Thursday, December 06, 2007 Devotees get chance to see Shroud of Turin in April
FILIPINO devotees will have something to look forward to this month until summer, as the most revered burial shroud of Jesus Christ in Turin will visit two more destinations in the country before it will be locked away again for safekeeping.
The Mystery of the Shroud of Turin has been displayed in SM City Pampanga last July 20 to Aug. 19. It is now in SM Mall of Asia, where the exhibit ran from Sept. 8 until Dec. 9.
The Shroud will then be displayed at SM City Davao on Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, before making the last stop in SM City Cebu on April 4 to 27.
The Shroud is a linen cloth, bearing the image of a crucified man, whom devotees believe to be Jesus of Nazareth.
Measuring about 14.3 feet by 3.7 feet, it is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
There is still much debate among scientists, historians, and the Christian flock regarding the origin of shroud and how its image, like a bearded man with shoulder-length hair parted in the middle, was created.
For Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Philippine exhibition of the shroud will allow many people “to be inspired or challenged by the questions that this religious object will raise to modern thinking.”
Dr. Lorna Rances of the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division is encouraging all schools to visit the exhibit or include it in the itinerary of their field trips, especially when the next official exposition is scheduled in 2025.
Both the CBCP and DepEd, along with the Commission on Higher Education endorse the exhibit for the benefit of the Sisters of the Holy Face Congregation, The Holy One of the Lord Catholic Foundation, Inc., and the Diocese of Parañaque.
Ticket rates for the exhibit range from P200 to P250 per person.
Visitors will be divided into groups of 50 persons for a “full experience” of the 45-minute presentation of the history and science behind the Shroud of Turin, according to the official website of the exhibit. (NRC)
