"O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee.
And crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea!"
"Today, therefore, my final prayer is this : that God will bless America, so that she may increasingly become—and truly be—and long remain—'One Nation, under God, indivisible. With liberty and justice for all'.
God bless America! God bless America!"
The brown color of byssus threads originates from the pheomelanin pigments; its marker (BTCA) was detected by HPLC after degradation.
Degradation of byssus threads (chemically by some oxidants in proper media) results in changes of the brown color: bleaching to pale straw-color, to colorless and to reddish.
It looks highly probable that the image on the Veil of Manoppello (at least in most parts) was formed by modifications of pheomelanin, natural pigment of byssus.
Thus, there is an additional similarity with the image on the Shroud of Turin, which was "created" by oxidation dehydration processes of cellulose of the linen.
Byssus properties are responsible for some unique properties of the Veil of Manoppello, like the transparency after strong illumination.
Future detailed investigations on byssus properties (including color changes) are desirable and they are possible even if the examination of the original Veil of Manoppello will not be available.
by Wlodzimierz Redzioch
When did you begin to become interested in the Veil of Manoppello?
In 1979 I was shown a magazine article on the image of the Holy Face of Manoppello, but I did not even want to look at it, because the only authentic and true image of Jesus for me was the Holy Shroud (I had read all the German language books about it). But the look on the Face of Manoppello moved me and finally, out of obedience to Jesus, I decided to study this image which had something to do with the Lord. I read this article which was accompanied by photographs. The article stated that the image of the Face of Manoppello had the same dimensions as the face on the Shroud. This seemed to me to be untrue and, out of stubbornness, I wanted to demonstrate the opposite. So I began to study the topic which entered rather easily into my new activity of painting icons. Strangely, everything which I discovered was in favor of the Veil. I continued to compare the two images and little by little I came to find that they had to have come from the same Person: they both showed the same symmetry, the Shroud as well as the Veil of Manoppello. Then I began to believe that the Veil of Manoppello represented the authentic and living Face of Jesus. In all these years I didn't do anything other than compare the two images by means of new photographs or fotocopies. In 1991 however I was able to make the first slides of natural size and, after placing one on top of the other there appeared a perfect match of the wounds and other particulars: to sum up, the images were derived from the very same source.
My difficulty and that of so many other people consists in the fact that in the image of the Shroud one cannot recognize the image of Manoppello. Instead, in the image of Manoppello, every once in a while, in the dark for example, it is possible to make out the face of the Shroud. I think that this difference depends on the fact that on the Shroud we have the image of Jesus who has died, instead on the Veil of Manoppello there is shown the living face of the risen Lord.
Isn't it a risky thing to say to a man of our times that there exists a true image of God?
Yes! But it is necessary to say it. Above all one must say that the Holy Face is the proof, or rather the document of the resurrection of Jesus (as the Shroud is the documentation of His passion and death on the cross). The Holy Face of Manoppello, for me, cannot be the Face of Jesus before His death, because, being without a doubt the face of a living person, it shows with precision the signs of the death he underwent.
Did you share your research with other experts?
I sought out contacts with the specialists: in 1984 I sent the results of my research to professor Werner Bulst and to Father Heinrich Pfeiffer, with whom I was in close contact for many years (for entire days we spoke of the Holy Face). Professor Andreas Resch, after having read Fr. Pfeiffer's first book on the Veil of Manoppello, invited him to speak at a congress on paranormalogy. Afterwards he published articles by Father Pfeiffer and also my work. To sum up a group was formed of persons who studied the Holy Face, made up also of persons who I did not know personally.
What is your role here at Manoppello?
I am a Trappistine nun, I have asked to be able to live as a hermit in Manoppello in order to continue my studies on the Holy Face. I decided to live here because Jesus present on the Veil seemed to me to be abandoned, that there was not a community who loved Him and adored Him. It's true that in Manoppello there was and there is a community of Capuchin friars and that many of the inhabitants feel connected to this Image and love it, but there is not a community dedicated to the continuous contemplation.
What does it mean for you to stay in Manoppello and contemplate the Holy Face?
I would like to clarify something: in the beginning it was not my intention to seek out the Holy Face and to remain in Manoppello. I think that Jesus has made use of my life and that of my person to realize a divine plan, something which was completely obscure for me and of which I was a very modest instrument. I think that God Himself had wanted to reveal His Son in a new way to us His poor children of the twenty first century, and had sought out and found men and women who, knowingly or unknowingly, would collaborate in this work. For my part I can only thank those who have helped me along this path with their higher spiritual vision and their support, and also those who have sustained me with their prayer.
Turning to your question: the Holy Face is something unique. The Eucharist can be celebrated in every part of the world - for this I did not have to leave my monastery in Germany: Jesus is present in the Eucharist everywhere. However in the Veil of Manoppello He does something more: He shows Himself.
The first commandment of the believer is to love God. Love contemplates and adores. And here I am able to do it. It's true, one can always contemplate and adore in the Spirit. But God incarnate has an individual and unique Face and this Face I can only contemplate at Manoppello.
I would like for there to be formed a circle of persons to adore the human Face of God, to experience here the presence of Jesus Christ and to sing His praise.
I am so happy that now there are very many pilgrims coming here from all over the world. Recently there was also one of the faithful from Russia who came here to Manoppello and who purchased three images of the Holy Face, made in glass: one of these images, I have heard, will be given to the patriarch of Moscow. For me this is one of so many signs.
Sister Blandina Paschalis Schloemer was born on March 6 1943 in Karisbad-Aich (Germany). She entered the Missionary Sisters of the Most Precious Blood in 1962. In February of 1965 she made her first study of the Shroud. She specialized in the painting of mosaics. In 1966 she studied pharmacy in the Universities of Wurzburg and Bonn and in 1973 transferred to the order of the Trappistines. In 1976 she began the study of icons also in France. At the beginning of the 1980's she came to know about the Holy Face of Manoppello. In 1984 she contacted professor Werner Bulst and Father Heinrich Pfeiffer, experts on the Holy Shroud. In this period she began her study of comparing the Shroud and the Face, obtaining in 1991 the first "superimposition" of the two images of Jesus: the image of the Shroud and the image of the veil of Manoppello. In 1998 at the conference on the "Face of Faces" held at Rome she exhibited the 27 panels which demonstrated the full convergence of the two images. These panels now form the Exhibit "Penuel" at the shrine of Manoppello.
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The Shrine in Manoppello
Wlodzimierz Redzioch talks to Fr Carmine Cucinelli, OFMCap, Rector of the Shrine in Manoppello.
For centuries it has been known and visited mainly by local believers. The world learnt about the relic of the Holy Countenance of Christ in 2006 thanks to the unexpected visit of Benedict XVI in this tiny Italian place, located between the mountains of Abruzzi and the Adriatic coast. On the occasion of the papal visit I also arrived in Manopello for the first time. Then I met people who contributed most to ‘promote’ this unique relic to the public opinion: Paul Badde, Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlömer and Fr Carmine Cucinelli, Rector of the local shrine – I wrote about it in ‘Niedziela’ (no 36, 2006). I returned to Manoppello after several years to see the changes after the papal visit to the shrine and to meet Fr Carmine and Sr. Blandina again.
Wlodzimierz Redzioch: – In what way has the life of your Capuchin community and the activities of the shrine changed after the visit of the Holy Father?
Fr. Carmine Cucinelli, OFMCap: – The visit of Benedict XVI caused our shrine to become famous in Italy and all over the world. The Italians themselves were astonished not to have known the relic of the Holy Countenance before. The papal visit made pilgrims from Italy and also from distant countries, even from America and the Philippines, come to Manopello. Within one year ca. 600,000 believers came to our shrine. Besides, we began receiving many letters with requests for postcards and pictures. That’s why we decided to translate the information about the shrine and the relic of the Holy Countenance into 10 languages. The next step was to organise a web page in four languages (www.voltosanto.it) where we put the news about our activities and initiatives as well as results of the latest research of the Veil. We also publish the periodical ‘Holy Countenance from Manopello.’
The publication of three books about the Veil from Manopello in Germany (their authors being the journalist Paul Badde, Sr. Blandina and Fr. Heinrich Pfeiffer, a Jesuit), made the Germans be interested in our shrine. One of the most meaningful phenomena was Polish pilgrims – almost every day a coach with Polish believers comes here (sometimes even several coaches). In Poland seven books concerning Manopello have already been published, which testifies about the great interest of the Polish people in our shrine.
– Has any modern research concerning the Veil, which has been under your custody for over 300 years, been conducted? –
Yes, it has. We decided to conduct various research but without ‘touching’ the Veil itself. The scientists from the University of L’Aquila prepared a photographic documentation, using infra-red radiation. We are waiting for the results of the research. The Veil was analysed with a laser. It is the Ramana spectroscopy, which enables to define through a diagram the composition of the examined material. Two such examinations have been made and the results were the same – in all analysed points the protein of byssus-fibre, i.e. ‘marine silk’ was discovered. Our shrine was also visited by the Polish photographer Zbigniew Treppa, the director of the Department of the Semiotics of Picture and Audiovisual Techniques from the University of Gdansk, who wants to prove through photography that the Veil from Manopello is not a painting.
– Has the research you spoke about confirmed that the Veil is not a painting?
– Yes, it has because no traces of minerals or other substance except the single protein have been found. And we are almost 100 % sure that it was the protein of the byssus-fibre. I would like to mention another examination. A scientist from the Italian National Research Centre took tri-dimensional photos to determine the thickness of the cloth and its layers. We are waiting for the results of these experiments and they can be interesting.
– Do you consider opening the reliquary in which the Veil is kept so that the cloth can be directly examined? –
So far we have not decided to do that since there is a risk to damage the Veil.
– Who takes decisions concerning the Veil from Manoppello: the Capuchins, i.e. the custodians of the relic, or the local bishop (of Chieti) or perhaps the Holy See?
– We are the custodians of the shrine and that’s why the main responsibility falls on our provincial. But when an important decision must be taken it is taken collegially. It is the result of collaboration with the local bishop, the provincial and the rector of the shrine.
– How has the wave of pilgrims who come to Manoppello from all over the world changed the pastoral activities of this shrine that used to be a local one?
– During his pilgrimage Benedict XVI elevated our shrine to the status of basilica. This title brings the privilege of plenary indulgence, which can be granted on certain days: feasts connected with the Holy Countenance (third Sunday of May and 6 August), papal feasts (22 February – St Peter’s Cathedral and 29 June – St Peter’s and Paul’s), 19 April (the electoral day of the present Pope), 29 September (consecration of the church) and 22 September (elevation of the shrine to a basilica); one day a year is appointed by the bishop and every pilgrim can also choose one day of indulgence (it means that every pilgrim receives plenary indulgence once a year outside of the above-mentioned dates). Our pastoral work focuses on the spiritual meaning of the Holy Countenance in our lives. That means that two fathers out of 6 priests that form our community are present in the church all the time to receive pilgrims. Our confessors have more work because of the increased number of pilgrims. The problem is that all our fathers are Italians. Some know Spanish and English a little but we need someone that would know other languages, especially Polish.
– I hope that the Capuchin superiors will respond to your appeal and send you a Polish priest so that he could serve Polish pilgrims in the place where we can contemplate the real Holy Face of Christ. "Niedziela" 10/2010
