If The Catholic Church’s most controversial relic is the Shroud of Turin. It was found centuries ago and has been believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth, the founder of Christianity. The shroud has been examined by thousands of scientists, theologians, and historians alike. Over 100,000 to 150,000 hours of work have been done to find if it is authentic. Many books have been written about this subject. Millions of dollars have been spent in scientific research. This research has been used to determine whether this long cloth was really that of Jesus Christ.
If You may have asked what evidence is there to prove that the shroud is what it is claimed to be. The answer is that an outline of a man’s face and body that resembles what Jesus is drawn as, is on the cloth. Other facts that support its authenticity are that there are blood marks in the areas that Jesus bleed from, such as the head, because of the crown of thorns, and the side because of the sword to his side. The cloth is also made out of the same fabric that was frequently used in Jesus’ time period. Pollen samples taken off the shroud match the same pollen in Jerusalem. Another supporting fact is that in the early 1900’s, a man took a photo of the shroud and when the man looked at the negative of the photo he said that the face of the man was so clear it “jumped out at him.” Scientists, anthropologists, and historians have all said that the Shroud of Turin was not made by a man made painting because the artist would have had to use a technique that would be precise enough to paint only the top layer of fibers and to the paint strokes would have to be thinner then human hair.
If Some facts against the authenticity of the shroud are that it would have been hard to keep the shroud intact, especially in times of religious persecution. In 1988 scientists used Carbon Dating, which is a technique used to find out how old an artifact is by counting the number of carbon atoms in it. This test revealed that the shroud was created around 1260-1390 A.D. But since the Holy Shroud was involved in a fire in 1534 that would have changed the test and thrown it off by about a thousand years
If I think that the Shroud of Turin is authentic because there are more supporting facts then apposing facts. The Shroud of Turin is important to me as a Catholic because it is the actual authentic cloth that our Lord, Jesus Christ was wrapped in when he died for us. Although I do not need this physical proof to strengthens my faith in God. I do find it interesting
LINKS
Why it shouldn't change are faith