jesus, at that time an image based on the Veil of Veronica . Dupont prayed for and promoted the case for a devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus for around 30 years. However, the documents pertaining to the life of sister Marie of St. Peter and
2821-400: The "bloodstains" in the image had been highlighted with vermilion (a bright red pigment made from mercury sulfide ), also in a collagen tempera medium. McCrone reported that no actual blood was present in the samples taken from the Shroud. Other members of STURP rejected McCrone's conclusions and concluded, based on their own examination of the Shroud and the tape samples, that the image on
Shroud of Turin Research Project - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-519: The 100th year of Secondo Pia's 28 May 1898 photograph), he said: "The Shroud is an image of God's love as well as of human sin... The imprint left by the tortured body of the Crucified One, which attests to the tremendous human capacity for causing pain and death to one's fellow man, stands as an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age." On 30 March 2013, as part of the Easter celebrations, there
3003-750: The Eucharist. The International Institute for Research on the Face of Christ was formed in 1997 by Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini and the Benedictine Sisters of the Reparation of the Holy Face in Rome. In his message to the 6th annual conference of the Institute held in Rome in October 2002, Pope John Paul II emphasized the spiritual importance of contemplation of the Face of Christ and referred to his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte , which stated: And
3094-563: The Holy Face . When Leo Dupont died in 1876, his house on Rue St. Etienne in Tours was purchased by the Archdiocese of Tours and turned into the Oratory of the Holy Face . The oratory is administered by an order of priests called the Priests of the Holy Face , canonically erected in 1876. The Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1885, who expressed a desire to establish
3185-524: The Holy Face image is said to have been obtained from the burial cloth of Jesus, it is assumed to be a post- crucifixion image. However, the likeness on the Veil of Veronica is by definition pre-crucifixion, for it is assumed to have been imprinted when Veronica encountered Jesus in Jerusalem along the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary . On the first Friday in Lent 1936, Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli, who
3276-490: The Holy Face of Jesus have been almost exclusively associated with the image on the shroud. In 1936, Pope Pius XII called the Shroud a "holy thing perhaps like nothing else", and went on to approve of the devotion accorded to it as the Holy Face of Jesus . In 1998, Pope John Paul II called the Shroud a "distinguished relic " and "a mirror of the Gospel". His successor, Pope Benedict XVI , called it an "icon written with
3367-623: The Holy Face" in Tours , France, well before Secondo Pia took the photograph of the shroud. The religious concept of the miraculous acheiropoieton (Greek: made without hands) has a long history in Christianity, going back to at least the 6th century. Among the most prominent portable early acheiropoieta are the Image of Camuliana and the Mandylion or Image of Edessa , both painted icons of Christ held in
3458-529: The Jews, by whom it is still observed, but also from their books, which explain what the ancient practice was. It was this: The body was wrapped up by itself as far as the shoulders, and then the head by itself was bound round with a napkin, tied by the four corners, into a knot. And this is expressed by the Evangelist, when he says that Peter saw the linen clothes in which the body had been wrapped lying in one place, and
3549-483: The Reparation of the Holy Face . In his address to this Congregation, Pope John Paul II referred to such acts of reparation as the "unceasing effort to stand beside the endless crosses on which the Son of God continues to be crucified". Belief in the existence of authentic images of Christ is connected with the old legend of Abgar of Edessa regarding the " Mandylion ". It is also seen in some apocryphal writings including
3640-458: The Shroud cannot be genuine: In all the places where they pretend to have the graveclothes, they show a large piece of linen by which the whole body, including the head, was covered, and, accordingly, the figure exhibited is that of an entire body. But the Evangelist John relates that Christ was buried, "as is the manner of the Jews to bury." What that manner was may be learned, not only from
3731-523: The Shroud could not be explained by the presence of pigments. Mark Anderson, who was working for McCrone, analyzed the Shroud samples. In his book Ray Rogers states that Anderson, who was McCrone's Raman microscopy expert, concluded that the samples acted as organic material when he subjected them to the laser. McCrone resigned from STURP in June 1980, after giving back all of the tape samples in his possession to Ray Rogers. John Heller and Alan Adler examined
Shroud of Turin Research Project - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-523: The Shroud has been displayed in the chapel designed for that purpose by architect Guarino Guarini and attached to both the cathedral and the Royal Palace of Turin. Repairs were made to the Shroud in 1694 by Sebastian Valfrè , improving upon the earlier patching by the Poor Clares. Further repairs were made in 1868 by Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy . The Shroud was first photographed in 1898, during
3913-692: The Shroud, McCrone was awarded the American Chemical Society 's National Award in Analytical Chemistry in 2000. Radiocarbon dating has established that the shroud is medieval, and not from the time of Jesus. Independent radiocarbon dating tests were carried out in 1988 at the University of Oxford , the University of Arizona , and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology , following years of discussion to obtain permission from
4004-418: The activities. The team gathered sticky tape samples of material from several points on the surface of the shroud. STURP team members continued their research after access to the shroud and published many of theirs results in scientific journals and proceedings. In 1981, in its final report, STURP wrote: We can conclude for now that the Shroud image is that of a real human form of a scourged, crucified man. It
4095-402: The authenticity of the shroud have attempted to discount the radiocarbon dating result by claiming that the sample may represent a medieval "invisible" repair fragment rather than the image-bearing cloth. However, all of the hypotheses used to challenge the radiocarbon dating have been scientifically refuted, including the medieval repair hypothesis, the bio-contamination hypothesis and
4186-460: The authenticity of the shroud have questioned this finding, usually on the basis that the samples tested might have been contaminated or taken from a repair to the original fabric. Such fringe theories have been refuted by carbon-dating experts and others based on evidence from the shroud itself. Refuted theories include the medieval repair theory, the bio-contamination theories and the carbon monoxide theory. Though accepted as valid by experts,
4277-564: The blood and sweat off his face with her veil, his image was imprinted on the cloth. The event is commemorated by the Sixth Station of the Cross . In 1844, Marie of St Peter , a Carmelite nun in Tours, France, reported an interior locution in which Jesus told her, "Those who will contemplate the wounds on My Face here on earth, shall contemplate it radiant in heaven." She later reported further "communications", as she termed them, with Jesus and
4368-423: The blood of a whipped man, crowned with thorns, crucified and pierced on his right side". In 2013, Pope Francis referred to it as an "icon of a man scourged and crucified". Members of other Christian denominations , such as Anglicans and Methodists, have also shown devotion to the Shroud of Turin. In 1983, the Shroud was given to the Holy See by the House of Savoy . However, as with all relics of this kind,
4459-457: The book Judgment Day for the Shroud of Turin (which appeared in 1996), that the Shroud had been painted in the 14th century and that it showed no traces of actual blood. He also argued that the members of STURP lacked relevant expertise in the chemical microanalysis of historical artworks and that their non-detection of pigment in the Shroud's image was "consistent with the sensitivity of the instruments and techniques they used." For his work on
4550-465: The carbon monoxide hypothesis. In recent years, the radiocarbon dating data have been repeatedly statistically analysed, in attempts to draw some conclusions about the reliability of the C14 dating from studying the data rather than studying the shroud itself. The studies have all concluded that the data lack homogeneity, which might be due to unidentified abnormalities in the fabric tested, or to differences in
4641-496: The carbon-dating of the shroud continues to generate significant public debate. The nature and history of the shroud have been the subjects of extensive and long-lasting controversies in both the scholarly literature and the popular press. Currently, the Catholic Church neither endorses nor rejects the authenticity of the shroud as a relic of Jesus. The shroud is rectangular, measuring approximately 4.4 by 1.1 metres (14 ft 5 in × 3 ft 7 in). The cloth
SECTION 50
#17328585158534732-540: The centuries, and devotions to the face of Jesus have been practiced. Devotions to the Holy Face were approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1895 and Pope Pius XII in 1958. In the Roman Catholic tradition , the Holy Face of Jesus is used in conjunction with Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ with specific institutions whose focus is such reparations, e.g. the Pontifical Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of
4823-521: The church in Lirey, wrote a lengthy memorandum to Antipope Clement VII (recognized as Pope by the Church in France during the Western Schism ), declaring that the Shroud was a forgery and that a previous Bishop of Troyes, Henri de Poitiers, had identified the artist who had made it. Clement issued a bull allowing the canons of Lirey to continue exhibiting the Shroud as long as they made it clear that it
4914-410: The cloth and exhibited it at the church of Saint-Hippolyte, Doubs . Marguerite's refusal to return the Shroud to Lirey led to litigation. She carried the Shroud in traveling exhibitions, including to Chimay and Mons . In 1453, Marguerite deeded the Shroud to Louis, Duke of Savoy . For having sold the Shroud and disregarded the rights of the canons of Lirey, Marguerite was excommunicated by
5005-429: The cloth had been "artificially painted in an ingenious way" and that "it was also proved by the artist who had painted it that it was made by human work, not miraculously produced". In 1390, Clement VII consequently issued four papal bulls , with which he allowed the exposition, but ordered to "say aloud, to put an end to all fraud, that the aforementioned representation is not the true Shroud of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but
5096-457: The crown of the cloth fibres appears to be of a man with a beard, moustache, and shoulder-length hair parted in the middle. He is muscular and tall (various experts have measured him as from 1.70 to 1.88 m or 5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in). Reddish-brown stains are found on the cloth, correlating with the wounds in the Biblical description of the crucifixion of Jesus . The shroud
5187-505: The devotion and the medal. In 1958 he formally declared the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus as Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday) for all Roman Catholics. On the occasion of the 100th year of Secondo Pia 's (May 28, 1898) first photograph of the Shroud of Turin , on Sunday May 24, 1998, Pope John Paul II visited the Turin Cathedral. In his address on that day, he said: "the Shroud
5278-411: The devotion to the Holy Face. She wrote the words "Make me resemble you, Jesus!" on a small card and attached a stamp of the Holy Face to it. She pinned the prayer in a small container over her heart since at that time the Holy Face Medal did not exist. In August 1895, in her "Canticle to the Holy Face" she wrote: "Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face
5369-404: The devotion were kept by the Church and not released; despite this, Dupont persisted in her cause. Eventually, in 1874 Charles-Théodore Colet was appointed as the new Archbishop of Tours . Archbishop Colet examined the documents and in 1876 gave permission for them to be published and the devotion encouraged, shortly before Dupont died. Dupont was thereafter at times referred to as the Apostle of
5460-562: The executive council of the Holy Shroud Guild, which is devoted to the "cause" of the reputed relic." 1978 STURP members: Pierce, Charles P. (20 October 1981). "A face in the shroud" . The Boston Phoenix . Retrieved 4 June 2024 . Shroud of Turin The Shroud of Turin ( Italian : Sindone di Torino ), also known as the Holy Shroud (Italian: Sacra Sindone ), is
5551-595: The face of those in need, believers first need to become better acquainted with Jesus through the Eucharist. The second element involves relating the Passion of Jesus, and the suffering expressed by the images that represent his wounded face to the Eucharistic experience. Thus the devotion that starts with the images of the face of Jesus leads to his contemplation in the Eucharistic experience. The eschatological element then builds on awakening to Christ by contemplating his face in
SECTION 60
#17328585158535642-420: The face. In October 1978, a team of scientists affiliated with STURP took 32 samples from the surface of the Shroud, using adhesive tape . Of those samples, 18 were taken from areas of the Shroud that showed a body or blood image, while 14 were taken from non-image areas. The chemical microscopist Walter McCrone , a leading expert in the forensic authentication of historical documents and works of art, examined
5733-520: The first time in 40 years. Roberto Gottardo of the diocese of Turin stated that for the first time they had released high definition images of the Shroud that can be used on tablet computers and can be magnified to show details not visible to the naked eye. As this rare exposition took place, Pope Francis issued a carefully worded statement which urged the faithful to contemplate the Shroud with awe but, like most of his predecessors, he "stopped firmly short of asserting its authenticity". The Shroud
5824-553: The ideas invented in aerospace science for building three dimensional models from images of Mars, Eric Jumper built initial devices to test the photographs of the Shroud of Turin. These were the first experiments relating to the shroud performed by scientists. In March 1977, Jackson, Jumper and Mottern invited a few other scientists to join them to form a team for the analysis of the Shroud. The first meeting took place in Albuquerque , New Mexico . The group had no official sponsorship and
5915-449: The ingratitude of souls dedicated to Thee and to pardon all poor sinners." A broader devotion to the Holy Face is based on the image used on the Shroud of Turin which some believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus, though radiocarbon dating disputes this belief. It is different from the likeness of Jesus on the Veil of Veronica, although the veil image had earlier been used in devotions. Since
6006-499: The layers of folded cloth, leaving a symmetrical pattern of holes in the unfolded Shroud but without doing much damage to the image areas. The Poor Clare nuns in Chambéry later sewed patches over those holes. In 1578, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy ordered the cloth to be brought to Turin , the new Savoyard capital, and it has remained in Turin ever since. Since the late 17th century,
6097-555: The medal bears a replica of the Holy Face image from Shroud of Turin and an inscription based on Psalm 66:2: "Illumina, Domine, vultum tuum super nos" ('May, O Lord, the light of Thy countenance shine upon us'). On the other side of the medal there is an image of a radiant Sacred Host, the monogram of the Holy Name ("IHS"), and the inscription "Mane nobiscum, Domine" ('Stay with us, O Lord'). In another vision, Sister Maria Pierina reported that Jesus told her: "Every time my Face
6188-414: The medal. The image was then used on what became known as the Holy Face Medal worn by many Catholics, initially as a means of protection during World War II. In 1958 Pope Pius XII approved of the image in association with the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus, and declared its feast to be celebrated every year the day before Ash Wednesday . Following the approval by Pope Pius XII, Catholic devotions to
6279-571: The napkin which had been wrapped about the head lying in another. The term napkin may mean either a handkerchief employed to wipe the face, or it may mean a shawl, but never means a large piece of linen in which the whole body may be wrapped. I have, however, used the term in the sense which they improperly give to it. On the whole, either the Evangelist John must have given a false account, or every one of them must be convicted of falsehood, thus making it manifest that they have too impudently imposed on
6370-460: The photograph for almost half a century. The first official modern association between the image on the Shroud and the Catholic Church was made in 1940 based on the formal request by Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli to the curia in Milan to obtain authorization to produce a medal with the image. The authorization was granted and the first medal with the image was offered to Pope Pius XII who approved
6461-406: The pre-testing cleaning processes used by the different laboratories. The most recent analysis (2020) found that "If the Zurich and Tucson data were displaced upward by 88 RCY as shown in the figure all of the results would agree within the uncertainty observed. Indeed, if the magnitude of the “adjustment” were as small as ~10 RCY, the χ analysis would confirm a statistical homogeneity assuming
6552-469: The preservation of the relic and on specific testing. Five of the commission members were scientists, and preliminary studies of samples of the fabric were conducted in 1973. In 1976, physicist John P. Jackson, thermodynamicist Eric Jumper and photographer William Mottern used image analysis technologies developed in aerospace science for analyzing the images of the Shroud. In 1977, these three scientists and over thirty other experts in various fields formed
6643-512: The resurrection, the Gospel of John states: "Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths [othonia] lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen." The Gospel of Luke states: "Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the linen cloths [othonia] lying by themselves." In 1543, John Calvin , in his book Treatise on Relics , explained why
6734-456: The reverse side of the cloth, which had been hidden from view. A faint part-image of the body was found on the back of the Shroud in 2004. The Shroud was placed back on public display (the 18th time in its history) in Turin from 10 April to 23 May 2010; and according to Church officials, more than 2 million visitors came to see it. On Holy Saturday (30 March) 2013, images of the Shroud were streamed on various websites as well as on television for
6825-454: The same samples and agreed with McCrone's result that the cloth contains iron oxide. However, they argued that the exceptional purity of the chemical and comparisons with other ancient textiles showed that, while retting flax absorbs iron selectively, the iron itself was not the source of the image on the shroud. After his analysis of the Shroud was first published in 1980, McCrone continued to argue in journal articles, public lectures, and in
6916-416: The scientists funded their own activities. They also managed to arrange gifts and loans of technical equipment whose value was estimated at over $ 2 million. Nuclear physicist Tom D'Muhala headed STURP. Apart from Jackson, Jumper, and Motten the team included thermal chemist Raymond N. Rogers , Ron London, and Roger Morris, all from Los Alamos National Laboratory . Other team members included Don Lynn of
7007-475: The stature of a separate discipline and was given a name, sindonology," but also identifies the use of "sindonological" in 1950 and "sindonologist" in 1953. Secondo Pia 's 1898 photographs of the shroud allowed the scientific community to begin to study it. A variety of scientific theories regarding the shroud have since been proposed, based on disciplines ranging from chemistry to biology and medical forensics to optical image analysis. The scientific approaches to
7098-463: The study of the Shroud fall into three groups: material analysis (both chemical and historical), biology and medical forensics and image analysis . The first direct examination of the shroud by a scientific team was undertaken in 1969–1973 in order to advise on preservation of the shroud and determine specific testing methods. This led to the appointment of an 11-member Turin Commission to advise on
7189-412: The tapes using polarized light microscopy and other physical and chemical techniques. McCrone concluded that the Shroud's body image had been painted with a dilute pigment of red ochre (a form of iron oxide ) in a collagen tempera (i.e., gelatin ) medium, using a technique similar to the grisaille employed in the 14th century by Simone Martini and other European artists. McCrone also found that
7280-570: The uncertainties in the data did not change." Holy Face of Jesus The Holy Face of Jesus is a title for specific images which some Catholics believe to be miraculously formed representations of the face of Jesus Christ . The image obtained from the Shroud of Turin is associated with a specific medal worn by some Roman Catholics and is also one of the Catholic devotions to Christ . Various acheiropoieta (literally "not-handmade") items relating to Christ have been reported throughout
7371-441: The unlearned. Although pieces said to be of burial cloths of Jesus are held by at least four churches in France and three in Italy, none has gathered as much religious following as the Shroud of Turin. The religious beliefs and practices associated with the shroud predate historical and scientific discussions and have continued in the 21st century, although the Catholic Church has never passed judgment on its authenticity. An example
7462-416: Was again placed on display in the cathedral in Turin from 19 April 2015 until 24 June 2015. There was no charge to view it, but an appointment was required. The shroud has undergone several restorations and several steps have been taken to preserve it to avoid further damage and contamination. It is kept under laminated bulletproof glass in an airtight case. The temperature- and humidity-controlled case
7553-503: Was allowed to photograph the shroud. He took the first photograph of the shroud on 28 May 1898. In 1931, another photographer, Giuseppe Enrie, photographed the shroud and obtained results similar to Pia's. In 1978, ultraviolet photographs were taken of the shroud. There are no definite historical records concerning the particular shroud currently at Turin Cathedral prior to the 14th century. A burial cloth, which some historians maintain
7644-459: Was an artistic representation of the passion of Jesus and not a true relic . In 1415, during the last phase of the Hundred Years' War , the Shroud was removed from the church of Lirey with the intention of depositing it temporarily at the castle of Montfort for safekeeping. Marguerite de Charny, the granddaughter of the knight who had endowed the church of Lirey, then took possession of
7735-507: Was an exposition of the shroud in the Cathedral of Turin. Pope Francis recorded a video message for the occasion, in which he described the image on the shroud as "this Icon of a man", and stated that "the Man of the Shroud invites us to contemplate Jesus of Nazareth." In his carefully worded statement, Pope Francis urged the faithful to contemplate the shroud with awe, but "stopped firmly short of asserting its authenticity". Pope Francis went on
7826-413: Was born near Milan Italy, reported a vision in which Jesus told her: "I will that My Face, which reflects the intimate pains of My Spirit, the suffering and the love of My Heart, be more honored. He who meditates upon Me, consoles Me". Further reported visions of Jesus and Mary urged Sister Maria Pierina to make a medal with the Holy Face of Jesus. This became known as the Holy Face Medal. On one side
7917-423: Was damaged in a fire in 1532 in the chapel in Chambéry , France. There are some burn holes and scorched areas down both sides of the linen, caused by contact with molten silver during the fire that burned through it in places while it was folded. Fourteen large triangular patches and eight smaller ones were sewn onto the cloth by Poor Clare nuns to repair the damage. In May 1898, Italian photographer Secondo Pia
8008-562: Was denounced as a forgery by the bishop of Troyes , Pierre d’Arcis, in 1389. It was acquired by the House of Savoy in 1453 and later deposited in a chapel in Chambéry , where it was damaged by fire in 1532. In 1578, the Savoys moved the shroud to their new capital in Turin , where it has remained ever since. Since 1683, it has been kept in the Chapel of the Holy Shroud , which was designed for that purpose by architect Guarino Guarini and which
8099-402: Was displayed to the public in Turin from 27 August to 8 October 1978, with about 3 million visitors attending the exposition under bullet-proof glass. For the next 5 days after the exposition the STURP team analyzed the shroud around the clock at the royal palace adjoining Turin Cathedral, some scientists sleeping while others worked. A team of European scientists headed by Luigi Gonella supervised
8190-512: Was enriched with a small collegiate church endowed by the local feudal lord , a knight named Geoffroi de Charny . Geoffroi died in 1356 at the Battle of Poitiers . Around 1355, the dean of the chapter of Lirey, Robert de Caillac, began exhibiting in the church a long fabric that bore an image of the mangled body of Jesus. In 1390, the Bishop of Troyes , Pierre d'Arcis, who had jurisdiction over
8281-527: Was the Shroud, was owned by the Byzantine emperors but disappeared during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204. Although there are numerous reports of Jesus's burial shroud, or an image of his head, of unknown origin, being venerated in various locations before the 14th century, there is no historical evidence that these refer to the shroud currently in Turin. In 1353 the village of Lirey , in north-central France ,
#852147