November 1989 Print


The Shroud of Turin


(The Burial Cloth of Jesus Christ?)

Last May in The Angelus, an article on the Shroud of Turin pointed out how some scientists were actually trying to hide the truth concerning the shroud. The following article is the first in a series that examines the Shroud in depth: its history and description; science's investigations; and finally the actual wounds. It was written by our good friends at the St. Ignatius Retreat House in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

I. INTRODUCTION

In 1898, at an exposition of the Shroud of Turin, an Italian lawyer, Secondo Pio, was granted an unusual permission to take a picture of it. After developing the photographic plate, Secondo Pio naturally expected to see a negative image. But instead he saw the print; the positive, the actual picture of a man's face, which was believed by the Church to be the face of Jesus Christ.

This discovery, whose reverberations still continue until today, had a tremendous impact on the scientific world, since many scientists and other skeptics persisted in their disbelief in the authenticity of the Shroud. The detailed medical, historical, art, and scientific investigations followed. The new era of significant discoveries surrounding the identity of the image of the man on the Shroud was ushered in.

With marvelous irony the Shroud's secrets were "saved" for many centuries until modern times of agnosticism and atheism, when for the first time in man's history these secrets could be unveiled by means of the very science with which the skeptics have tried to deny the existence of the supernatural, or miraculous, or even the existence of God.

But what is the Shroud of Turin, and what are its remarkable qualities? Is it indeed the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, as popes and millions of faithful have believed before us, or is it some skillful forgery from the Middle Ages, as the skeptics have generally maintained? In the following presentation, the results of miscellaneous investigations along with a very brief description of the Shroud's likeness and history will be offered for the benefit of the reader; to help him make a comparison between the evidence given below and the attempts of skeptics and unbelievers to discredit the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin. He can then objectively decide whether the Shroud of Turin is genuine or not, and whether Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was buried in it.

 

II. DESCRIPTION AND BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHROUD

 

A. Description

"The Shroud is 14 feet, 3 inches (434.3 cm.) long, and 3 feet, 7 inches (109.2 cm.) wide. It is a single piece of linen bearing the imprint of a double image—the front and back of a strongly built man. The image was apparently formed after the man was laid with his back on one end of the linen, with the other end being then put over the front part of the man's body. The image itself is difficult to discern clearly, and strangely enough, it becomes even more difficult to see the closer one comes to it—the image seems to melt away. On the other hand, the image comes out clearly when viewed from a distance or when photographed.

"The image is that of a tall (5 feet, 11 inches [181 cm.]), well-built, and bearded man whose estimated weight was 175 pounds (79.5 kg.). His age is between 30-35 years. The physical features clearly belong to the Jewish or Semitic racial group. Judging by the multiple wounds of scourging and the crucifixion marks on the image, it can be said with certainty that the man whose body was wrapped in the Shroud was severely scourged and subsequently crucified."

 

B. History of the Shroud Ownership
1. From the Middle of the 14th Century to the Present
Image of the front of Jesus' Body on the Shroud of Turin

The Shroud made what seemed to be its first appearance in about 1355 in the small town of Livey, in France. It was shown by the Geoffrey de Charny family, but the exhibition lasted only a short time, being stopped by a local bishop, Henri of Poitiers, who apparently did not believe it to be genuine. It was not seen again until 34 years later. But it was again branded by a local bishop, Pierre D'Arcis, as a forgery. However, there are reasonable doubts (see CCR, March '89 issue) about the condemnation both bishops allegedly made. Nevertheless, it is certain there was some opposition to the Shroud, because afterwards it was described only as the "likeness, or representation" of the Shroud of Jesus by its owners for the next 60 years. This was to avoid opposition to its exposition for the adoration of the faithful.

In 1453, the Shroud's ownership passed to the House of Savoy, and it was under Savoy's ownership that the Shroud gained its reputation as the true burial cloth of Jesus. With the support of Pope Sixtus IV, who believed it to be genuine, the dukes of Savoy built a special chapel for the Shroud in Chambery, France, in 1464. Later in 1506, Pope Julius II authorized the public cult to be given to the "very Shroud in which the Lord Jesus Christ was wrapped and laid in the tomb." Then in 1578, the Shroud was moved to Turin, Italy, where, except for six years during World War II, the Shroud has been ever since.

 

2. From the Middle of the 14th Century to the Time of the Death of Jesus

Until recently it has appeared, or rather, it was made to appear that there were no known records of the Shroud prior to the year 1355. However, in the last decade or so, the whereabouts of the Shroud have been traced to the time of the death of Jesus.


a. The Period From 1204-1355

From the time of the destruction of Constantinople in 1204 to about the year 1355, it has been established (cr. CCR, March '89) that after the fall of Constantinople the Shroud found its way to the monastery of Casole in Athens, Greece. Later on it passed into the possession of the Charpignys, who became allied to the de Charnys through marriage. It was then Agnes de Charpigny who brought the Shroud to Vostitza in France, and who later married Dreux de Charney, the older brother of Geoffrey de Charney, at the beginning of the 14th century. In 1355 the Geoffrey de Charney family publicly displayed the Shroud as stated above. 


b. The Period From the 7th Century to 1204

The next period of the Shroud's existence extends during the 7th century to 1204, during which time it was venerated in Constantinople (the 7th-8th century), then in Edessa (the 8th-9th century), now called Urfa in Turkey, and back again in Constantinople in 944. When the Shroud arrived in Constantinople in 944, which has been historically fixed, it was called, "one-not-made-by-human-hands" by the Greeks, or the Image of Edessa, or the Mandylion. But whether it is called the Shroud of Turin or any of the above names, it has been sufficiently documented by Ian Wilson, a British historian (see his book, "The Shroud of Turin") and by others before; such as Paul Vignon (the professor of biology) in France in early 1900, or a French soldier, Robert de Clari, who described the image as he saw it in Constantinople shortly before the city's destruction. And after came others, such as Daniel C. Scavone, the professor of History at the University of South Indiana, and especially, a deciphered Greek manuscript containing the description of the Image of Edessa by Gregory, archdeacon and administrator of Santa Sophia church in Constantinople, where the Shroud was venerated. It exactly matched the present day Shroud of Turin. All these different names refer to one and the same image. 


c. The Period From the Death of Jesus to the 6th Century

Lastly, it is believed (cf. CCR, March '89) that the Shroud was kept in Jerusalem from the death of Jesus until the 6th century. It was in Jerusalem where the first copies of Jesus' face were made. Some of the first copies are extant: the two images kept in Italy and the so-called Veil of Veronica. They all bear evidence of being copied from the Shroud.

 

C. History of Byzantine Art

Ian Wilson, in his study of Byzantine art, clearly demonstrated that, starting from the 6th century, the image of Jesus on all mosaics, frescos and icons became strikingly uniform and also bore a strong resemblance to the face of the on the Shroud. The remarkable resemblance consisted in corroborating in all of these representations a number of prominent and unusual marks which were common to all, and identical with the same marks on the face of the man on the Shroud. In the process of comparing the images one to another and with the Shroud, about fifteen of these marks were identified as consistently appearing on all images. Some of these marks were very odd, and seemed very unnatural to the rest of the face. Yet throughout the centuries they were faithfully copied by the artists, thus proving the point that they must have used the same model. Below are described some of the most unusual marks which clearly could not be accidental, or painted without having the same prototype:

  1. A transverse streak across the forehead, in the shape of a reversed three
  2. The three-sided "square" on the forehead
  3. A "V" shape inside of this "square"
  4. Heavily accentuated owlish eyes
  5. A transverse line across the throat
  6. An enlarged left nostril
  7. Two strands of hair falling from the apex of the forehead

 

D. Conclusion

By tracing the history of the Shroud which is inseparably tied with that of the Image of Edessa or the Mandylion, or the "one-not-made-by-human-hands" image, and the Byzantine art depicting the face of Jesus, we have seen that all these representations have unusual, (hard-to-paint by mere coincidence without having the same model) and the same marks (consistently reappearing throughout the centuries), all of which closely correspond to the same marks on the Shroud of Turin! As a result of this preliminary review of history and art research we have come to an inevitable conclusion: the Shroud is most probably not a forgery, or at least it is definitely dated prior to the 14th century.



N.B. The references (C.C.R.) refer to "The Scientific Rehabilitation of the Holy Shroud of Turin," the Catholic Counter Reformation, March 1989.