The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-19

From the New York Sun.
~ VERY remarkable examination
P Of the evidence. historical and
scientific, as to the authenticity
of the celebrated Holy shroud of Turin"
is made In the Catholic Mind by learn
ed Jesuit, the Rev. Joseph Braun, with
the result that the so-called relic is pro-
nounced by him to be spurious The arti-
Gle is the more remarkable because 1t
was called out by the championship of
the authenticity of the shroud by the
French doctor of natural science, DR..
Paul vignon, on strictly scientific
grounds.
The Holy shroud." 1t will be remem-
bered was brought into contemporary
prominence and under contemporary
criticism by its exhibition at the cathe-
dral at Turin in June, 1898, at the time of
the opening of a national exposition In
that city. 1t had not been exhibited since
1868, when its exposition was an incl
dent of the celebration of the marriage
of Prince Humbert, subsequently king,
as also, in 1912. its exhibition had been
incidental to the marriage of Victor EN-
anuel II. Only at three other times
was it shown during the nineteenth CEN
fury, In 1914. 1915. 1922.
The Catholic church has never made
itself responsible for the genuineness Of
the shroud, but instead has refused to
accept 1t as a genuine relic. Actually the
shroud is a linen cloth fourteen feet long
by three and one-half feet wide, on both
the front and reverse sides of which is
represented human figure; and this fig
ure has been held UP to veneration as the
veritable imprint of the body of the cru
Gifted Jesus which had been wrapped In
1t for the sculpture.
The authentic history Of the shroud
goes back to 1853. when Godfrey l., OF
Charney, Lord of savoisy and Lirey, con-
fided to a church at the village of Llrey,
founded by him, "a linen cloth with a
double picture of the dead body of
Christ" In other words, the present Holy
Shroud of Turin" Conflicting statements
as to the manner in which he obtained
possession of 1t have come down. The
canons of the church proceeded to put 1t
on exhibition as a real relic, but without
the permission of their bishop the Bishop
of Troyes and multitudes were attract
ed to the exhibition, greatly to the adj
vantage of the church. But the bishop In
terfered, and after a careful investigation
ordered by him 1t was declared to be a
clumsy forgery and the double portrait
was unmasked as a piece of ordinary
painting" as the artist himself who paint
ed 1t confessed.
Accordingly, the expositions ceased for
thirty-four years and the shroud was
secreted. But in 1885, permission having
been obtained from a cardinal legate of
the anti-pope, Clement VII, over the head
of the bishop, to deposit it '1n a becom-
ing place of the canonry," the dean and
canons proceeded to exceed their authority
by displaying 1t publicly. with great
solemnity, on all great festivals. Even
they did not venture to proclaim It as the
true shroud of Christ, merely calling 1t by
the name of sanctuarium, but they allow
ed the people to look on 1t in that light,
and "the affair seemed n'Iely to become
a scandal" Thereupon che Bishop of
Troyes. at a diocesan synod, forbade
priests and preachers to make any allu-
sion whatever to the shroud in their SER
mons. and prohibited its public exhibition