The Face of Christ

From Turin, Italy – May 12, 2010.  We’re here!!! Because of the recent eruption of volcanic ash, it took Jimmy and I twenty-four hours to get to Turin. We flew right over Iceland and that volcano to see the Shroud of Turin. Does that flight pattern make sense to you? You’d think there’d be a more practical route, given that volcano’s temperment. We stumbled around for a few hours, and then had a great meal before falling into bed for some sleep. (I had salt bass – have you ever heard of that?! The fish was wrapped in layers of sea salt about three inches thick all around, then fileted with finess. The salt evidently keeps the juices in and heightens the flavors. Boy was it great!) But I digress.

Raining when we arrived, but a blaze of sun greeted us this morning as we took off at 7:45 am to see the Shroud with Barrie Schwortz and our small group. The air was crisp and cool, and the old part of the city is magnificent, but Barrie Schwortz seemed to know everyone…the mountain guards in full regalia with feathers in their hats, the nuns and priests, the officials. More about Barrie later. We had reservations and got there two hours early. Even with reservations the waiting line is hours long. The Shroud is kept in the Cathedral on the beautiful palace grounds. The Shroud’s history dates back to the first century, but the written record begins in 1350 when it was publically exhibited by an aristocratic French Family. In the 15th century it was moved to Turin. In 1983 Umberto II donated the Shroud to the Pope, with a condition that it stay in Turin. It’s usually kept in the Duomo (Cathedral) transept protected from light in  a bullet-proof container. 

We entered through the palace walls, walking through a long tunnel-like entrance between open archeological digs– ancient brick archways overhead, dim light, the ceiling low and heavy, giving you the feeling that each step moved you further back into time.  Soft baroque music played around us. The first room we reached was darkened. A huge sepia photo of the Shroud glowed on the wall. A film began, and each section  of the Shroud was enlarged to show close-ups of the wounds, with explanations in various languages…the nail wounds, scourge marks on the back and neck, the wound in the side, the blood marks from the crown of thorns, the hands and feet. The image shown was what is known as the ‘positive’ photographic image, the faded and less clear image, and yet with these enhancements you can clearly see such details as the three-pronged marks from the Roman whips as Christ was scorged. 

In 1893 the first photograph of the Shroud was taken by a photographer named Secondo Pia. As he was developing the negative, he was stunned to see the ‘negative’ image emerging through the fluid as a clear picture of the face and body and wounds of the man on the Shroud, almost as clear as any photograph today! No one understands how the images could be reversed like this. No one understands how the picture was hidden by the reverse actual image on the cloth for thousands of years…and yet here it is, and we have now a picture of the face of Christ.  

From this dim room, we walked on into the Cathedral to see the actual Shroud. As I looked at it a deep, emotional reverence swept through me. Everyone moved forward, unable to take our eyes from this cloth–this picture of an instant in time that changed history and our lives. We walked slowly, saying prayers, and the room was very quiet.  The Cathedral is so beautiful with high gothic archways, dark wood, chapels with exquisite art along the way. And then at last, I stood in front of it–the cloth I’ve read about and studied for years and years. Fourteen feet long, it stretched across under the glass. The image has faded over the years and was very faint, an even more striking contrast now to the reversed ‘negative’ one. And as I looked at the cloth that I believe wrapped our saviour, I knew that I was looking at the face of Christ. The facts are now public record in published papers. But the cloth and the image, that is a miracle preserved for us through centuries and wars and environmental catastrophies. And yet here is is for us. 

Pope Benedict was in Turin on May 2nd and said a mass in the Cathedral. Barry says there were eight-hundred thousand people a day lined up to see the Shroud, waiting sometimes over eight hours. After the Mass Pope Benedict spoke about the Shroud and some say that his words made it clear that he believes the Shroud is the burial cloth of Jesus too. This is a somewhat new position for the Vatican. Although the cloth has been revered through the centuries, there hasn’t been such a straight-forward public statement made before to my knowledge. Barrie Schwortz is going to meet with us again in a few hours and I’ll have more to report on this development.

After leaving the cathedral, our group stood in the courtyard and talked about this experience. Everyone was moved and emotional. Barrie, who has studied and photographed the Shroud for over thirty years, noted  sadly that the image is dimmer now than it used to be, harder to see. That’s because two years ago the Turin guardian of the cloth unfortunately made a decision to restore it! The restoration is very controversial. It was performed without any scientific input, without any assistance or surveilance of the scientists who have provided all of the exciting research and discoveries to authenticate it. For instance, steam was used to clean the linen–resulting in the removal of many folds in the cloth that had great historic significance. For instance, the plant pollen on the cloth, and other material on the surface of the cloth, was vacuumed off. It’s said that the pollen has been kept, but no one is certain of that, and no one knows what effect the processing had on the pollen. The plant images on the cloth that match the pollen provide much information–a lovely little secret that you’ll not find in the mainstream press, but you will find in Secret of the Shroud. Truly…flowers lead the way. 

In my next blog, I’ll have more information about the controversial restoration. In addition, I hope to have an exclusive interview for all of you with Barrie. Stay tuned.  Arrivederci, for now!  Pamela