His gentle gaze…

Edward Dundon on the remarkable history of the Veil of Manoppello

The Shroud of Turin, a wellknown piece of linen thought to be Jesus’ burial garment, has a global reputation. But there are other burial cloths linked to the passion and death of Jesus. Another is the Holy Veil of Manoppello, which also bears a miraculous image of Jesus.

The Veil of Manoppello is portrayed on a see-through fabric that measures seventeen by twenty-four centimetres and is encased in a silver reliquary. In 1999, Fr Heinrich Pfeiffer, a renowned scholar of the Holy Face (another name for the Veil of Manoppello) and professor of Art and Christian Iconography at the Gregorian University, Rome, announced that he had asserted the authenticity of the Veil of Manoppello. The Veil is now displayed on the main altar of the Capuchin Church, built in 1620. Manoppello is a town in the Abruzzi region of south-east Italy, thirty kilometres from Pescara.

There are two theories regarding the origin of the Veil. One legend says that Veronica, who suffered from severe bleeding, was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus' cloak. As Jesus carried his Cross to Calvary, Veronica, moved with sympathy, offered him a cloth to wipe his face. When he returned it to her, an image of his face was imprinted on the cloth. The other theory posits that the Veil was a small burial cloth that covered Jesus' face while he was in the tomb.

Veronica is said to have presented the Veil to the Roman emperor, Tiberius. It became known for its extraordinary healing properties, including its capacity to alleviate blindness. Referred to as the Veil of Veronica (or simply Veronica), this linen cloth is currently housed in a chapel at St Peter’s Basilica.

In 1300, the Veil of Manoppello was displayed in the Vatican and became recognised as one of the mirabilia urbis (the wonders of the city) for visiting pilgrims. The exact date and circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the Veil from Rome and its eventual arrival in Manoppello remain unknown. Some historians speculate that the Veil was taken from the Vatican during the reconstruction of St Peter’s Basilica in 1508, prior to Charles V's Sack of Rome in 1527. At St Peter's Basilica, only an empty frame and a shattered glass panel remain of Rome’s once-existing Veil. The Vatican hesitated to declare the loss, probably in consideration of the large number of pilgrims who then travelled to Rome.

In 1506, an anonymous pilgrim brought the Veil to Manoppello. The pilgrim gave the cloth to Dr Antonio Leonelli, a member of a distinguished family, who kept the piece of material for almost a century. Between 1618 and 1620, it was purchased by a devout supporter of the Church in Manoppello, De Fabritiis, who gave it to the Capuchins in 1638.

From 1638, the Church of St Michael safeguarded this object of veneration within a secure tabernacle. In 1714, a frame was placed around the Veil before it was transferred to the altar of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin. The Veil was displayed twice a year for visiting pilgrims, until it was moved to its present location on the main altar.

On 13 January 1915, ten-year-old Emidio Petracca was preparing to assist morning Mass at the Church of St Michael. Suddenly, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck the Abruzzi district, killing 30,000 people. Within minutes, Emidio was buried under rubble. He struggled to breathe, as dirt and debris filled his ears and mouth.

A little later, he heard a scratching sound. He saw a light and what resembled fingers making an opening that seemed to enlarge. Hands were suddenly pushing rocks and rubble aside. ‘Help me,’ Emidio said. ‘I’m coming,’ said the man. In a few seconds, Emidio could see the face of his rescuer. He had long brown hair, a short beard and dark eyes. His face was the picture of virtue. ‘You will not die. You will do great deeds,’ the man said. In seconds, he disappeared.

The prediction came true. Emidio entered the Capuchin order in 1922 and he was ordained priest in 1931. He took the name Domenico da Cese. He seldom spoke about his miraculous escape, but he always wondered about his mysterious lifesaver. The picture of the man’s face remained constantly in his thoughts.

In 1966, Domenico went on a pilgrimage to the Church of St Michael, Manoppello. On his arrival, he was taken to see the Holy Face. He had heard much about the miraculous relic there, which many believed to be the cloth placed upon Jesus' face when he was buried.

In the Church of St Michael, the reliquary was positioned high on the main altar, a place it had occupied since 1923. Domenico stared at the image. The face appeared to glare at him. Domenico gripped the railings for support. It was the image of the man with the long hair and short beard who had rescued him fifty years before. His gentle gaze seemed to penetrate Domenico's heart.

After seeing the Holy Face, Domenico wanted to be permanently assigned to it. His devotion was so strong that his superiors granted his wish to stay in Manoppello. Soon he became known as the First Apostle of the Holy Face.

Domenico maintained that the cloth was a most precious relic that was woven with an image of Jesus, whose eyes were open and his wounds were healing. The Veil that had covered Jesus' head was one of the cloths mentioned in the Gospel, which Peter and John saw in the tomb. Domenico’s research then concentrated on the comparison of the Holy Face with the Shroud of Turin. Both cloths featured the image of a man – one living and one dead. He worked tirelessly, teaching that the Holy Face seen was the Risen Christ.

In 1978, the Shroud of Turin was on exhibition at Turin and Domenico decided to take the opportunity to see the Shroud for himself. On September 13, 1978, he travelled to Turin. When crossing the road and pondering on the difference between the two images, Domenico was struck by a speeding car. Knocked to the ground, he suffered bleeding from a head injury and had broken ribs. From his hospital bed, he said: ‘It is an offer from the Shroud of Turin.’ He forgave the driver of the car. On 17 September, he passed to his eternal reward. His final words were: ‘Venerate the sudarium of Christ.’

Sixty priests attended Fr Domenico’s funeral Mass officiated by the Bishop of Chieti, a city in Southern Italy. He is buried in the family tomb in Cese, a city in Abruzzi, Italy. The Cause for his holiness was opened in 2013. In 2015, Fr Domenico was declared a Servant of God (the first step towards canonisation).

After almost six decades, the Veil remains a topic of extensive debate and discussion. Although scientific specialists are unable to explain the source of the Veil, they agree on one fact: like the image of the Shroud of Turin, the Holy Face was not made by human hands.

The Holy Face has been subjected to the same examination techniques that were used to examine the Shroud of Turin. Experts affirm that modern science cannot explain the genesis of the Holy Face, nor the unusual shades that give it a luminous appearance.

According to Professor Vittori of the University of Bari, Italy, the Veil is not an oil painting as no residual deposits of colour have settled into the gaps between the fibres of the cloth. Neither is it a watercolour because of the clear outlines of the eyes and mouth. The most striking feature is its transparency. The Veil is perfectly visible from either side, not unlike a photographic slide. It is invisible under a bright light. Under fluorescent light, the delicate fabric is of a honey-gold texture.

Based on the expertise of Professor Portoghesi, an authority in firstcentury textiles, the fabric is made of marine byssus sea-silk, which is resistant to dyes. It is not possible to paint on this delicate material, which is mentioned in the Bible and found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and was considered one of the most expensive materials in ancient times.

Dr C Vigo, a world expert in byssus linens, states that the fabric is woven out of silk threads spun by a sea mussel.

After years of meticulous research, many experts, including iconographer Sister Blandina Paschalis Schlomer, a German Cistercian nun, have concluded that the face of the Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello represent the same person.

Cardinal Joachim Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne (1933–2017), said of the Veil: ‘. . the so-called Face of Manoppello perfectly overlays the image imprinted on the Shroud of Turin. Yet whereas in Turin the face appears in torment, the face in Manoppello – while perfectly matching the image of Turin – reveals all the power of the Easter victory.’

The image of the Veil was not caused by contact between body and cloth. It was an act of divine intervention. The Shroud of Turin shows Jesus' deceased body, while the Veil, though unglorified, displays an imprint of his living face, beyond which the splendour of the resurrected Christ is unimaginable. We can only behold it in its full glory in heaven.