Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — The Archdiocese of Turin, custodian of the Shroud of Turin, has announced that the shroud, venerated by many as the burial cloth of Christ, will be on public display April 19-June 24, 2015.
The archdiocese said the 67-day display will be the longest period of time that the 14-foot-by-4-foot linen cloth has ever been available for public viewing; providing a window of more than two months not only will allow more faithful to see it, but also will make it easier for Pope Francis to schedule the visit he has said he wants to make.
At the same time, the Turin announcement said, the public display will coincide with several events in Turin for young Catholics arriving to mark the 200th anniversary in 2015 of the birth of St. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians.
In early March, the archdiocese also announced that it had chosen a theme for the 2015 display: “The greatest love.”
Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin said, “The greatest love is God’s for men and women,” a love reflected in Jesus, “the son of God made man, who accepted death on the cross for the salvation of all, in every time and every situation.”
The image on the shroud, he said, testifies to the “suffering and death of a crucified man” and is “a sign of that love which does not end with death.”
Visitors will be able to make reservations to see the shroud, although as of March 6, the reservation system had not opened. Eventually, the information will be posted on www.sindone.org.
