The second video on the DVD distributed by Ignatius Press is entitled
"The Human Face of God"
produced in 2010 for Blagovest Media by Mark Riedemann
"Author of Idea": Paul Badde
Film Director: Nick Goryachkin
Summary
Paul Badde speaking in english in front of the Holy Face of Manoppello "This is the desire of the prophets... this is how He looked...we can't believe it's Him, you can't believe it's true, I can't believe it's true but the unbelievable is true".
Fr. Pfeiffer announces in 1999 that the image of the Veronica has been found in Manoppello. In the Eastern church there is another story of a miraculous face of Jesus which also disappeared. Paul Badde and Fr. Pfeiffer say both images are the same and that the Face on the Holy Shroud of Turin completely matches the Holy Face on the Veil of Manoppello.
Beautiful scenes of Manoppello and the surrounding mountains are shown with the image of the Holy Face there, an image of the risen Christ with open eyes. Some people think it's from the Middle Ages, though people from all over the world come to see it, even from Russia.
Archbishop Bruno Forte of the diocese of Chieti-Vasto of which Manoppello is a part states in english that the Holy Face of Manoppello is the Veronica which Dante and many other people saw in Rome. He also goes on to say that it was "saved by Gian Pietro Carafa, Bishop of Chieti then Bishop of Rome" (Pope Paul IV)"
Paul Badde speaking in front of the massive statue of Veronica at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome summarizes the history of the Veronica which is taught by Fr. Pfeiffer and other scholars. In the papacy of Pope John VII during the early 700's the Holy Face arrives in Rome but is unknown to the world until the "first downfall of the Byzantine Empire" in the 1200's when Pope Innocent displayed the Holy Face for the first time. "
"This veil drew many, many pilgrims to Rome until the new St. Peter's Basilica was built in the 16th century to be a special place to show it, but then they didn't show it from close range as they did before"
Saverio Gaeta, editor in chief of the Italian Catholic weekly magazine Famiglia Cristiana and the author of many books, including several on the Holy Face of Manoppello, states that the Veronica disappeared during the Sack of Rome in 1527 when Spanish and German troops of the Emperor overran the city and forced the pope to flee to the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Archbishop Forte says that the Veronica and the Holy Face of Manoppello are identical and the "canon of all oriental icons" is the Holy Face. Paul Badde states that the Veronica was only known in the West, and then only since the 13th century. The East has the Abgar story which is a much older legend. The East knew about the image much earlier than the West. "There is one Christianity, one image for both legends" (Veronica and Abgar)
A Russian expert, Irina Shalina, speaks of the important date of August 16, 944 AD when the Holy Image of the Face of Christ was moved to Constantinople from Edessa. "The Holy Face was much better known (in the East) after that time."
Martin Mosebach, author of "The Heresy of Formlessness" says that "the most amazing thing is that on the veil the eyes of Christ are written with disproportion". He continues that in the history of icons "it is as if there was some kind of photographic image" of the face of Christ. "This is seen in the early icons of Mt. Sinai".
Saverio Gaeta describes the thesis of Fr. Pfeiffer, renowned professor of art history at the Gregorian University in Rome, that the first prototype for all icons is the Holy Face of Manoppello.
The devotion to the Holy Face in Russia is demonstrated by a number of scenes from Russian churches. The likeness of the Holy Face in Russia is very similar to that of the Holy Face in Manoppello.
A group of pilgrims, including Paul Badde, are shown at Mass in the Basilica of the Holy Face of Manoppello. Paul Badde relates how then Cardinal Ratzinger read his first article on the Holy Face of Manoppello and told him "it's a beautiful article" when they met by chance. Badde sent the first copy of his book on the Holy Face of Manoppello which was published soon after the Cardinal had become Pope Benedict XVI. The tradition of the "true icon" is well known by Pope Benedict who has said "to know God the Father we have to look in the face of the Son."
The visit of Pope Benedict to Manoppello and the Holy Face is shown while the traditional hymn is sung "O Volto Santo di Gesu'"
Archimandrite Zenon is quoted by Paul Badde "in the past the Church defended images, now images have returned to defend the Church"
The video ends with Paul Badde praying the rosary on the bridge across the Tiber leading to Castel Sant'Angelo in front of the large statue of Veronica with the veil as the Holy Face of Manoppello is slowly superimposed. Adding to the drama of the moment is the recitation in the background of "Veronica Veil" a poem by the modern Russian poet Liudmila Kolodiazhnaia.
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