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Initiatives related to the Liturgical Feast of the Shroud during the Jubilee Year.
On Friday 14 March 2025, at 11.30 am, at the Theological University of Northern Italy – Turin Campus, Via X Settembre 83, Turin, and in live connection with the Holy See Press Office, a press conference will be held to present the initiatives related to the Liturgical Feast of the Shroud during the Jubilee year. The speakers will be:
– Archbishop Roberto Repole of Turin, Bishop of Susa, Pontifical Custodian of the Shroud;
– Marco Bonatti, Director of Communication of the Diocesan Commission for the Shroud.
The experts of the Diocesan Commission, in particular Professors Bruno Barberis and Gian Maria Zaccone, will be present and available to answer any questions.
The press conference will be streamed life in the original language on the Vatican News YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/c/VaticanNews
The following is Arthur Downer’s summary of the history of the Holy Shroud of Turin leading to the Catholic Church’s conviction that it is the authentic burial cloth of Jesus Christ and deserves liturgical celebration
Robert A. Rucker, MS (nuclear) scientist, insisted that there are four requirements for a carbon dating of the Shroud to be trustworthy
1) It must calculate the average date for the corner of the Shroud (the most recent carbon dates were between 1260-1390 – done in that case),
2) the change in the carbon date as a function of the distance from the short side of the Shroud (about 36 years per cm), (not done in that case)
3) the distribution of the 12 subsample dates, (not done in that case)
4) the carbon date of Jesus’ face cloth (c. 700 AD) obtained for the Sudarium of Oviedo
which is mentioned by John the Evangelist (John: 20:7) is related to the Shroud. (not done in that case)
Note: The Sudarium of Oviedo confirms an interesting fact about the upper part of the head of the man from the Shroud.
The Sudarium of Oviedo, the Veil of Oviedo—is a rectangular linen cloth preserved in Oviedo in Spain. This cloth has approximate dimensions of 855 × 526 mm, (33.66″ x 20.71″)a density of 18–21 linen fibers on the edges and 40–45 fibers in the center, and was most likely made by hand.
At first glance it resembles a thin, wrinkled, very old and yellowed piece of cloth.
The edges are crumpled by the frame and perforated by nails. Numerous stains (flower pollen, wax, soot, fungus) and stains of blood and other human physiological fluids are visible on the material.
The study of the Sudarium of Oviedo, carried out in the 1980s and 1990s by a team of Spanish scientists, shows that it dates from antiquity, and comes from the Middle East.
It was a simple cloth of little value at the time and for a short period of time it covered, in at least three different positions, the head of a man who had died as a result of a cruel ordeal, most likely on a cross.
The nose of the Shroud and Sudarium person measures eight centimeters.
The area around the nose on both robes is heavily contaminated.
The nose is swollen and crooked on the right side, which is typical of crucifixion victims.
The right cheek is not visible on either cloth because of the wound located in that part of the face.
The bloodstains have geometrically corresponding shapes and are located in very similar places on both cloths.
There is a remarkable similarity between the two clothes when it comes to the side of the head.
The stains match perfectly in size, location and manner of formation.
In addition, the stains on the back of the two cloths correspond to each other.
Because of the significant similarities between the Shroud and the Sudarium of Oviedo, it is extremely unlikely that they did not cover the same person.
The gospels have good details of the period after Jesus died, especially that Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (and especially the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark) point to conclusive evidence that the Shroud of Jesus could not have been left to ‘rot’ in the tomb.
According to the New Testament, Jesus died by crucifixion on a cross to pay for the guilt of our sins and to reconcile us to God.
After His death, while He was still on the cross, a cloth was probably wrapped around His head to catch the blood that would have run from his nose and mouth after His death.
This allowed the collected blood to be buried with the body according to Jewish custom.
This was the custom because “the life … is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11 – The life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life.
The face or head-cloth was apparently left on his head when the body was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb.
The four gospels give as complete a picture as possible of the events after Jesus’ death.
Their separate and slightly different accounts leave us in no doubt as to what happened after Jesus’ death.
Pilate gave the dead body to Joseph of Arimathea (and his colleague, Nicodemus).
One version (John’s)said ‘there was a new tomb in the garden.
Another version (Matthew’s said “laid him in his own new tomb”.
John 19: 38:4
After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was one of Jesus’ disciples, asked Pilate secretly, for fear of the Jews that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave.
So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight.
They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.
Now there was a garden where He had been crucified, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. Because of the Jewish preparation day, and because the tomb was close by, they laid Jesus there..
In the tomb, His body was laid on top of half of the long linen shroud purchased by Joseph of Arimathea
(Mk. 15:46 – “He (Pilate) granted the body to Joseph. 46 And he (Joseph) bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which was hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.).
Next: The person at the front of the pit or standing area in the tomb, perhaps the Apostle John
(John 20:8 Then the other disciple (John), o was the first to reach the tomb, also entered, and he saw and believed;), apparently then took off the face-cloth or head-cloth and folded or rolled it up and laid it aside in the tomb
(John 20:6-7 – Then Simon Peter came, following him (John), and entered the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.).
The other half of the long body cloth was then wrapped over the top of his head and down to the feet.
Narrow strips of cloth may have been available in the tomb to tie the body cloth at the feet, to hold the arms down to the body, to hold up the lower jaw, etc., although these tie strips may not have been used because this phase of the burial was not yet completed due to time constraints of the coming Sabbath
(Luke 23:54 – “It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was beginning”
Mark 16 – And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.[a]
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun was shining, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” And when they looked up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And when they entered the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
He is risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. But when she rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they mourned and wept.
But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After that he appeared to two of them in another form, as they were going into the country. And they went back and told the others but they did not believe them. Then he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation).
The long body cloth (Turin Shroud) and the smaller face cloth (Sudarium of Oviedo) would
have had Jesus’ blood on them, so it is doubtful that the apostles would have left them in the tomb.
It is very doubtful that they would have reused them, burned them, or thrown them away, and they would have taken steps to prevent them from being destroyed by political or religious leaders.
The Gospel of Matthew on this subject: – to complete the four gospel versions.
Matthew 27;57-61
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.
He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb,
which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb and went away.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
Matthew 25:1-10
Now after the sabbath, at the beginning of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow.
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking forJesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where helay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Behold, I have told you.”
So they went away quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!”
And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
