|
|
|
|
|
Textile experts, headed by Mechtild Fleury-Lemberg, undertook a radical
"restoration" of the Shroud under the auspices of the Archbishop of Turin. Some
scientists think that the restoration, conducted in secret for security reasons
following 9/11, was reckless and perhaps dangerous to the long term preservation
of the cloth. Thirty patches sewn to the cloth by Poor Clare Nuns in 1534 to
repair burn holes from the 1532 fire are removed. The backing cloth, also sewn
on in 1534 is also removed and replaced with a new backing cloth. Carbonized
material near the burn holes was scraped clean. Weights attached to the edges,
along with steam, are used to flatten many creases in the cloth and steam is
used where necessary. Scientific experts who understand the nature of the images
on the cloth are not consulted. Because the images are formed by microscopically
thin coatings of starch fractions and sugars that adhere to some of the Shroud's
fibers, there is a real possibility that the stretching and the use of steam
could loosen some of the image bearing material. According to Barrie Schwortz,
"They set off a firestorm of controversy, criticism, debate and recrimination
that ultimately engulfs, polarizes and divides the Shroud research community.
Schwortz also said: Frankly, I could not find even one sindonologist
(outside of the group that organized and performed the tests), who thought this
was a good idea or could understand why such a major alteration of the venerated
relic would even be permitted. There is no question that carbonized material
from the edges of the repaired burn holes was loosened and trapped between the
two cloths. This was a simple assumption considering the Shroud had been kept
rolled on a dowel in a silver casket for hundreds of years and unrolled and
rerolled scores of times over the centuries. (It is only since 1997 that it has
been stored flat in a special case). Yet no papers or articles have been
published anywhere that imply these loose particles, or the "problematic"
creases mentioned in some of the press releases, were observed to cause any
particular damage to the cloth. In fact, the creases in the Shroud continue to
play an important role in the research done by historians attempting to trace
the cloth's history. According to one expert I spoke with, "There is no way you
can perform such a dramatic procedure on the Shroud without causing some loss or
damaged data." So where does that leave us? Well first, we have to
remember that the work has been completed and is irreversible. And no amount of
debate or recrimination can change that. For better or for worse, the deed is
done and we will all have to live with the consequences. There are others, more
qualified than me who might wish to say more, but I plan to do the only thing I
can do and wait patiently, like the rest of the world, to see the results. What
else can I say? See: Comments on the Restoration |
The
scientific study of the Turin shroud is like a microcosm of the
scientific search for God: it does more to inflame any debate than
settle it.”
It is
simply not known how the ghostly image of a serene, bearded man was
made.”
Scientist-Journalist Philip Ball Nature, that most prestigious of scientific journals, that once had bragging rights to claim that the Shroud was fake, responding to new, peer-reviewed studies that discredit the carbon 14 dating and show that the Shroud could be authentic. WHAT WE KNOW IN 2005
|