New Book by Saverio Gaeta on the Holy Face of Manoppello in Relation to the Shroud of Turin

Thanks to Antonio Bini for alerting me to the publication of Saverio Gaeta's new book.

I had the joy of reading Gaeta's first book L'Altra Sindone (the other Shroud) published by Mondadori in 2005 soon after it was published. I hope to read this latest book as soon as DHL can get make it arrive. Needless to say, I pray each day that the books of Gaeta, and Paul Badde as well, will be available in English as soon as possible. And that soon a competent American author will add his own contribution to the understanding of the Holy Face among english speaking peoples. (God speed the work!)

Thanks to Antonio also for providing me with his short review of Gaeta's book which appears below in my translation.


L’ENIGMA DEL VOLTO DI GESU’

L’avventurosa storia della Sindone segreta

Ed. Rizzoli, marzo 2010

The Enigma of the Face of Jesus

The adventurous history of the secret Shroud

published by Rizzoli, March 2010



An important book by Saverio Gaeta on the theme of the increasing interest regarding the Face of Jesus, brought about by the upcoming display of the Shroud of Turin. Gaeta, editor in chief of the most widely distributed Italian catholic weekly magazine Famiglia Cristiana and recent author of the best seller "Why He is a Saint" (on the life of John Paul II), builds upon and brings up to date the historical research on the legendary image of Veronica which is identified with the Holy Face of Manoppello. Also brought to deeper clarity is his thesis on the disappearance from St. Peter's of the Veronica on the occasion of the so-called "sack of Rome" of 1527, with interesting connections to the local history of Abruzzo which have never been brought out before.

His reading of the centuries old historical vicissitudes of the image seems to be linked also to the interpretation of the pilgrimage of Benedict XVI to Manoppello on Sep. 1, 2006. Interesting also is his explanation of the relationship between the Veronica and the Shroud, images which have often been confused for each other in the past.

The book's cover itself introduces immediately the visual relationship between the two images seemingly very different from each other, with a jacket cover in transparent plastic that shows the Holy Face visible from each of the two sides, while on the book's cover, serving as the base, is imprinted the face of the Shroud of Turin.


"Beyond all the historical, artistic and theological questions raised by every single detail... what remains" - affirms Saverio Gaeta in conclusion - "is the baffling and magnificent reality of the Holy Face displayed at Manoppello".



We have here a book that speaks for itself.


The author has also added his contribution to the numerous contributions of study and explication which have appeared in the official publication of the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello, and which in these last few years has played an increasing role of documentation for Italian and foreign scholars involved in gathering and sharing testimonies and research on the relic. One can expect to see reviews and articles on this book in the most important publications.

Today the great Italian and foreign publishing houses have arrived, while it must be recalled that up until just several years ago the only publications on the relic were printed at the expense of the Shrine and had a distribution entirely local.



review by Antonio Bini