“Passio Christi, passio hominis”

The following comes from the Salesian News Agency:

On 10 April the first public display in the new millennium of the Turin Shroud will begin. It is an event intended to help people of today to renew their faith in the Lord and in His mercy.

Yesterday morning in the Holy See Press Office Fr Federico Lombardi chaired a press conference introducing the event which will conclude on 23 May. Among those who spoke were Cardinal Severino Poletto, Archbishop of Turin and the Pontifical Custodian of the Shroud, Prof. Fiorenzo Alfieri, Cultural Representative of the City of Turin and President of the Committee for the 2010 Exhibition of the Shroud, Mons. Giuseppe Ghiberti, President of the Diocesan Commission for the Shroud and Dr Maurizio Baradello, a Salesian-Cooperator, Director General of the Committee for the Exhibition.

In recent years improvements have been made for the preservation and the display of the Shroud. For the last ten years it has been kept flat and not rolled up and in 2002 the “patches” applied by the Poor Clare Nuns of Chambéry were removed and the fold marks and creases on the image smoothed out.

The theme of the exhibition chosen by Cardinal Poletto is “Passio Christi, passio hominis”, underlining the connection between the Holy Shroud image, representing the passion of Jesus Christ, and human suffering in the world of today so that the linen cloth may be a point of reference for believers recalling God’s mercy and service of one’s brothers and sisters.

As in 1998 and in 2000, the 2010 Exhibition is organized by the Archbishop of Turin in cooperation with the Province and Municipality of Turin and Region of Piedmont. The Italian Church and diocese of Turin, together with the public institutions, have provided economic resources and logistics to support this event. An important contribution has been made by two financial institutions in Turin the CRT Foundation and the Saint Paul Company.

As part of the route followed by visiting pilgrims there will be a video presentation explaining the Shroud they are about to see. As they leave the Cathedral they will have the opportunity to go to confession – with priests hearing in various languages, and also to visit the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

A variety of events connected with the exhibition of the Shroud will be held. On the http://www.sindone.org/the_holy_shroud__english_/00024122_The_Holy_Shroud.html site it is possible book visits and also find more useful information. Over 1,300,000 pilgrims have already made bookings and many more are expected.

Pope Benedict XVI will be in Turin on Sunday 2 May to venerate the Shroud.