The studies on the Holy Shroud, far from disproving our Catholic faith, are a precious aid even for non-believers…
Newsroom (06/17/2023 21:27, Gaudium Press) In late 1978, after numerous difficulties, the American scientists who were studying the Holy Shroud were finally able to have it in hand. They traveled to Italy with the necessary equipment and made an imposing room in the former royal palace of the House of Savoy – at the time transformed into a national museum – one of the most unique laboratories in history. Crimson silk walls and wainscoting, a beautiful parquet floor, and crystal chandeliers were the frames for the research on one of the most precious tissues known to mankind, the one that had wrapped the Divine Redeemer’s inert and dying body.
It would be impossible to narrate in two articles all the procedures performed in the uninterrupted 120 hours of experiments by the members of STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project). At the time, no fewer than 5,000 photographs were taken, not to mention countless physics, biology, and various chemical science tests. All this, plus the studies that have followed until our days, make the Holy Shroud one of the most studied objects by man. In this article, we will focus on just two major discoveries.
What was the origin of the image?
One of the most intriguing questions for scientists was: how was the image formed? By the exhalation of liquid from a body or by some other unknown phenomenon? But before they could solve it, another question arose.
Two members of the team, Dr. Roger and Dr. Marty Gilbert, were starting a 24-hour operation with a reflectance spectroscope. They began by analyzing the feet and then would move up the body to discover the nature of the image. However, they noticed that the spectrum of the heels was totally different from that of the legs. They set out to investigate what this was all about, as they could not understand how the same images could be made of different materials.
Another member of the team, Eric Jumper, who was present at the time, called Dr. Sam Pellicori to set up a microscope and analyze under full magnification the region of the heels. As soon as he had done so, Pellicori turned to Jumper and said, “It’s dirt. Really, “what could be more logical than to find dirt on the feet of a man who had walked without shoes?”[1]
But that was a long way from explaining the origin of the image. In fact, it was only years later, after much study of the microscopic fibrils of the Shroud and conducting numerous chemical tests, that Drs. John Heller and Alan Adler discovered that the image was the result of “acid-dehydrating oxidation of the linen.”[2] In other words, it was not pigments, but a kind of “corrosion.” The two chemists were even able to reproduce on a linen fibril a color identical to that of the Shroud images, using sulfuric acid. It turned out that the “coloring” of the images on the Holy Shroud was present only on the ridges of the linen threads, while their “base” was the color of the rest of the fabric. It was microscopic precision!
Moreover – as explained in the previous article [3] – These images had three dimensions. Well, the darker areas were not the result of a stronger “coloration” of the fibrils, because “the shade of each straw-yellow fibril was essentially the same, as in everything else. It was merely the number of fibrils that gave the impression of darker or lighter areas.”[4] In other words, the three-dimensionality previously caught by VP-8 was not apparent, but real.
A medieval artist?
How to explain such mysterious findings? Let’s say that the images had been made by a medieval artist – as many wanted to maintain; in this case, in order to color only the crest of the microscopic flax fibrils, he would obviously have to use a microscope, apply a quantity of pigment that would not spread all over the fibrils, and, in order to obtain the depth that exists in the images, he would have to “paint” more fibrils in the darker parts, and less in the lighter ones. Let us not forget, however, that this supposed artist would have to use sulfuric acid to obtain the coloring of the image, and this without destroying the weft of the fabric… Furthermore, to have a global and not a microscopic notion of his work of art, he would have to “paint” with a brush of more or less 2 mm, since the image is only visible to the naked eye between about 2 mm and 9 mm. There would also be another option: coloring the fabric based on a photograph in the negative; but in this case, he would have to face the difficulties of someone drawing on paper and looking at it through a mirror…
If, in the Middle Ages, there were people capable of such a prodigy, it would be necessary to know the history of these singular geniuses…
Is the red spots blood?
The nature of the red stains on the cloth still remained to be discovered. In the months following the 120 hours of experiments on the Shroud, the STURP members continued to analyze the linen microfibrils removed – without damage – from the cloth. Now, one member of the team claimed that the reddish spots were not blood, but a mixture of “iron oxide and mercury sulfide.” There was much debate. We will not dwell on it here. The fact is that Drs. Alan Adler and John Heller presented a list of 13 tests proving that the red spots were human blood, while their opponent based his position only on his so-called “experience”. Finally, an attempt was made to arrange conferences where both sides would present their studies, but the one denying the existence of blood on the Shroud did not attend…
Another impressive fact: the blood reached the cloth before that which generated the “corrosion” of the fibrils and gave birth to the image so that the reddish fibers were “protected” from the said corrosion, which did not penetrate them as it did in the rest of the Shroud where the Sacred Body of Jesus was stamped.
Faith is not Science!
The reader might ask himself: isn’t there a more recent and complete study than the one done 55 years ago? After all, science has evolved and perhaps has already found a way to disprove all this data. The answer is a resounding no.
Of course, the Shroud continues to be studied to this day. There have even been attempts to disprove everything that has been discovered. We will not dedicate ourselves to refuting them here, because one can easily find studies by serious scientists in various fields that demonstrate the falsity of such theses. But despite this, it is said in our days that “the most complete study of the Shroud in history was conducted by the American STURP team under John Jackson in 1978.”[5]
However, are all these discoveries – there are still countless others – sufficient to prove that the Holy Shroud venerated in Turin is indeed the one that wrapped Our Lord?
Such a question was often asked of the members of STURP. As scientists, they simply stated that such a hypothesis was not impossible. When asked how the image was formed, what was the explanation for the presence of human blood in the tissue, etc., 6] But that didn’t stop some of them – such as Dr. John Jackson, the head of the commission at the time – from believing that they had the “authentic shroud of Jesus of Nazareth” in their hands. 7] They were indeed very cautious – unlike some contemporary scientists who, based on some physical data, jump to metaphysical and theological conclusions lacking in veracity and common sense.
Finally, dear reader, the studies on the Holy Shroud are a true consolation for those who have faith. The Church is not afraid of science and knows how useful it is in corroborating its doctrine. If science cannot find natural explanations for the Shroud, how can we understand it if not by faith?
However, it is necessary to make it clear that, while it is true that science can help our faith, it will never be its foundation. The Church was not created in a laboratory, and its strength comes only from God. As St. Paul said, our Faith is not based on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God (cf. 1 Cor 2:5).
By Lucas Rezende
[1] HELLER, John H. The Shroud of Turin. Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, 1985, p. 111.
[2] Id, p. 219.
[3] https://gaudiumpress.org/content/santo-sudario-de-turim-farsa-ou-realidade-i/
[4] Id., p. 200.
[5] GÓRNY, Grzegorz; ROSIKÓN, Janusz. Testimoni del misterio: le relique di Gesù. Città del Vaticano: LEV, 2019, p. 42.
[6] HELLER, John H. Op. cit.
[7] Id., p. 218.
Compiled by Kate Iwuc
