Shroud of Turin replica returns to Manila Cathedral after 50 years for exhibit

A replica of the Shroud of Turin, a piece of linen cloth believed to have been wrapped around Jesus Christ after his death, has returned to the Manila Cathedral after 50 years for an exhibit.

In Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras" Thursday, Holy Face of Jesus Devotion Propagation coordinator Sr. Claudine Lawrice C. Esguerra, MSHFJ said that the Shroud of Turin was believed to have been provided by Joseph of Arimathea to Jesus as a burial cloth.

"We've had a lot of studies on the shroud for two questions. How was the image formed? And number two question, is the man on the shroud Jesus of Nazareth?" she said in a mix of Filipino and English.

The replica of the Shroud of Turin is currently displayed in the Manila Cathedral in celebration of the 50th anniversary of its first exhibit in the Philippines.

"On October 2, 1976, the very first shroud exhibit in the Philippines happened here in the Manila Cathedral. So to celebrate that Golden Jubilee, we aimed to bring it back here in the Manila Cathedral," Esguerra said.

Two copies of the Shroud of Turin are displayed in the cathedral. The copies have also been blessed.

Aside from the replicas of the shroud, other authenticated replicas and relics are also on view, including the Veil of Manoppello and Veil of Veronica

"I saw that there was this exhibit. I was amazed and I wanted to see what was going on," said one visitor in Filipino.

"We immediately went here in the Manila Cathedral to see and know what the Shroud of Turin really is," another shared in Filipino.

According to Kuya Kim, the Shroud of Turin measures approximately 4.3 meters long and 1.08 meters wide. It is made of linen with 3/1 herringbone twill. It is a kind of weave unique to early European linen textile.

One of the earliest documentation of the shroud was recorded around 1355 in Lirey, France. In 1532, the shroud was damaged in a fire in Chambery, France, and parts of it had to be repaired with patches. Eventually, the shroud ended up in Turin, Italy.

The shroud underwent carbon dating in 1988, with three laboratories—namely in Oxford, United Kingdom; Arizona, United States; and Zurich, Switzerland—conducting the test. The results dated the shroud to around 1260-1390 CE, placing it in the Middle Ages.

However, some experts have questioned the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin.

"The Church does not have a pronouncement regarding its authenticity because the Church pronounces on faith and morals, not on archaeological artifacts," explained Esguerra. "But based from studies on the shroud, even scientists who have studied it do not know how the image on it was formed."

Nevertheless, Esguerra reminded the public that the greatest commandment is to "love God above all and love as Jesus loved."

"It's a good evangelical tool. The shroud is used to evangelize people. We do not present our devotion to the cloth, what we point out is Jesus," she added.

Meanwhile, the original Shroud of Turin can be found in Turin Cathedral or the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista. Per Kuya Kim, it is enclosed in a sealed, climate-controlled, and bulletproof display case on the left aisle of the cathedral.

The Shroud of Turin has been under the care of the Vatican since 1983 after it was given as a gift by the House of Savoy to the Roman Catholic Church. The shroud is hidden and is only brought out during special expositions or exhibits authorized by the church.

—CDC, GMA News