Dear pilgrims,

first of all, allow me to give you a sincere and warm welcome.
The reasons that brought you here in Torino, to see the Shroud in this jubilee year, must be numerous and different. I believe two words have been the centre of your journey: “come” and “see”. And, as an answer to this desire of yours, the Diocese of Torino, in an effective and efficient collaboration with public corporations, organized this extraordinary Exposition of the Shroud in the jubilee year, responding to a precise invitation from the Pope.
Dear brothers, you have come to Torino accomplishing one of the most ancient symbols of Christian tradition, which is pilgrimage. During the centuries many Christians, inspired by their faith, started their journey to reach places that were believed to strengthen and enrich their faith in the Lord, Saviour of mankind, for the presence of memories of the life of Christ and his disciples or for tradition. The joy of the pilgrims, when they reached the end of their hard and arduous journey, must have been just like it is described in the book of Psalms when it is spoken about the arrival of the Jews in Jerusalem “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.” (Psalm 122). And this is my wish for everyone who is coming to Torino: may your coming be time of Grace and encounter with Christ, time of joy and conversion, time of brotherhood and responsibility. Your “coming” to Torino has a precise aim, which is to “see” the Shroud in the jubilee year.

As I said in my message to the dioceses of Torino, for the beginning of the jubilee year: ”The jubilee is an extraordinary occasion for a new meeting with our Saviour Jesus and we should think that the image of the man of the Shroud, once again shown to the public, can be a great help for our inner walk in search of the Redeemer. The Shroud image hints to the realism of the incarnation. In front of the mystery of the Shroud we must make a clear distinction between the level of scientific research, which is open to various interpretations) and the level of meaning that the image can have for the believer. If it is considered as a sign, as an icon, the Shroud brings us back to some fundamental aspects of Christian faith and especially to the naked realism of the incarnation of our Redeemer”. Stopping in front of the Shroud is an experience that should be lived, dear pilgrims, with the inner attitude of someone who is starting a sincere search of the face of Christ. The Pope, in his visit to Torino during the Exposition of 1998, said clearly that: “the Shroud leads us to face the most upsetting aspect of the mystery of incarnation. Everyone is shaken by the thought that even the Son of God was not able to resist the strength of death, but we are all moved by the though that he took part so deeply to human condition that he wanted to suffer the feeling of total impotence that belongs to the last moment of life”.

The Shroud is a sign on which the shadow of death, pain and human wickedness is impressed. However, believers do not look at the face of the man of the Shroud to experience pain or death. That face, for those who believe, is going to transfigure in Resurrection The path of our jubilee in front of the Shroud will lead us to carry the heavy cross that belongs to us and to our brothers. It will lead us to face every situation of human pain and suffering to reach, with Lord’s mercy the joy of a life that will be new in every aspect. The silent suffering face of the man of the Shroud tells us about the promise of Resurrection. As a Shepard of the dioceses of Torino, I chose this motto for you, in occasion of this Exposition.

It is a phrase from Psalm 27: “Thy face, Lord will I seek”. The man speaking in the Old Testament, just like the man of today, was feeling as if he was surrounded by hostile realities. He lived in fear, looking for something safe and certain. He felt he could only find it in God; but who can see God? However, the desire of seeing His face is huge. God himself gave us this possibility when He sent to us His Son, His icon. We have to accept the choice He made: “the child of Man will have to suffer…”. The Shroud shows us those sufferings and invites us to accept that face in all its expressions of pain, until we will have the chance of contemplating Him in his glory. When we look at that abyss of pain, we will be helped to recognize him in the face of all our brothers in need and suffering: we will realize that every time we can help those brothers we will make an act of love toward him, the one who could not love us more. In the name of this endless love, which had its peak on the cross, that holds the Shroud as a silent witness, once again I renew my greetings and welcome you in the name of the Church of Torino, I bless you all.

+Severino POLETTO
Archbishop of Torino, Pontifical Keeper of the Shroud