This will be the first time the Shroud will be seen by the public since 2002 when it underwent a restoration to remove patches and burnt pieces of cloth. It was last on display in the Jubilee Year 2000.
The Shroud itself is a linen sheet woven in a herringbone pattern and is said to have been made before Christ. Embedded in the fabric is a faint impression of an image reminiscent of a crucified man which have led followers to believe it is the piece of fabric draped over Christ’s body before burial.
But, with the faithful, come the prudent. Over the years, radio carbon dating has produced evidence that the Shroud was actually made during the Middle Ages, well after Christ’s death and, just last week, an Italian scientist, Luigi Garlaschelli claimed that he recreated a copy of the Shroud by painting a piece of fabric with pigment, baking it in an over and then washing. Garlaschelli claims this is evidence enough to disprove that the Shroud is real, but for a brief period in the spring of 2010, you can decide for yourself. Bookings to see the Shroud can be made starting in