Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-05
Regarded as Most Precious.

S4SotS thO fSiiA6otys
Regarded as Most Precious.
The most precious relic of the Savior
in northern Italy, however. is in the ca
thedral at Turin. and Is claimed to be the
winding sheet in which Joseph Of Arima-
thea wrapped the bleeding body OF the Sa-
vior. It is Of the finest linen, measures
1914 by ~ feet, is very much discolored
by age and scorched in several places be-
cause Of q fire which destroyed the room
In the castle in which 1t was kept at
house OF savoy, in 1882. It was brought
from the Holy Land by one of the Dukes
Of Savoy, who joined in the first crusade,
and has always been one of the greatest
treasures of that house. The Princess
Clotilde. sister Of the late King Hum
bert. lined it with heavy black silk in
1884. When the sheet Is held in a certain
position the outlines Of human body can
be easily traced and in 1898 Pope Leo
XIII ordered q photograph OF the Holy
Sudarium" to be made. which is said to
show these tracings very plainly.
When King Humbert was married to- his
cousin Margherita. the present queen
dowager. he proceeded to the cathedral,
procession of prelates. unlocked the gold
en- casket in which 1t is kept on the high
altar and kissed the relic reverently. The
BRIDE the archbishop and other ecclesias-
was exposed to the public view for sew
eraI days.
Controversy Arises.
This provoked an animated discussion
between Roman Catholic antiquarians and
historians concerning the so-called shroud
Of Christ. which was then exhibited to
the public as genuine. although it has
never received the sanction OF the holy
see. On the contrary. it has been several
times condemned by high ecclesiastical
authority as an impOsture. It's exhibition
has been forbidden again and again by
the archbishop Of that diocese. but it does
not belong to the church. but to the king.
and the latter cares nothing for the or
ders Of the Pope. 1t was also publicly ex-
hibited in 1912 at the marriage of Victor
Emmanuel. and is always brought out at
the christening Of the heir to the Italian
throne.
The authenticity of the shroud has been
attacked by Rev. Joseph Braun, a Ger
man Jesuit OF distinction, and by Prof.
Duschene, professor of ecclesiastical his
tory in one Of the greatest schools Of the
Roman Catholic Church. Father Duschene
is a Frenchman, who has devoted much
time to an investigation of this and other
pretended relics OF the Savior. and has
written several books to expose humbugs.
Prof. Duschene has demonstrated that
by an ordinary artist in the fourteenth
century. and that the artist himself pub
iicly admitted that he was guilty of the
trick.
Father Braun goes even more into de-
tail, and gives the history of the shroud
from the year 1853, when he claims that
It was painted for Godfrey l. Lord of
Savoy, who pretended to have brought 1t
from Jerusalem. and presented 1t to
church In the village Of Liney as the
genuine winding sheet In which the body
OF the Savior was wrapped for burial, and
painted out the brown stains In the form
OF a human figure, which are claimed to
have been caused by the blood OF Jesus,
mingled with the spices that were ap-
piled to His body before the entombment.
French Professor Dissents.
Prof. vignon has written a book of
400 pages in French. with fifty or sixty
illustrations, which has been translated
into English and published by e. p. Dut-
ton & Co. Of New York, to prove
that these stains could not have been
made by chemical action. and makes out
q very plausible case. He also produces
considerable evidence to prove that the
linen Is much older than the fourteenth
century, and traces back Its history to
the day OF the crucihxion.
ON the other hand. Father Braun shows
that the priest Of the church at Liney
accepted the relic from the Lord Of Savoy
without investigation and placed It on
exhibition as q real thing. 1t attracted
muititudes Of pilgrims, much to the finan-
bishop OF that diocese. who had no faith
a.. n n,,S>Iielv declared II n clumsy forv.