Recent Articles Speak of New Research on Ties Between the Shroud of Turin, the Sudarium of Oviedo and the Holy Face of Manoppello

A metal icon of the Holy Face from 19th century Russia
through the courtesy of Andrew Whelan



A composite photograph of the Holy Face of Manoppello and the Face on the Shroud of Turin



the Veronica by a Flemish master


There are several quite interesting articles published in the April 2009 english language edition of 30 Days, an important Italian Catholic monthly. These articles, under the common heading "Clues to the Resurrection of Jesus" show the increasing attention scientists and researchers are giving to the close ties between these most notable relics of Turin, Manoppello and Oviedo.

Three of the articles are by Lorenzo Bianchi, a senior researcher of the Italian Institute for Technologies (CNR) while the fourth is by Fr. Carmine Cucinelli, Rector of the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello.

The first article, http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo.asp?id=21067, is

"The Sudarium of Oviedo and the Veil of Manoppello: Two objects venerated for centuries as relics of the Passion of Jesus which show surprising correspondences with the Shroud of Turin"

The second article, http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo.asp?id=21068, is

"The Sudarium of Oviedo, according to one tradition the 'Sudarium of the Lord' has been preserved in the ancient capital of Asturias since the 8th century. The scientific studies have recognized spots of blood compatible with those of the Shroud of Turin"

The third article, http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo.asp?id=21069, is

"The Veil of Manoppello: The Roman 'Veronica', 'true icon' of Christ 'not made by human hands' has been in Abruzzo since the 17th century. An image showing the face of a real person"

The fourth article, http://www.30giorni.it/us/articolo.asp?id=21070, is

"The Visit of Benedict XVI to the Holy Countenance of Manoppello"

by Fr. Carmine Cucinelli, Rector of the Shrine of the Holy Face of Manoppello also speaks of the religious history of the Veil from the time of its arrival in Manoppello up to the time of the historic visit of Pope Benedict to Manoppello on September 1, 2006 and the subsequent designation of the Shrine as a Minor Basilica on September 22, 2006.

A Tale of Cloths in Three Places - Turin, Oviedo and Manoppello

The Face on the Shroud of Turin


The Holy Face of Manoppello



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The Sudarium of Oviedo

Through the website of Antonio Teseo

http://www.sindonesantovolto.splinder.com/

I learned of a Vatican Radio broadcast on July 1 of this year regarding the correspondence between the Shroud of Turin, the Sudarium of Oviedo and the Holy Face of Manoppello. Originally transmitted in Italian, I provide the following translation of the Italian transcript available on the Vatican Radio website

it.radiovaticana.va/storico/2009/07/01/le_straordinarie_corrispondenze_tra_il_sudario_del_signore_di_ovied/it1-299038

"The Extraordinary Correspondence Between the Lord's Sudarium of Oviedo and the Shroud of Turin. Interview with the archaeologist Lorenzo Bianchi.

According to tradition, ever since the eighth century the Lord's Sudarium has been preserved in the ancient capital of Asturias in Spain. Scientific studies have shown stains of blood which are compatible with the Shroud of Turin. On the other hand, in Abruzzo in Italy, starting in the 17th century there has been displayed the Veil of Manoppello, true icon of Christ, which according to tradition is not made by human hands. We are dealing here with two objects venerated for centuries as relics of the Passion of the Lord which demonstrate a suprising correspondence with the Shroud of Turin. Luca Collodi has asked Dr. Lorenzo Bianchi, archaeologist and primary researcher for the CNR (the Italian National Research Institute), as well as author of several articles on this topic published in the April 2009 edition of the Italian journal "30 Days" if it is possible to speak of evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus.

Dr. Bianchi: The Sudarium of Oviedo and the Veil of Manoppello are linked in some particular ways to the Shroud. The Sudarium of Oviedo is witness to the Crucifixion and Passion of Jesus because it has a series of specific concordances with the Shroud of Turin: regarding the nature of the blood as well as the geometric shapes of the bloodstains.

Luca Collodi: So there is no scientific contradiction between Oviedo and Turin?

Dr. Bianchi: Absolutely not, Oviedo is probably that cloth which was placed on the face of Jesus at the moment when he was being taken down from the cross. There are the same types of geometric shapes of wounds on the cloth of Oviedo as there are on the Holy Shroud: that of the blood issuing from the face and also from the mouth. The Sudarium of Oviedo was used for the purpose (of containing the blood of Jesus)and therefore is not evidence relating to the Resurrection but rather to the death of Jesus.

Luca Collodi: The Veil of Manoppello that is in Abruzzo, which significantly has been visited by Benedict XVI, instead contains evidence which refers to the Resurrection?

Dr. Bianchi: The Veil of Manoppello is another truly surprising piece of evidence. What has been noted by studies in recent years is that this face appearing on the Veil of Manoppello has an amazing geometric and physical correspondence with the face on the Shroud. While it is still an object of study, there are those who think that the Veil of Manoppello may actually be that sudarium - I use the word sudarium this time to refer to the cloth found inside the tomb of which the Evangelist John makes specific mention - that perhaps was placed on top of the Shroud at the level of the face and therefore would have had a kind of impression of the face of Jesus through the Shroud at the moment of the Resurrection.