THE Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the cloth that wrapped Christ’s crucified body. Detailed studies and intense research have been done to shed light on its authenticity and it has since become the single most studied artifact in human history.

The Shroud is a herringbone weave linen measuring 14 x 3.5 feet long, bearing the image of a scourged and crucified man. The image appears in a front and dorsal view, aligned along the midplane of the body and pointing in opposite directions. The front and back views of the head nearly meet at the middle of the cloth. Locked away in a cathedral in Turin, Italy, the Shroud of Turin is only displayed three or four times a century, drawing pilgrims from all over the world to witness its exposition. Believers and skeptics alike now have a chance to see for themselves as the Exhibition of the Mystery of the Shroud of Turin is in the Philippines.

Brought to the country by Shroud Exhibits International Inc., the exhibit—endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education—is a 45-minute lights and sound show.

“The exhibit features exclusive video clips, special artifacts, and over 80 exhibit items; never been shown before in the Philippines and in Asia,” reveals Irene Lloren, president of Shroud Exhibits International. Visitors will be taken on a module-by-module tour of the historical journey of the Shroud, and the various theories based on art, science, technology and the Bible that aim to shed light on the historical, scientific and ecclesiastical phenomenon. “In the end, this special exhibit is envisioned to be a spiritual journey for every Christian, a soulful pilgrimage in search of a symbol of faith,” Lloren adds.

The exhibit items come from the collection of Barrie Schwortz, the Official Documenting Photographer commissioned by King Umberto II of Savoy, the Shroud’s previous monarch-owner. 

Schwortz readily admits that he was a skeptic when he first viewed the Shroud in 1978. “[I was a] complete skeptic.  I looked at it and I thought, you know, they made so many famous relics in the medieval times I thought [it was] probably paint. After three minutes when the Shroud was laid before us, I took my magnifying glass and I looked at the image to see where the paint was, [and there was] no paint. So I knew I had to change my thinking,” he explains. “It took 18 years of adding bit by bit of scientific information about the Shroud until I was convinced that this was indeed the cloth that wrapped Jesus.”

When asked by people what one thing changed his mind, Schwortz answers, “Not one thing, thousands of things, accumulation of the evidence. Finally, the only answer is, it must be authentic. It’s the most obvious answer and it’s the correct answer.”

His years of experience and work with the Shroud also prompted Schwortz to launch a web site, Shroud.com. “I was tired of getting stupid questions from people who knew nothing of the Shroud,” he says. “I realized that because I had been a part of this and continued to research for so many years, I was privileged to know scientific information that they don’t put in newspapers and magazines.” According to him, Shroud.com was the first and now the largest and most extensive resource on the Internet dedicated to the Shroud of  Turin. “So many scientific papers [are now found on the web site] that all other scientists use it to research the Shroud.” He adds that the web site runs on his own money, with no help from any sort of advertising.

Schwortz clarifies that what people will see on the exhibit is only a replica of the actual Shroud. “The Shroud must never leave Turin because when King Umberto II died, he left the Shroud to the Catholic Church. It was stated in his last will and testament that if the Shroud leaves Turin, the Catholic Church will no longer own it,” he explains. He also revealed that the Shroud is stored in a special case to prevent further damage. “The case is purged of air because air can cause [the cloth] to degrade. [There’s] no air but only nitrogen and argon. It is temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled. It’s also not good to expose the Shroud to light because the light can cause damage to the cloth.”

The replica is made from very high-resolution photographs taken by Schwortz and printed onto cloth. “It looks exactly like the Shroud when I saw it,” he says.

Schwortz says that the exhibit will provide an even better experience for the visitors than when they actually visit the Shroud in Turin. “Here you can get close. When the Shroud is on exhibit in Turin the next time in 2025, you will be 10 meters away and it’s high up. So you can never get close,” he reveals. “Also, when the Shroud is on display in Turin, [it’s] only the shroud. Here, we have the experience that leads up to the death and resurrection of Jesus and then we have all the technical history, the science, and the background information,” he adds.  

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The Shroud of Turin exhibit will run at SM Mall of Asia until December 9; SM Davao from January 18 to February 3, 2008; and SM City Cebu on April 4 to 27, 2008.

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