Replica of Shroud聽of Turin part of exhibit at new聽Manila museum
REVERED ARTIFACT Cardinal Jose Advincula blesses a replica of the Shroud of Turin at the newly opened Holy Face of Jesus (HFJ) Museum in Quiapo, Manila, on Tuesday. The replica has been in the collection of the HFJ congregation since 2019. —CBCP 好色先生TV photo
MANILA, Philippines — A replica of the famous Shroud of Turin, an object of veneration for Catholics who believe that it bears the image of Jesus Christ as he lay entombed before his resurrection, has been put on display at a newly established museum in Quiapo, Manila.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, the Manila archbishop, also blessed the replica during the inauguration on Tuesday of the Holy Face of Jesus Museum, located inside the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Face of Jesus (HFJ) congregation on Hidalgo Street.
The museum was still undergoing finishing touches as of Wednesday. Its opening to the public is tentatively set for next week.
The 4.4-meter-long image of the shroud was printed on cotton using laser technology by American photographer Barrie Schwortz, who served as the official photographer for the Shroud of Turin Research Project in 1978, according to the news agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
“The photographer provided us certification that it’s an authentic replica, and we are permitted to display it publicly,” said the HFJ superior, Mother Annunciata Mendoza.
The congregation received the replica in 2019, but it was only put on display on Tuesday, the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus.
The original shroud is preserved at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, in northern Italy.
Burial garment
In addition to the replica, the museum features memorabilia of the congregation’s founder, the late Mother Mary Therese Vicente.
The Shroud of Turin is a rectangular linen cloth that bears a faint image of the front and back of a naked man who had suffered wounds associated with those of crucifixion, giving rise to the centuries-old belief that it was the burial garment of Jesus Christ.
The Vatican has not officially declared the Shroud of Turin as authentic but encourages scientific study and supports the move of Christians to venerate it as an image of Jesus Christ.
The original shroud is rarely displayed in public to preserve it from damage or contamination. It was last exhibited in 2015 at the Turin Cathedral during a visit by Pope Francis.
