The Pope has just visited Turin this weekend (25 May 1998) and has visited the Shroud of Turin. He didn't comment on its authenticity, but did say it was appropriate for Catholics to venerate it in contemplation of the passion and death of Our Lord and spoke of it in glowing terms.

Do you believe it is the burial cloth of Christ?

Why? or Why not?

-- Anonymous, May 24, 1998

Answers

Yes, I believe with all my heart that the shroud of Turin is the cloth that Christ was buried in. I believe He wanted us to see just how much He actually suffered. There was not a place left on his body that was untouched by his tormenters.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 1998

Do I believe the Shroud of Turin is real YES! YES! YES!

My belief is a matter of faith and also a matter of scripture. When I think of the shroud, I always remember the line in the bible, forget which book, where it says "Peter and John ran to the tomb where Christ had been laid, and went inside...Peter saw the wrappings and believed". I think the writer did not bother to tell what it was Peter had seen because back then, the shroud was probably a well known and accepted phenomena. We also have the tradition of Veronica wiping Jesus' face and being left with his imprint. It's not scriptural, but we know that many "traditional" beliefs unsupported by scripture (as in Mary's assumption into Heaven) have remained intact by virtue of the truth of their foundations. Lastly, no-one, in all the great minds of science, has been able to explain how that image got there. I believe the latest carbon testings were flawed, and that material lifted from the shroud was very likely material from one of it's numerous repairs during it's history. This is a good question, I'd be interested in seeing more responses! :)

-- Anonymous, June 15, 1998

Reply

A good site for this is this one.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 1998

My best answer to this is I am not sure. But many things are quite interesting.

The image on the shroud does not show the thumbs well. in europe experiments of cadavers reveled that when the wrists were peirced through the thumbs pulled inward across the hand. A crucifiction through the palms would just tear the flesh. A painter of a hoax would not be likely to have known this.

The crown of thorns on the shroud is more lke a yamica or scull cap rather that a ring about the head.I think a painter would be unlikely to paint this this way.

Also the devise upon the forhead jews used containg scripture would be unlikly for smeone trying to make a hoax.

The only way Ill ever know for sure I expect is If I 'endure to the end" and have the chance to ask Him.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 1998

I think I believe that the Shroud is the Burial Cloth of Our Lord. Why? 1) The cloth has been venerated longer than we've known the detail of the image upon it. A photographer looking at the negative of the image was stunned @ seeing a face. Before that I believe that all that is clearly seen is the blood stains. 2) Although carbon-14 dating has "shown" that the Shroud dates from the middle ages, a fire from that period may have contaminated the samples taken.

-- Anonymous, July 10, 1998

My head doesn't believe it, ever since the carbon-dating tests. But looking at the image of the face, my heart cries out "Jesus!"

-- Anonymous, July 11, 1998