Exposition of Holy Shroud

The Holy Shroud will go on rare public view next month, Cardinal Severino Poletto, Archbishop of Turin, has announced. The exposition will take place from 10 April to 23 May on the theme: 'Passio Christi, passio hominis'.

For many hundreds of years, tradition has held that the Shroud is the cloth in which the body of Jesus was wrapped after the Crucifixion. Although scientists disagree over its authenticity, the Shroud has a haunting image on it - only made visible since the invention of photography - that defies explanation. It undoubtedly shows the imprint of the face and body of a crucified man,

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Cardinal Poletto said: "this is the first exposition of the new millennium", and that the 1.3 million people from all over the world who have already booked a visit will be able to contemplate a Shroud which is "much improved thanks to the important restoration work of 2002".

The 2010 exposition will also be marked by a visit from Benedict XVI, on Sunday 2 May. "The Pope will venerate the Shroud as his predecessor John Paul II did on 24 May 1998, then celebrate Mass in the city's Piazza San Carlo", said the cardinal.

The archbishop of Turin, said the exposition aims "to underline the strong bond that exists between the image on the cloth, a moving testimony of the Lord's Passion, and the great suffering of men and women today, that they may find in the Shroud an anchor for their faith, one that leads them to the mercy of God and the service of their neighbour".

Cardinal Poletto explained that four thousand volunteers will be involved in helping pilgrims during the course of their visit to the Shroud, and in welcoming them in the churches of the city's historic centre where liturgical celebrations and tours have been organised.

Apart from cultural initiatives such as talks by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn O.P., archbishop of Vienna, Austria, and by Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, there will also be a visit by representatives from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and from the Patriarchate of Moscow.

Cardinal Poletto said that although the Internet is a vital resource for booking visits, "it must be remembered that the exposition of the Shroud remains a personal and physical experience, a 'coming to see' that cannot be substituted by any kind of 'virtual visit'".

For more information see: www.sindone.org