The Shroud of Turin to go on display for the 5th time in 100 years
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In an attempt to deflect the media away from the sexual abuse scandals that are rocking the Catholic church, the Vatican has decided to put the Turin Shroud on display for only the fifth time in 100 years.
Those who visit the Turin Cathedral in Italy for the exhibition will be allowed just five minutes to look at the shroud, thought to have covered Jesus Christ at his burial. Vatican officials, who are ultimately in charge of the 12ft-long linen cloth, have said they are expecting an astonishing two million people to visit the exhibition over the next six weeks. The Pope is to visit Turin on May 2.
Originally the Vatican had intended for the Shroud’s next display to be 2025 but Pope Benedict announced it would be brought forward 15 years. The last time it was on public display was 10 years ago.
For centuries debate has raged whether the image is that of Christ or an expert forgery from the Middle Ages but experts have never been able to fully explain how the image was made.
Carbon-dating tests were conducted on the cloth in 1988 by scientists in Oxford, Zurich and Tucson, Arizona, who were each given separate linen samples to work with.
The tests dated the Shroud to between 1260 and 1390, suggesting that it was a medieval fake.
Other scientists have since claimed that contamination over the ages, from water damage and fire, for example, were not taken sufficiently into account and could have distorted the results.
In 1999, another group of experts put a 7th century date on it, following careful comparisons of an almost identical shroud in the south-eastern Spanish city of Valencia.
In an alternative exhibition the Italian Union of Athesits and Rational Agnostics will put on display the ‘Second Shroud’, which they say proves the one in Turin is a Middle Ages forgery.
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I am a dedicated catholic, I feel impelled to give my testimony because one needs to witness to the truth where and when necessary. In 1981 I was very privileged to have had a vision of our lord Jesus Christ in a historic church that was dedicated to St.Peter and St.Paul, I saw our Lords face, so sad.And the crown of thorns on his head so clear was this vision i could see the string of thorns encircled many times and the thorns so clear as if one would be pricked by them, I was totally awestruck and as you can imagine this vision took me from being a christian with many question marks to a fervent believer, after the vision i went to my mothers home when i went in to her living room i told my mother of my wonderful vision and was overwhelmed to discover that my mother had a copy of the shroud of Turin on her wall.I immediately said to my mother, this is Jesus Christ, this is who i saw actually as he is. It is him. The holy shroud image is that Of Jesus Christ, I can’t prove it but i would lay my life on this because it is true. I have since 1981 had many other experiences which have also confirmed to me the authenticity of the holy shroud and that it is of our Lord Jesus Christ. One day it will be recognised as true and venerated as the wonderful relic that it is, and i look forward to that day. Yours in Christ … Fred
Thanks for stopping by Fred and sharing that with us. We appreciate it. Go in peace.
Hey! You’ve a pic of this morning’s fried egg??? I’m impressed!
I’ve never seen the Shroud of Turin, but I once saw Jesus’ face in a tortilla. Does that count?
Tom,
Flour tortilla would count. Corn tortillas seem to generate a huge amount of Virgin Mary sightings for some reason!
A tortilla? Hell I saw the J-Master on my toast this morning. I ate his face.
As an atheist, I’m sure I would be able to discern a plain tortilla in the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
I definitely saw Cthulhu in a crepe once. It changed my life.
Mother Hen,
Actually that’s Crepes Cthulhu, a Parisian specialty.
I once ate a crepe sprinkled with magic mushrooms and I saw Cthulhu for three days.
I know it’s asking a lot Tom, do you still have the tortilla with Jesus’ face on it? If you do, could you please send it to me at this address:
H.O.L.Y. F.O.O.D.
We Make Things Happen Productions
PO Box 999
USofA
LOL Holte!
I would like to see it for 2 reasons. 1, it’s interesting. 2, I could gaze intently at it, then loudly proclaim “Yep, I thought so – it’s a fake!” to the 10 gazillion people standing in line behind me. That’s my idea of a good time.
You are the sort of person who would go to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and swop all the holy books with copies of the “Da Vinci Code.”
Bwahahahahaaha! Hell I’d be right there with Mrs. Bee!
Ooooh, I didn’t think of that…
🙂
I am of the opinion that there should instead be a display of seminal stains on altar clothing (ala Lewinsky). Far more appropriate and definitely more genuine. Observers might even discover a hidden portrait of the Virgin Mary!
I am so going to hell.
No place called hell, but I think there is one called heck.
Holte,
Somehow Go to Heck doesn’t seem to carry enough weight,unfortunately.
Quite right, the word lacks impact, telling someone to go “burn in heck” is missing something. And when dead, “Heck” doesn’t seem that bad a place to spend eternity.
LOL LOL!!! I can’t stop laughing. Yes MH! You are so going to hell, you and Bill Clinton 🙂 🙂
Yes, deflects attention to another church controversy … dating of the shroud.
Liked your post Holte!
The patrons genuflect, the Vatican just deflects.
Dang Holte that was pretty good for an older fella 🙂
Is there any way to get rid of that floating rectangle on the left that says “tweet, f, share”? It covers up bits of the posting text and is really distracting.
Well thanks for your patience. It is fixed. No more experimenting!! 🙂 🙂
Holte,
very propitious timing to display the Shroud,as you suggest.It’s an interesting story even if it is a fake.
Atheists Union? I didn’t know there was such a deal. Are all atheists unionized ?
If so,how do you guys go on strike? Do you sing hymns and wear St Chrisophers till you get a contract?
When atheists go on strike they threaten to start believing in God.
Fascinating post Holte. Personally, I would probably go to the atheist’s display. It is my understanding that carbon dating is a reliable tool and if those tests say it ain’t so then it ain’t so. Those who discount the results are likely religious adherents who want it to be real.
That was my understanding too. Issues like contamination are routinely taken into account when doing carbon dating. It was tested independently at three different universities and they all came up with ages in the 600-800 year range.
Considering how many true believers think the Earth is 6,000 years old (which is off from the correct age by about 750,000 to 1), I don’t give much weight to their assessments of how old things are.
Odd that the Church would trot out this old thing in the middle of the scandals. Maybe it should be re-tested for — how can I put this — let’s just say the kinds of tests they did on Monica Lewinsky’s dress.
Mike said: I would probably go to the atheist’s display. I’d go to the one that served the best hors’ d’oeuvres .