2005 Website News


These are the items that were included on the "Late Breaking Website News" page in 2005. Items are listed with the most recent one first, and each article carries the posting date indicating when it was first uploaded. You should find this an interesting look at the important Shroud and Website events in 2005.


Long Overdue Update Finally Online

You would think that after nearly ten years of publishing this website (in my spare time), I would have learned not to set specific deadlines for updates. That is exactly what I did prior to the Dallas Conference this past September, when I promised you that I would have an update about the conference on the site by October 1, 2005. That was my plan, but naturally, within days of returning from Dallas, one of my long term clients contracted me to produce a large video project for them, and I spent the next seven weeks doing so. So much for an October website update.

The real irony is that I am making you that same promise again! This will be the last update of 2005 and, I promise, the next update will be on January 21, 2006. Of course, that date also happens to be the 10th Anniversary of the Shroud of Turin Website, so it marks a true milestone in the history of this site. I am pretty confident that update will be on time. As long time viewers already know, the anniversary update is traditionally the largest of the year, but I will not make that a promise this time. That is because today's update is really a massive one, although it may not appear to be at first glance.

Of course, although this update is a big one, it still does not include all the materials that have accumulated since the last one. Once again, I had to prioritize and was forced to postpone some items until next update (like the long overdue June 2005 issue of the BSTS Newsletter). That means that once again, some of you who have waited patiently for me to include your materials online will have to wait a little longer. I truly am sorry. But rather than continuing to apologize, let me get right to what is new in this update.

Posted November 19, 2005

3rd International Dallas Conference Page Now Online

The Dallas Conference

Of course, the largest part of today's update is the unveiling of the new 3rd International Dallas Conference page of this site. It includes my own personal overview of the conference along with a complete list of all the speakers, a thumbnail photograph of each presenter, the title of each presentation and most importantly, direct Internet links to eleven of the conference papers. Six of the new papers are now permanently on this website and the remaining five are linked to other Internet sites. I have also included many color photographs of the event, a link to available CD audio discs and audio cassettes of the entire conference and a link to an Interactive CD disc that includes a PowerPoint® presentation and 79 high resolution photographs of the event.

The papers I have included represent the work of Ray Rogers, Mario Latendresse, Sue Benford and Joe Marino, Dr. Alan Whanger, Emanuela Marinelli, Roberto Falcinelli, Giulio Fanti, Aldo Guerreschi, Marcel Alonso and the Rev. Albert Dreisbach, Jr., all familiar names to most of you. You will also find appropriate links to all eleven papers on the Website Library page, the Shroud Conferences & Symposia page, the Scientific Papers & Articles page and the Religion & Philosophy page of the site. I believe you will find the new materials both useful and enlightening.

Posted November 19, 2005

New DVD and Interactive CD Available at Website Store

As I mentioned in September, I premiered a 30 minute video program titled, "Ray Rogers In His Own Words" at the Dallas Conference. The program was edited from more than 5½ hours of on-camera interviews I conducted in May 2004 with the late Ray Rogers at his home in Los Alamos, New Mexico. In the program, Ray reviews the details of his research that proved the 1988 c14 dating of the Shroud used an anomalous sample. He also shares the fascinating story of what inspired him to complete the research that sadly became his final work on the Shroud, and much more. I am very proud to now make this program available to everyone on a professionally mastered DVD. Click on the above link for a more detailed description and ordering information.

Dallas 2005 Interactive CD Disc

As usual, I made many photographs during the Dallas Conference and from them, created a PowerPoint® presentation that includes 79 of the best ones, along with captions for each that include the name of the presenter and the title of the paper they presented. I have also incorporated interactive hyperlinks into the presentation, just like those you regularly find on the Internet. In other words, if your computer is connected to the Internet while you are viewing the PowerPoint presentation, you can click on the link in the caption and go directly to an online version of that paper. Also included on the disc are all 79 of my original digital photographs used in the presentation. Click on the above link for a more detailed description of the disc and its contents and for ordering information.

Posted November 19, 2005

Over 125 Titles Added To Shroud of Turin Booklist Page

I am very pleased to announce a major update of the Shroud of Turin Booklist page of this site. As many of you know, Emanuela Marinelli provides me with regular updates to the page from her own extensive Shroud library and this update is no exception. However, I am particularly grateful to Dr. Julio López, of the Centro Mexicano de Sindonologia for providing us with an update including more than 125 new titles, mostly in Spanish, from his own personal collection. My thanks to these researchers for their continued participation in making this the largest single bibliography of Shroud related books on the Internet. Frankly, I lost count long ago of how many books were actually listed, but I believe it is well over 1000. If any of you ever feels ambitious enough to count them, I'll put the information on the website and give you full credit! ;-)

Posted November 19, 2005

New Shroud Documentary To Premiere on the History Channel

Over the past six months I have been working with producer Sean Heckman of Actuality Productions here in Los Angeles in the preparation of a new Shroud documentary titled, "Relics," that will tentatively air on December 19, 2005 on the History Channel. Actually a two hour, two part program, the first hour, titled, "Unraveling The Shroud of Turin," deals exclusively with the Shroud. Other well known sindonologists appear in the program, including Dr. John Jackson, Mark Guscin and Dr. August Accetta. Interestingly, the second hour deals with the Sudarium of Oviedo and the Veil of Manoppello, among other relics.

One of the more interesting aspects of my involvement was working with a professional 3-D animation studio to extract the spatial information encoded in the Shroud image. I think the results of this and other experiments commissioned by the producers will give some very interesting results. I was most pleased to watch Lee Schneider, the director, make every effort to stick to the scientific facts about the Shroud. Of course, Actuality is already well respected for their Modern Marvels series that regularly appears on the History Channel. Although I have not seen the program, I am hopeful that this will be one of the best Shroud documentaries in recent years. Remember, the date is only tentative, so check your local listings for the date and time in your area.

Posted November 19, 2005

And Finally...

I would like to thank all of you for your continued participation, support and patience. Have a great holiday season and a joyous New Year. See you in January.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor and Publisher
Posted November 19, 2005


3rd International Dallas Shroud Conference Opens Sept. 8, 2005

The 3rd International Dallas Shroud Conference opens on Thursday, September 8, 2005, at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Texas. I had hoped to complete an update of the website prior to the conference, but that proved to be impossible. Consequently, the next website update will go online after the conference, hopefully by October 1, 2005. For more details on the conference itself, see the previous article posted in December 2004.

This conference should be a significant one, as it is the first time such an event is being co-sponsored by both American and Italian Shroud organizations. As I write this, neither the schedule of speakers nor the titles of their papers had yet been made available, so I cannot include them here in advance, as I had originally hoped. As always, I will dedicate an entire page of this website exclusively to the conference and plan to include the names and photographs of each presenter, the title of each paper and a short recap of each presentation. I also hope to include many photographs of the event itself, so don't miss the next update.

Rather than presenting a paper at the conference, I will instead premiere a 30 minute video program titled, "Ray Rogers In His Own Words" at 8:00pm, Thursday evening, September 8, 2005. The program is edited from more than 5½ hours of on-camera interviews I conducted in May 2004 with the late Ray Rogers at his home in Los Alamos, New Mexico. In the program, Ray reviews the details of his January 2005 Thermochimica Acta paper that proved the 1988 c14 dating of the Shroud used an anomalous sample. He also shares the fascinating story of what inspired him to complete the research that sadly became his final work on the Shroud. [Read the previous article about Ray's paper (below)]. I have also incorporated many of Ray's photomicrographs into the program, so viewers will see the exact images he referred to during the interview. Ray also discusses the 2002 restoration of the Shroud, the future of Shroud research and makes several important recommendations that he considered critical for any future study of the cloth. He concludes with a revealing, personal assessment of what he believed about the Shroud of Turin. Considering that Ray Rogers never gave an on-camera interview in the past, this program provides a truly rare opportunity to see and hear one of the most important Shroud researchers of the past 30 years "in his own words." I hope it will prove to be a valuable addition to the conference.

See you soon.

Barrie Schwortz
Posted September 6, 2005


About Today's Update

Today's update includes a variety of new material for the website. It adds three new items to the Scientific Papers and Articles page of the site, including the final article written by Ray Rogers before his recent death. It also provides coverage and photographs of the recent memorial gathering for Ray in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Also, thanks to wonderful new photographs by my dear friend professional photographer Aldo Guerreschi, website viewers will get their first look at the new covering for the Shroud's reliquary in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin. I am also pleased to include a report and photographs of the new international Shroud photographic exhibit that recently debuted in Auckland, New Zealand and the Website Store page has been updated to include the beautiful, high quality lithographic poster that was created for the exhibit. Also updated are the Links To More Information and Shroud Booklist pages of the site. Finally, I have included my own editorial comments on the subject of "The Shroud in the Media." I hope you find these new items interesting and informative.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Publisher
Posted June 30, 2005

New Papers and Articles Added

On February 24, 2005, I received the following e-mail from Ray Rogers:

"I was getting irritated by the unsubstantiated claims that radiation of one kind or another was responsible for the image. Nobody would accept the information that was published in the literature, so I spent a couple of months at the microscope and beat the bushes (almost literally) looking for real experts. I found one expert who very cleverly managed to get a perfectly legal (but hot as a pistol) radiation source. Once I had a good, calibrated radiation source, it was possible to do some real work. There's a lot more ammunition stored away, but I hope we don't need it. I sort of regret not using the picture of a branching proton track, but you can't put everything in.... Arguments can sure get out of hand (but) you can't please everybody, and sooner or later the facts will come out. Why not now? I now have observed the effects of photons, electrons, protons, neutrons, and alpha particles on flax fibers. This has been much fun - - - but I think it pretty well shoots all of the radiation hypotheses in the can."
Ray also sent me the article he wrote summarizing this work, which ultimately became his final Shroud research. I am very proud that at Ray's request, I have added it to the Scientific Papers & Articles page of this site. The article is titled, The Shroud of Turin: Radiation Effects, Aging & Image Formation, and Ray predicted it would cause a stir in Shroud circles. Sadly, he won't be around to defend it against the inevitable critics. I think he would have enjoyed doing so.

Also new in this update is the reprint of a paper titled The Image Formation Mechanism on the Shroud of Turin: A Solar Reflex Radiation Model (the Optical Aspect) by Serge Mouraviev, that appeared in Applied Optics vol. 36, No. 34 (1 December 1997) pp. 8976-8981. Serge also provided a French language version of the article titled, La Formation de l’Image sur le Suaire de Turin: Projection optique (et Fixation photochimique) de l’Image réflexe renvoyée par le Corps exposé au Soleil which is also now available. The article presents a unique hypothesis for image formation, although I personally do not believe it agrees with all the known data of the Shroud image. Here are the comments Serge and I exchanged:

Barrie's comment: Personally, I think Ray (Rogers) would be quick to point out to you that the pyrolysis mass spectrometry found no traces of aloe or myrrh on the Shroud.

Serge's response: I know, but 'not found' does not imply (a) 'totally absent' or (b) 'absent everywhere outside the place(s) where the sample(s) was (were) taken from'. Then, what about Baima Bollone's results? Finally, how would would-be traces of aloe and/or myrrh have reacted to ordeals, laundering, heating (1532) etc.? Did anybody investigate the matter? Have the 1532 water haloes been ever analysed?

Barrie's comment: Also, I do not believe that the diffused light passing through the Shroud would be reflected in a manner that could create an image with such clarity and detail. In essence, I agree with your reviewers in this area. You would need to provide some data along those lines and create some images in that manner before I would be convinced.

Serge's response: This is exactly what I did in 1998 when I exhibited the experimental photos on sensitized cotton fabric which you were the first to see in Turin.

With some embarrassment and in all fairness to Serge, I do not recall the images he showed me in 1998. Perhaps I did not understand their meaning when he showed them to me or perhaps I'm just getting old. At any rate, since his paper did not include any images, I invite Serge to forward me digital copies so I can see them again and possibly share them with viewers on this website.

The third and final addition to the page is an article by Richard B. Sorensen titled, Answering the Savoy/Leonardo DaVinci Hypothesis. Richard has an MS in Internet Engineering and is a professional software engineer, amateur historian, and author with a long-time interest in the Shroud of Turin. Like many of us over the past ten years, he has been frustrated by the constant rehashing by many Shroud skeptics of the so-called "Leonardo Theory," in which Leonardo DaVinci created the Shroud either with or without photography or a camera obscura. In this well researched article, Richard compiles, presents and point by point dispels all the major arguments regarding this infamous theory. He also has included links to all of his references so you can read the source materials for each of his arguments. I hope it will provide the "last word" on the subject.

Posted June 30, 2005

Ray Rogers Memorial Celebration

Ray Rogers Memorial

On Saturday, June 11, 2005, more than 60 friends, colleagues and family members gathered at the Los Alamos Ski Lodge in the Jemez mountains near Los Alamos, New Mexico, to remember Ray Rogers. The beautiful lodge is nestled in the trees at the foot of a large ski run more than 9200 feet up Pajarito mountain and was chosen specifically for this memorial celebration to honor Ray's wishes. In a note he wrote to his wife Joan, Ray stated:

"I don't feel the need of a formal funeral service or obituary, but any such thing that occurs must include at least a few dogs. It seems like I have spent much of my life leaving dogs behind or having them die when I would rather have had them with me. Any legs lifted on graves should not be reprimanded -- I understand. Chewbones, balls, hamburgers, steaks, and goodies -- whatever -- all around -- OK? The most important thing for me is that ALL procedures connected with my death be kept as inexpensive, happy, and loving as possible. Any memorials people feel like making should be money sent to reputable animal shelters."

Without question, the event was exactly what Ray requested. Almost every attendee took the opportunity to stand before the group and share their fondest and happiest remembrances of Ray. There was a lot of laughter, which I am sure would have pleased him, but, as is to be expected at such an event, it was punctuated with occasional tears. For me, perhaps the most noteworthy and enlightening comments were made by one of Ray's colleagues, the retired head of intelligence at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He told us that Ray had contacted him recently with an idea he felt might be useful in helping our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan defeat the improvised explosive devices (IED's) they must contend with daily. After hearing Ray's suggestions, he immediately passed them on to the Department of Defense and the CIA and Ray's plan was promptly put into use in the field, where it proved to be very effective. To me, it demonstrated that Ray, in spite of his illness and his dedication to Shroud research, was far from retired in his role as a world renowned explosives expert and remained an active contributor until the very end. It was a side of Ray few of us in the Shroud world ever got to see. And of course, just as Ray requested, there were dogs!

Search and Rescue Dogs Attend Ray Rogers Memorial
(Second from left is Clancy, Ray and Joan's "puppy")

For many years, Ray helped train the local group of Search and Rescue dogs. As the handler of his own dog, he went on over two hundred wilderness searches, until his illness made that impossible. So, as Ray had requested, many of the search dogs accompanied their owners to the celebration, revealing yet another side of Ray's character. The memorial was truly a beautiful and fitting tribute to Ray Rogers, the man.

Of course, several additional tributes are currently in the planning stages. In May, 2004, Ray and Joan were kind enough to invite me to spend 5 days in their home with them, videotaping interviews with Ray for the historical record. My visit culminated in more than 5 1/2 hours of footage in which Ray discussed every aspect of his involvement with the Shroud of Turin. With Joan's permission, I am planning to edit the material into a video presentation that will be shown at the upcoming Dallas International Shroud Conference in September, 2005. AMSTAR, the conference organizers, have graciously reserved a time slot for me to air the video for attendees.

Shortly after his passing, I was contacted by two of Ray's old friends and colleagues, who were planning a retrospective of his life and work to be presented at the North American Thermal Analysis Society (NATAS) conference being held in Los Angeles in late September, 2005. Jim McCarty of TLN Systems in Phoenix, Arizona and Dr. Jimmie Oxley of the University of Rhode Island, will jointly present the retrospective that will honor Ray's achievements in chemistry and explosives and have kindly invited me to participate and air the video at their conference as well. I am hopeful that it will give them some insights into Ray's dedicated involvement in Shroud research. For additional information and details about this event, visit the NATAS website at www.natasinfo.org. (Link no longer available)

Posted June 30, 2005

New Cover For Shroud Reliquary

Inside the Turin Cathedral ©2005 Aldo Guerreschi

On May 4, 2005, Bishop Severino Poletto, Archbishop of Turin, unveiled the newly remodeled reliquiary in Turin's Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where the Shroud is permanently stored. The announcement coincided with Holy Shroud Day celebrations in the city. The modifications became necessary after the Holy Shroud Conservation Committee ruled that the relic should be kept in more appropriate premises to avoid deterioration. A high-tech reliquiary built within the Cathedral's chapel to store the Shroud proved somewhat ineffective due to its excessive length, and its armoured covering meant that the Shroud was kept "in a cold and faceless place", according to a local diocese member. The original design (see previous article) has now been replaced with a fireproof, gold-coloured roofing. The reliquiary itself has been painted over and adorned with the traditional Holy Shroud prayer ("Tuam Sindonem veneramur, Domine, et tuam recolimus Passionem") on all sides. This modern and sober design is meant to better convey the message of the Shroud. The chapel has been redecorated with loose interpretations of the Passion, including a crown of thorns entwined in the cross. The lighting system has also been upgraded to fit the restyling. Source: Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English.

The Shroud's Reliquary ©2005 Aldo Guerreschi

More details about the changes in the reliquary were recently made available in the May 2005 issue (Year IV - N. 25) of the e-mail distributed Sindone News, edited by the Diocesan Commission for the Holy Shroud in Turin. (To write to the Commission: comsindo@torino.chiesacattolica.it). The following is a brief excerpt from their in-depth article:

"The study and design task was lengthy and difficult. In the meantime, the reactions of pilgrims when they approached the area and saw the simple temporary damask cover were also monitored. The test period has been fruitful, because step by step we have introduced the integrations and the necessary adjustments. The small sized copy of the Holy Shroud, which hung above the case, has been replaced by an enlargement of the face and all the space opposite the chapel where it is kept has been transformed into a place of prayer and meditation, without the disturbance of queries and explanations, as befits an object whose prime significance is the pastoral one. The copy of the Shroud has been moved to the entrance of the Cathedral nave and enriched by the negative image of it, so as to permit pilgrims to have an initial contact with the Shroud and, should they so wish, to deepen their knowledge by visiting the Museum in via San Domenico 28. The presence of the Holy Shroud in the case is indicated on a panel written in various languages.

"The idea has been to once again use a light, fire-resistant and easily removable fabric, whose pale golden colour indicates the precious and holy nature of its content like the great reliquaries of Church tradition. It was also necessary to clearly signal that the Holy Shroud really is kept there. The solution has been to write the traditional prayer which for centuries has accompanied the veneration of the Holy Shroud: "Tuam Sindonem veneramur, Domine, et Tuam recolimus Passionem" - we revere Your Holy Shroud oh Lord and (through it) we meditate on Your Passion."

The New Cover ©2005 Aldo Guerreschi

I am deeply grateful to my dear friend and brother photographer, Aldo Guerreschi, of Turin, for sharing his beautiful photographs with all of us. Aldo is not only a consummate professional photographer, but a widely respected Shroud researcher as well. Grazie Aldo!

Posted June 30, 2005

New Zealand Exhibit A Great Success

Shroud Photographic Exhibit In Auckland, New Zealand

On May 4, 2005, I was extremely pleased to fly to Auckland, New Zealand and participate in the opening of The History & Science of the Shroud of Turin, an international photographic exhibit of over 120 items, including more than 80 of my own photographs. Many lifesize prints in both color and black & white and a full size backlit color transparency of the entire Shroud were presented, along with dozens of other Shroud historical and scientific images.. The exhibit also included photographs from Dr. Frederick Zugibe, Aldo Guerreschi, Ray Rogers and others and covered all of the latest Shroud research, along with a visual explanation of every major image formation theory. The exhibit was located in the heart of Auckland's central business district in the beautiful and modern Aotea Center, a large theatrical and show venue directly next door to Auckland's City Hall. In fact, the exhibit was officially opened by Auckand's Mayor on May 12 and ran through May 24, 2005. I was thrilled to see such broad interest in the Shroud and was delighted at the large turnout of thousands of visitors to the exhibit. It was truly a priviliege to spend the first two days at the exhibit hall meeting with visitors, discussing the Shroud and answering questions before returning home on May 14.

Shroud Photographic Exhibit In Auckland, New Zealand

I was most pleased at the media attention the exhibit received and was actually asked to do several live television broadcasts directly from the exhibit hall. The exhibit received the endorsement of the Archbishop of Wellington and many church and school groups visited the display. In a highly unusual move, the New Zealand Herald, the oldest, most conservative and largest newspaper in New Zealand became a co-sponsor of the exhibit. Many visitors were obviously deeply touched by the presentation and I witnessed many visitors leaving the hall with tears in their eyes. The presentation began with a ten minute video to orient viewers and provide them with a brief history of the Shroud before they entered the exhibit hall itself. There they could spend as much time as they liked studying the images and reading the accompanying text.

The centerpiece of the exhibit, a lifesize Shroud replica on cotton

The centerpiece of the exhibit and the object that generated the greatest positive response from visitors was the lifesize Shroud replica on cloth, produced from the highest resolution scans ever made from my original film. Working closely with Steve Ouimet, noted fine art printer in Los Angeles, I spent over five months fine tuning the choice of material, the color and the density of the image to yield the most accurate rendition possible of the Shroud. The image was printed on a wide platen professional inkjet printer using archival dyes on a cotton cloth and reproduced every detail of the Shroud and its image. Working from my 1978 photographs, the exhibit designers created a stylized version of the support table used by the STURP team during our examination of the Shroud and the replica was displayed on it in much the same way as STURP examined the actual cloth in 1978. A glass wall protected the replica but allowed visitors to view it from a distance of only a few feet and many visitors spent considerable time before it. At this point in time, only one replica has been made, and that is available for viewing exclusively at this exhibit. Auckland was selected as the debut city and we used the opportunity to fine tune the exhibit and the supporting written materials before opening it in other cities. Plans are to take the exhibit to other countries in the very near future and discussions are already underway to bring it to Australia, the Philippines and Mexico. I will announce the future schedule of cities on this website as soon as the information is confirmed.

Posted June 30, 2005

New Shroud Lithographic Poster Available

Barrie M. Schwortz Collection Shroud Lithographic Poster - 24" x 17"

A new, high quality lithographic poster with beautiful natural color and black & white negative views of the Shroud was produced recently for the Auckland, New Zealand, photographic exhibit titled, "The Science and History of the Shroud of Turin." Great care was taken to reproduce the images with excellent resolution and color accuracy and the design was intentionally kept simple (without typography) to permit larger image sizes. I am very pleased to announce that signed copies of this poster are now available via the Shroud of Turin Website Store page of this site, where you will find a larger photograph, a more detailed description and ordering information.

Posted June 30, 2005

Shroud Booklist Updated

Once again, the Shroud of Turin Booklist page of this site has been updated with more than 40 new titles. My deepest appreciation to Emanuela Marinelli of the Collegamento pro Sindone in Rome and to Gerardo Halbinger of the Centro Mexicano De Sindonologia in Mexico City for their most recent contributions. The Booklist contains thousands of entries and is probably the most comprehensive bibliography of Shroud related books available on the Internet. It continues to be an important resource for Shroud scholars around the world. My sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the list over the past 9 years.

Posted June 30, 2005

Links To More Information Page Updated

I am pleased to announce that the Links To More Information page has been updated to include four new links and several updated links. The new links include the excellent French language website Le Suaire et la Science (en française), produced by Dr. Thibault Heimburger, that includes a detailed scientific overview of the Shroud. Also included are new links to the CILT Argentina Website (En Español) (No longer available), a website produced by one of the major Shroud Organizations in Argentina. According to their director, Eduardo Lagos, in 2001 they published a Spanish language summary of 100 years of Shroud research. Also new is the link to The Holy Face Association Website, a Canadian organization whose website includes a store where you can purchase the lenticular prints that display either the Shroud Face or the world famous Agemmian painting, depending on the viewing angle. These last two organizations have also been added to the Shroud Centers & Organizations page of the site, where you can find contact information for these and other international Shroud groups.

Another important new link is to an article titled The Remarkable Metrological History of Radiocarbon Dating by Lloyd Currie. This one was suggested by Ray Rogers who stated, "This is beyond doubt the best and most meticulous paper I have seen on modern radiocarbon work.... I recommend it highly." Remember that this is necessarily a technical article, so you may find that you need to read it several times. Two other website links have also been updated. These include Russell Breault's excellent Shroud of Turin Education Project Website, which now offers free streaming video interviews with notable Shroud researchers. The page already includes interviews with archaeologist and noted Shroud scholar Paul Maloney, STURP Co-Founder and Shroud expert, Dr. John Jackson and renowned Shroud historian and author, Ian Wilson, and can be found at www.shroud2000.com/streamingvideos.html. Also updated is Sábana Santa (En Español) (Link no longer available), the beautiful Spanish language website of Carlos Sánchez de la Cruz of Salamanca, Spain. These latest links are easy to find as each is clearly marked New! or Updated! on the Links To More Information page.

Posted June 30, 2005

The Shroud in the Media - An Editorial Comment by Barrie Schwortz

Every so often, some skeptical "expert" creates an image on linen and gets international media attention by claiming he has "proven" the Shroud to be a "fake." This is always very frustrating for those of us dedicated to serious Shroud research, since these unsubstantiated claims by self-appointed experts always seem to become big news and get inordinate coverage by the world press. Yet the important, peer-reviewed work, like the January 2005 paper by Ray Rogers, made barely a ripple by comparison.

Recently, several individuals have gone public with dramatic new claims that the Shroud is a fake. These articles did not appear in any scientific publications, but solely in the commercial media. Unfortunately, this has once again generated significant global media attention, created heated debate within the Shroud world itself and generated lots of e-mails to the website, with many viewers legitimately wondering about the veracity of these claims. I responded directly to a number of viewers who wrote to me, but decided it might be better to share my response with everyone:

As you might expect, I had already seen this latest news item and had even been contacted directly by the magazine in advance, although they never revealed the gist of their story to me nor asked for my comment.

My only response is that it is simple to create an image on linen cloth, so just doing that doesn't prove anything. Skeptics have been doing it for years. However, creating a full ventral and dorsal image of a human body with all of the same physical and chemical properties as the Shroud of Turin image is something entirely different. No one has ever accomplished that. Until these so-called researchers make their data and results available, preferably in a peer reviewed scientific journal, I will not give any credence to their claims. By announcing their findings in the popular press rather than submitting their work for scientific review, they can make virtually any claims they want and it falls on the shoulders of real scientists to waste their valuable time proving them wrong. Frankly, it is just not worth it. There is a substantial amount of valid scientific information about the Shroud already available in credible journals and those are the best sources to base our conclusions on.

Responding to every unverified, media-based claim of this nature is just tilting at windmills, since the media rarely publishes our responses anyway. Consequently, I will not waste valuable space on this website for such purposes. Personally, I think we all have better things to do with our time.

Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Publisher
Shroud of Turin Website

Posted June 30, 2005


In Memoriam

Raymond N. Rogers - July 21, 1927 - March 8, 2005
(Photo from Ray Rogers personal files, labeled "Me, 12-4-03")

It is with deep regret and sadness that I must report that Raymond N. Rogers, retired chemist from Los Alamos National Laboratory and member of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) team, died on March 8, 2005 after a long illness. Ray was the Director of the Chemical Research Group for STURP, the team of scientists that performed the first ever in-depth scientific examination of the Shroud of Turin in October 1978. My prayers and deepest condolences to Joan, his loving wife, and Ray's family for their loss.

Ray's passing is made more poignant by his latest research, which included publication of a peer reviewed paper (reported below) that, in essence, overturned the 1988 c14 dating of the Shroud. His contributions to the world of Shroud science are a testament to his brilliance, perseverance, integrity and expertise and his impact on Sindonology is truly historical. He was the most empirical scientist I ever met and my dear friend. I will forever be honored to have known him and take some solace from the fact that he lived to see his most important Shroud work completed and published in a credible scientific journal before he died. I know that pleased him.

Barrie Schwortz



I am also including Ray's full obituary, which was kindly provided to me by his daughter Amy Canzona.

Raymond N. Rogers of Los Alamos died March 8, 2005 after a long illness. He was born July 21, 1927 in Albuquerque, NM. He spent his youth in California and, after his father died, he contributed to the family income as a trumpeter with local bands. He also became chief chemist at an oil refinery at age 15 when many positions were left open during the war. In 1945 he enlisted in the U.S Navy and served as a radar technician during World War II. The GI Bill allowed Ray to complete his education at the University of Arizona in chemistry. His expertise in thermal analysis brought him to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in 1951. He became a group leader of an explosives research-and-development group there and was elected Laboratory Fellow in 1981. He later worked for the International Technology division, retiring in 1988. He served on the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board from 1987 until 1992 with the equivalent rank of Lt. General, receiving their Distinguished Service Award. He received other awards and recognitions from LANL and professional organizations. He was granted a sabbatical in 1968 to pursue post-graduate studies in archaeology.

He was appointed Director of Chemical Research for the Shroud of Turin Research Project in 1978, applying thermal methods to the study of this relic. In recent years, he further researched material relevant to the dating of the Shroud, publishing his findings in Thermochimica Acta. He has also published popular articles on dogs and firearms as well as papers on chemistry, archaeology/anthropology, soil science, and energy. He has served as an expert witness on several legal actions.

Dogs, particularly Maud and Brenda, were his friends as well as his teachers throughout his life. Since his retirement, Ray was an active member of Mountain Canine Corps and participated in many search and rescue efforts. Other major interests were backpacking, hiking, photography, marksmanship, archery, music, and ham radio.

He was preceded in death by his parents and son Scott. He is survived by his beloved wife Joan; daughter Amy Canzona and her husband Tony; step-daughters Dawn Janney and Lauren McGavran and her husband Harry; grandson Kenneth; great-grandson Mark; cousin Bob and other family members; many very special friends; and coonhound Clancy.

A memorial service will be held in Los Alamos on June 11, 2005. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to any reputable animal shelter or ethical group that promotes interracial understanding.



Ray Rogers (left) Takes the First Look at the Underside of the Shroud of Turin in Nearly 450 Years

During the past two years, Ray was an active participant in (and the scientific mentor of) an Internet Shroud Science Group comprised of a diverse cross section of Shroud researchers. Sadly, it was my painful duty to inform the group of Ray's passing. The resulting outpouring of comments from Ray's friends and colleagues has been overwhelming, and with their kind permission, I am reprinting them here as a tribute to the man we all knew and respected. Most of these were received on March 9th and 10th and they are published in the order in which they arrived.

Dear Barrie and all the rest of the shroudscience group:

I am so deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ray Rogers. My last email from him was yesterday afternoon. We had been talking about how the theory of the shroud image formation might be further clarified in the hopes that some experiments could be used to illustrate how resolution could be achieved through natural processes. I knew Ray was sick of course, but not that his death was so imminent. It is ironic that his last post to the shroudscience group was to mark the passing of Hans Bethe the day before yesterday. Like his tribute to Bethe, Ray always sought to get to the heart of things with absolute scientific integrity. Now we have lost Ray Rogers.

Ray Rogers was a giant of the shroud science world and as Adler before him, his absence will be sorely missed. I am deeply saddened by his passing and my heart and prayers go out to his wife and family. When I read Barrie's post I was simply stunned.

Sharing Barrie's tears, sad and prayerful,

Ray Schneider, PE, Ph.D



Dear Researchers,

I am very sad but also thankful for having the privilege to have known Ray Rogers in a personal way (as much as) it was possible in this group. Ray was (and it is hard for me to realize that it is past) a giant in shroud research. Although we disagreed in one point Ray taught me very much: about the chemistry of image formation, but also about the eagerness to strive for the truth. I never met a person with such patience, to explain again and again what he has found out as scientific truth and as his truth.

Never again an email from Ray Rogers - hard to believe.

Ray I miss you!

Helmut Felzmann



I just read the post by Barrie about Ray Rogers...

I was shocked to hear the news.

Obviously, we have lost a major pillar of Shroud research.

Mario Latendresse



This is very sad. We just agreed two weeks ago to do together new spectra measurements and laser microscopy of his samples -- which now will never reach me? He would have been the most competent among the experimentalists in the group in directing and motivating me for this kind of science. Maybe, now in the face of God if he does come face to face with Him he will know the ultimate truth of the Shroud -- which will be kept unknown to us until our own last day.

My deepest regrets.

Bernardino Jerez Buenaobra
University of the Philippines



Mary and I and the congregation of Everlasting Covenant would like to add our condolences to Joan & Ray's family at this time of loss. Surely Ray will be missed by many and his legacy will undoubtedly continue to touch many more for some time to come.

Our prayers for his family and loved ones.

Drs. Ken & Mary Stevenson & Everlasting Covenant



Dear Researchers,

We will all miss Ray Rogers. He could be very hard on people at times but he also often showed great patience. He had various disagreements with Sue and me but never closed the door because of them. Although he was reluctant to admit that the patch theory was right for reasons that were made clear in several of the recent articles, he had enough integrity to acknowledge that the data indicated that the theory is the explanation for what exists. Clearly, many scientists would have let their personal feelings affect their interpretations of the findings. Hopefully we can all imitate his dogged pursuit of the truth.

Joe Marino



Dear Friends,

As you know, I was one of the promoters of this debate group on the Shroud, but soon after the beginning I had to interrupt my active participation in it for personal reasons independent of the Shroud. However, today I have to post a message to you that all of us remember that the first and principal promoter of this debate was Ray Rogers. His last e-mail of yesterday, "The loss of a real scientist," is his testament. We have to continue following his teaching to avoid a "complete waste of time." No words can describe how immense for me is the loss of him. My sadness, my grief, is mitigated only by a thought: no mystery anymore for Ray! In peace for ever.

Emanuela Marinelli



Raymond N. Rogers, formerly with Los Alamos National Laboratory, was a chemist and scientist of great renown and a researcher extraordinary on the Shroud of Turin. His recent peer reviewed paper indicating the sample removed from the Shroud in 1988 and subjected to radio carbon dating was actually removed from a patched and re-woven area of the Shroud, was perhaps the most scientifically significant research on the Shroud of Turin since 1988.

The Officers and Board of Directors of the American Shroud of Turin Association for Research (AMSTAR)



Dear Friends,

Over the past many months I have enjoyed Ray Roger's numerous postings in this group and the various reactions he elicited from so many. He certainly kept the dialogue moving and was really the center piece of our group. I knew he was very sick over these many months, but you would never have known it, always full of life right to the end. It was really great to get to know him through his email over this period of time, and it was a wonderful gift that he was able to seize a coup de grace in changing the path and history of research on the Holy Shroud in just the past few weeks. May God give him eternal rest, with the Son of God, whom he saw in the Holy Shroud.

Fr. Fred Brinkmann



Dear Barrie & Researchers,

I have only been back from State College for a short time and just got online to get my e-mails. I'm am completely speechless and in utter shock that Ray is gone from our midst. He was one of those who continually tried to keep us on the scientific pathway and I hope we will take his memory with us into the future and not lose our way. His loss is immense--just simply immeasurable and I am without words at his passing. Except this: He will be very sorely missed!! May the gift of scientific guidance be his greatest monument.

To Joan and Ray's family I extend my deepest condolences and sympathies.

In sadness,

Paul Maloney



We rejoice that Ray has finally been released from the painful bonds of his body. He worked, apparently, almost up to his last breath. He may have seemed abrupt, but his purpose was kind, understanding, helpful -- given to detailed explanations even to non-scientists like me. His daily postings in this forum, driven by a desire to educate and inform, were just the "tip of the iceberg" of his non-stop work. The hours he spent on Shroud research, and his private communications in the last few years to members as well as to non-members of this forum, probably cannot be counted. Let us all, historians and linguists as well as scientists, strive to live up to this high standard. May his long-suffering and determined spirit continue to guide our research.

In fraternitate sindonis,

Diana Fulbright



I was greatly saddened to hear of Ray's demise although I knew it was imminent. He will be greatly missed.

Ray Rogers was one of the greats in Shroud Research. I have studied the Shroud for over fifty years but Ray had impressed me more than 99% of the scientists I had come in contact with in Shroud research. He was a brilliant scientist and a great teacher and his contributions to Shroud research were legion. His insight into the various problems revealed the brilliance of his mind. I have had a personal correspondence with him over the past few years and learned to really admire and respect the guy as a kind and compassionate person with a brilliant and intuitive mind coupled with much humility. I wish I met him sooner because I learned a great deal from Ray in the short time that I knew him. I was very familiar with his medical condition and marveled at his resolve to continue his research on the Shroud in spite of his pain and weakness.

We send our condolences and prayers to his wife, Joan and to his family. We have lost a great friend and a brilliant scientist but his spirit and numerous contributions will live forever in the annals of Shroud history. May his soul rest in peace.

Fred Zugibe, M.D., Ph.D.



The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God, it is hard to say it, but take what is your own. Give us the strength and courage to take up where Ray left off, in the same spirit of truth and persistence and without bitterness. Rest in peace Ray. You ran the good race. A job very well done. Amen.

Gina Glick, M.D.



With Ray Rogers' death, I feel like a candle has been blown out and suddenly things have become darker. The Shroud Science group won't be the same without him. No more emails from Ray Rogers? Woe are we!

I penned a nickname for him and I chuckled when he used it to sign one of his last emails "Ray the Grumpy." He played his part perfectly. A scientist using his beloved science to unlock the secrets of the Shroud.

Good-bye to our fallen friend.

Ben Wiech



Barrie,

I can understand the sadness you must be feeling today. Ray was obviously more than just a colleague - a true friend over many years. It must be gratifying to know that his latest research has left an exciting legacy that will re-ignite interest and debate on the fascinating subject that you have both devoted considerable time to over the years.

Condolences.

Ian Shaw, Director
The History and Science of the Shroud of Turin Exhibit
Auckland, New Zealand



Barrie,

My sympathy is with you on the loss of your friend.

It was very sad receiving your e-mail about Ray's passing. He was very kind and gracious to me and took the time to answer many questions for me. In reflecting about Ray and his position in the Shroud Science Group, especially when he would encourage us to do real science..........it often made me think of St. Paul trying to teach others how to understand 'the mystery' he was explaining. Ray would often mention how little time he had left and yet he persisted in his research right up to the finish line. He lived long enough to see his research published which refuted the C14 test done in 1988. In thinking about Ray a passage of scripture comes to my mind......

Philippians 3:14-16 I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upward to receive in Christ Jesus. We who are called 'perfect' must all think in this way. If there is some point on which you see things differently, God will make it clear to you; meanwhile, let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.

Shalom,

Mary Hines



Dear Mrs. Rogers,

Deepest condolences on Ray's passing. I was about to query him again regarding my Shroud entry in The World Book just when Barrie sent out the bad news.

Ray was the first major Shroud scholar I met. We happened to be sitting next to each other at the big Congresso in Turin in October, 1978. I was proud recently when he said that he had remembered me too.

He quested for answers to the mystery of the Shroud. Now he is getting those answers first hand, directly from the Man of the Shroud.

Dan Scavone
Prof. of History Emeritus
Univ. of Southern Indiana
Evansville



Dear Researchers,

It is with sadness that I note Ray's passing. His contributions to Sindonology have been great. Even though I disagreed with him on several points, I admired how he pursued truth diligently, and sought to be scientific in his approach.

At a time of death, the message of the Shroud is especially relevant. The One whose image is on the Shroud has been called the First Fruits of those who have died, clearly indicating that our final state is not one of physical decomposition, but is of the prospect for a marvelous, awesome, and mysterious resurrection to new life.

My condolences to Joan and the family.

Sincerely,

Alan D. Whanger, M. D



Ray Rogers Removes A Sticky Tape Sample from the Shroud of Turin in 1978

Dear Joan, Barrie, all Researchers,

I cannot say to you how much I sympathize with the pain of all his family. Ray will remain for me the example of generosity in action: he can be "grognon" but very given to his Faith, very discrete for his God, but complete and demanding in Science. All my sympathy and my sincere condolences for Joan, his close family and relations, and all his friends. He will remain a model for me. Now he knows the Truth, to which he sacrificed, with an immense courage, last forces, sadly.

After the shock, I am now rereading Ray's last messages. I would like to let you know how immense was his courage and hard his strength: he wrote to me two weeks ago, as he was discouraged by unnecessary or tautological messages from many of us:

"Dear Marcel:

...I must explain to you why I am "dropping the ball." I have terminal cancer, and the amount of time I can spend working is very limited. I never realized that, among its other problems, dying would be so inconvenient..."
After this message, he sent at least 26 messages more to us, teaching again and again to everybody the difference between a trivial chat and a scientific argument. Really, he was a giant. God bless such a braveheart and keep him in the glory of the Shroud of His Son!

Adieu cher Maître et Ami,

Marcel Alonso



Dear Joan and Researchers,

I am very sad to hear that Ray passed away last night. My deepest condolences to you Joan, and to all members of this Group because we have lost a key member and a great person. In my discussions with Ray after I joined the Group I learned a lot from him although we had some differences as you know.

Ray, I am going to miss you, and I am very thankful that you did your best until the very last moment of your life in the search of the truth. In a sense, I envy you now because you already know it. I pray for your soul. I am sure you are already enjoying the presence of the Man of the Shroud that very probably has already told you whether or not you were right with your hypothesis. Do not be so hard with Him as you were with us. ;-)

I will miss you Ray, rest in peace now.

In tears,

Jose A. Botella



Dear Researchers,

More than two years ago Ray wrote to me that he had no more than three months of life and I answered that the Pope also was in the same condition some years before and he was (and thank God he is!) still alive. Therefore I hoped that Ray would remain with us for a long time.

When this morning I read the news from AMSTAR about Ray's death, I became deeply afflicted for the loss of one of the most important scientists of the Shroud world.

I must thank him a lot not only for the great work done in ShroudScience Group in his last years and for the Shroud in general from 1978, but especially for his teaching addressed to me about this argument. We discussed in various hundreds of e-mails many issues about the Shroud and for me he was a very great teacher.

As you know we did not agree with all the hypotheses formulated, but for me the scientific discussion with him was motive for growth in the scientific knowledge about Shroud issues. And, it is important that, apart from the scientific discussions, we remained friends.

I also must observe that in this period of closure by the Turin People in reference to new studies about the Shroud, he was the only one who was very open to sharing his data and, more importantly, his samples removed directly from the Shroud in 1978.

THANK YOU RAY FOR ALL!

We argued a lot about the body image formation of the Shroud Man; now you have the luck to know directly from Him how the image was really formed!

I send my condolences to his wife, Joan and to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

My deepest regrets.

Giulio Fanti



Dear Mrs. Rogers and dear Researchers,

When I received the news of Prof. Ray Rogers death, I was deeply upset. I would say my sincere condolences to Mrs. Rogers, to his familiy and to all the members of the Science-group who I consider also as a big family...

Now,I am sure, that Dr. Rogers knows all the mysteries of the Shroud which are still hidden for us. And I am sure that the Man of the Shroud, who will be also our judge one day, will repay him all his researches of the Truth.

Let’s pray for him that his soul rest in peace. I am also sure, that he doesn’t let us down, but that he will help us in another way to find the truth.

In unione Sindonis and in mourning.

Traudl Wally



The suddenness of Ray Rogers' passing comes as a great surprise. It is my prayer that he rest in peace.

John Jackson



Dear Researchers,

I was out of the town for a few days and I just read the post about Ray Rogers...

From France, Mary, my wife, and I, would like to add our deepest condolences and sympathies to Joan & Ray's family at this time of loss.

Mary and Francois Gazay



I just wanted to say to everyone who reads this how sorry I am about the passing of Dr. Ray Rogers. It hit me very hard and I know things will never be the same.

Bob Haroldsen



I was out of my town for some days and only today I read in the E-mail of our Group that Ray Rogers passed way. We all are very grateful to Ray for the very important work and contributions he was able to give to us for the study of the Shroud. So, from Italy, I would like to express the my deepest condolences and participation to Joan & Ray's family for this loss. I am in agreement with the proposal of Prof. Fanti to dedicate to him the list-paper for Dallas.

Giovanni Novelli



To all Researchers,

During the space of one illuminating year Ray patiently taught me everything I most needed to know. Therefore my debt of gratitude is overwhelming. Whether one agreed or disagreed is unimportant in the light of eternity. He lit a path for us all. Just as he often made me laugh, now he has made me cry.

Norma Weller



I never met Ray. I never talked to him. I only knew him from his postings and emails, and, of course, by reputation. So many people admired him, respected him, learned from him, and were inspired by him. So many people loved him.

Every morning, I sat down at my computer. The first thing I did was check for new messages from Ray. He had awakened in me a fascination with science and a profound respect for what it means to be a genuine scientist.

I learned so much from him. I will miss him.

Dan Porter



Fellow Researchers,

As I sit here and grieve over the passing of someone I never met but who has instructed us all in so many ways, I find it more than odd that Dr. Roger's last post to this group on March 8th was titled, "The loss of a real scientist". He was referring to nuclear pioneer and fellow scientist at Los Alamos, Hans Bethe. His own words speak what we all feel towards him. He was a real scientist and will be sorely missed.

In talking with Barrie, I am confident it was the work of the Shroud that kept him alive nearly two years longer than he expected to live. It is only by divine providence that he was able to finish such a monumental contribution to the Shroud in his final days. May we all treasure what he poured out to us from his depth of wisdom and knowledge. He will be missed but never forgotten.

What a story, what life, what a legacy. May God grant him and his family peace now and forever more.

Russ Breault



Dear Joan,

I knew of Ray for a long time but as an e-mail acquaintance via ShroudScience for but a few months. When I read of Ray's passing, my thoughts:

" 'Tis a sorrow, Calm as Deep - A mournfulness that cannot weep - So filled the heart is to the brink - So fixed and frozen there - ..."

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord - and May the Light of His Face shine upon him for always.

With deepest sympathies for you, Joan, and all the family. Gob Bless -

Sincerely,

Barbara M. Sullivan



Dear Joan Rogers and Researchers,

I am so indebted to Ray Rogers. He was the true spokesman of the Shroud. Never from a missionary position, but from the facts his five senses told him, independent, fully his own. Like the Danish atomic scientist Niels Bohr, Rogers with patience, wisdom, knowledge and humor revealed the basic facts upon which we can build our thoughts.

Thank you so much for yours and your husbands invaluable contributions.

In compassion,

Niels Svensson



Barrie,

Perhaps Ray now knows how the image was made and if it is the image of Jesus.

Charles Mader



The ShroudScience Group has lost a friend, valuable source of first hand information and avid researcher who not only pursued his own ideas but also prepared detailed tutorials and constructive criticism for others pursuing different ideas. I have benefited from Ray's criticism.

Ray's research was outstanding while he was in good heath and it remained that way while he was gravely ill. Ray ran the good race and he is an inspiration to all of us.

My condolences go to his wife and family.

Art Lind



I was deeply saddened to learn of Ray's death. Even though I knew it would be coming soon, it is still a shock to realize that he is no longer with us, and that this forum will not be crackling with his almost daily posts.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ray, but first made contact with him in 2002. We spoke several times on the phone, more than once for over an hour, and had dozens of email exchanges. He seemed like an old friend.

It is good that he lived to see his article on the C-14 sample published, and the impact it had.

We owe debt I believe to Barrie, who enticed Ray back into Shroud research by inviting him to review a book for the website. And another debt to Emanuela, Giulio and Mario for setting up and fine-tuning this forum, which proved a great milieu for Ray in his twilight years to expound, debate, teach, cajole and rage!

Ray, wherever you are, thanks for all you did to advance the study of the Shroud.

Sincere condolences to Joan and Ray's family.

Bill Meacham



Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations.
2 The Lord apportioned to them' great glory, his majesty from the beginning.
3 There were those who ruled in their kingdoms, and made a name for themselves by their valor;
those who gave counsel because they were intelligent; those who spoke in prophetic oracles;
4 those who led the people by their counsels and by their knowledge of the people's lore;
they were wise in their words of instruction;
………………………………………………………………………………
7 all these were honored in their generations, and were the pride of their times.
8 Some of them have left behind a name, so that others declare their praise

Dear Joan,
Only my being out of town and an annual thalium stress test has prevented my offering of sympathy and condolences to you and the family at Ray’s passing. His is an irreplaceable loss for the scientific community in general and for his profound and multi-contributions to sindonology in particular.

The above lines from Eclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach are taken from the lectionary for All Saints’ Day. When I read them next November 1st, Ray will be in my mind along with my wife and parents. Surely he was a “famous man in his generation…who gave counsel because he was intelligent…who led the people of the Shroud Scientific Discussion Group by his counsel and knowledge of the chemistry and myriad other facets of sindonology…and who was honored with pride in this generation and will continue to be acknowledged for his contributions to this field for generations to come.”

Were gold medals awarded for Shroud “Olympics”, Ray would be wearing one of gold for running a marathon from the day he first joined STURP to the day he was called home to see the object of his study “face to Face and not as a stranger.”

Courage, integrity, professional competence, encyclopedic knowledge, broad areas of interest from archaeology to cadaver dogs, the ability to teach those less gifted than himself, etc., etc., etc.. How well you knew these wonderful traits as his wife, companion, fellow researcher and -- for the last few years -- faithful nurse.

For me, Ray embodied and personified two of the principles by which I have attempted to lead my life: 1. Esse quam videri (i.e. “To be rather than to seem to be”); 2. “A belief is something you will act upon. If you are unwilling to act upon it, you don’t believe it – you merely hold an opinion about it.” (Quote from the late Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia.) He was always willing to stand up and tell hypothetical “emperors” that they were not wearing any clothes when then theories simply could not possibly survive the process of rigorous peer review.

I am not a scientist, so I can freely state my belief that it was not by chance that Ray lived long enough to publish his final article in Thermochimica Acta. In a letter to the group dated 3Feb05 Norma Weller wrote: “We seem to have come full circle now thanks to the truly redemptive work of Ray Rogers.” I wrote Ray immediately - knowing that he would never make response – predicting that though as an empiricist eschewing any pro religious bias in his studies he should not be surprised if those of us who wore clerical garb or others who were students of history might well conclude that Ray Rogers would some day go down in the textbooks as the “redeemer of the Redeemer” having proved that 14C had accurately dated the rewoven patch; but because they had not done their homework, they had failed to correctly date the main body of the Shroud.

Please forgive me for being overly verbose, but in my humble opinion there are not words enough to express our gratitude for Ray’s many contributions to sindonology, his perseverance through pain over these past few years, and the loss presence among us all – especially you and the members of your family.

With heartfelt tears, sympathy and condolences I remain,

Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach+



Dear Friends,

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Ray Rogers. He was a dedicated scientist and a marvelous sparring partner. In addition to the letters we shared with the shroudscience group, we had numerous private communications regarding the chemistry of the Shroud as well as forensic anthropology, and his wit and wisdom will be greatly missed. I hope he rests in peace knowing so many have gained so much from his willingness to share his experience, knowledge, and insight.

Respectfully,

Emily Craig



In October of 1978, during the Shroud exhibition in Turin, Rev Peter M. Rinaldi placed me in the same hotel where most of the Sturp members stayed. Here is where I first met Ray Rogers. Over the years, even the 1988 Carbon 14 dating did not discourage Ray. We are all grateful that Ray kept his focus and decided to follow up on Marino and Benford's work.

I have had a tree planted in Ray's name in the Biblical Park in Ariel Israel. The certificate reads in part, "A tree has been planted by F. David Alexander in Honor and Memory of Raymond N. Rogers..." May he rest in peace.

F. David Alexander



Dear Joan and Family,

I have not had the pleasure to meet you and Ray or even converse by phone, but I know from Ray's e-mails that you were a valued partner in the Shroud investigation.

Ray had emerged as the prime scientific investigator in solving the mystery of the Shroud and with his knowledge of chemistry and physics, there is no one I know who could fill his shoes.

I am grateful to him for working with me and allowing me to make some contribution to knowledge of the Shroud.

We will all miss Ray. Please accept my condolences for your loss.

Sincerely,

John Brown



IN MEMORY OF R.N. ROGERS

On the 8th of March, Dr. Raymond N. Rogers, an American scientist whose name is closely linked to the research on the Holy Shroud, died.

He worked as a chemist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory of the California University. He knew the Holy Shroud in 1978 when, as member of STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project) American Researchers Team, had taken, by means of adhesive tape, thirty-two samples from different parts of the Shroud, publishing in the following years the results of his studies on those samples on the chemical-physical property of the fabric and of the image.

He had been ill for a long time and his last work on the Holy Shroud, published just two months ago, has contributed to bring up the important matter of the representativeness of the sindonic fabric sample taken in 1988 for the radio dating, because it seems that it has anomalies in its chemical composition compared with other parts of the fabric. These last researches have given rise to discordant opinions in the scientific world, above all for the hypothesis he formulated about a reconstructive intervention made in the middle age in the place of the above mentioned sample, but they represent, in any case, an important basis from which to start for further closer examinations on the chemical features of the fabric and its possible lack of homogeneity.

In the last issue of SINDONE NEWS we reported the publishing of the interesting research by Ray Rogers, and today unfortunately, we have to praise his memory. The Diocesan Commission for the Holy Shroud and the International Centre of Sindonology want to express their sorrow and regret for the demise of a person of worth who has given so much to the studies and the research on the Holy Shroud.

The Editors of Sindone News
March 2005 Edition



Dear Mr. Schwortz,

Though I never met the late brilliant scientist Dr. Ray Rogers, he became a great friend of all your website viewers through his great researches and reports about the Holy Shroud of Edessa, especially his last scientific paper, "Studies on the radiocarbon sample from the Shroud of Turin."

I send my condolences and prayers to his family.

May his soul rest in peace.

Archbishop Gewargis Sliwa
Baghdad - Iraq



Dear Barrie,

I'm saddened about Ray Rogers death. I'm so sad because I know how much you and he were friends. He was a great and brilliant scientist and one of my heroes from the STURP group. Ray did the best and gave to us a new hope about the Shroud's future with his recent and important paper.

My condolences to you and to Ray's family.

Mário Azevedo
Brazil



Barrie

I am so very sorry. You must feel a definite grief, even I am affected, so I can't imagine how you must be feeling and I feel for you.

It is a funny thing -this Easter (I always go 20km away to a small ashram set up by a priest friend of mine, Tom), I visited Tom as usual and there were 3 other friends present (all nuns) and we were therefore a goodly crowd for the mass that Tom said.

During our mutual sharing, I spoke about RR's latest peer reviewed research disproving the C 14 test results that it was medieval and linking this up with a curious 4 words in John's account at the tomb. Of course, I didn't know on Easter Sunday that Ray had died.

Barrie - he completed what was asked of him and from all accounts, he put in his top best and that best was enough. Hurrah! There aren't many that can claim that as an epitaph. You know, we make our mark on history, not because we do something that the world chooses to remember us by, but because we do in faith what we understand to be God's will for us. Teihard Chardin used to say, "I do not know whether what I am doing is what you want me to do, but I do know that I want to do your will". Well done, and thank you Ray -my affection and prayers even though I didn't know you.

Aruna Rodrigues
India



Dear Barrie,

I am going to print the image that Ray Rogers named "Me, 12-4-03". After this, I'll put it under a pane of glass and keep it on my desk. The main reason is in the feeling of both energy and generosity this photo shows, but also because it will help me to watch out for the excesses of my imagination...

Thank you so much for this so moving memorial.

Warmest regards,

Robert Doumax
France



Dear Barrie,

Ray and I first met when I was taking an advanced course in biochemistry at the University of Arizona. He was a graduate student and Lab Instructor for that course. I found Ray to be very personable and an excellent teacher.

In 1951, I went to work for the University of California at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Early in one of my research projects it required some special instrumental analysis. I was referred to an on-site LASL lab. I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted at the door by Ray, who was in charge of that special lab. He informed me that he had come to Los Alamos in 1951. From that day forward Ray helped me in many of my projects and I found him to be an exceptionally capable scientist in spectral, crystallographic and thermal analysis. Matter of fact, many scientists at LASL relied on Ray's expertise and analytical capabilities to support various research projects. In addition to the science, Ray and I also became good friends.

I eventually took a leave of absence from UC to finish my graduate work. Off and on Ray and I kept in touch over the years, during which time I stayed abreast of his Shroud research. Then, last month, I was watching the 700 Club on CBN and saw a short presentation about Ray's latest finding. I immediately followed-up with CBN and eventually was able to get Ray's e-mail address. On March 3, 2005, I sent him a congratulatory e-mail on his latest Shroud discovery only to discover that he passed away on March 8, 2005.

In retrospect, I am happy that I was privileged to have worked with such a great scientist as Ray Rogers, but of even greater importance, I am blessed to have known Ray as my friend.

Condolences and prayers to Joan and the family...

Gordon D. Perrine, Sr. PhD.



Dear Mr. Schwortz

I received the news of Ray's passing from Joan and have informed most of my colleagues who knew him. Ray was a rare species--a genuinely objective scientist who sought the truth, whatever it might turn out to be. He was also a great friend, and I shall miss him very much indeed.

Sincerely yours,

Jim McCarty
TLN Systems
Phoenix, AZ



For those viewers who are not completely familiar with Ray's background and his extensive scientific expertise, I have included Ray Rogers' Resume on this website. This Acrobat pdf file features a complete bibliography of Ray's published papers and articles and provides some insight into the depth of his experience.

At Ray's request, I will publish his final paper in the next website update in June 2005. Titled "The Shroud of Turin: Radiation Effects, Aging and Image Formation," it includes twelve new photomicrographs that illustrate his final work on the Shroud.

Posted March 28, 2005
Updated April 4, 2005
Updated April 10, 2005
Updated June 30, 2005


Prominent Los Alamos Scientist Proves 1988 Carbon-14 Dating of the Shroud Used Invalid Rewoven Sample

Ray Rogers at his Petrographic Microscope, May 2004

A new, peer reviewed scientific paper by Raymond N. Rogers, retired Fellow of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, was published on January 20, 2005, in the latest issue of the journal Thermochimica Acta, Volume 425, Issues 1-2, Pages 189-194. Titled "Studies on the radiocarbon sample from the Shroud of Turin," the paper concludes:

"As unlikely as it seems, the sample used to test the age of the Shroud of Turin in 1988 was taken from a rewoven area of the Shroud. Pyrolysis-mass spectrometry results from the sample area coupled with microscopic and microchemical observations prove that the radiocarbon sample was not part of the original cloth of the Shroud of Turin. The radiocarbon date was thus not valid for determining the true age of the Shroud."

In a press release earlier this week, Rogers stated, "The radiocarbon sample has completely different chemical properties than the main part of the Shroud relic. The sample tested was dyed using technology that began to appear in Italy about the time the Crusaders' last bastion fell to the Turks in AD 1291. The radiocarbon sample cannot be older than about AD 1290, agreeing with the age determined (for the sample) in 1988. However, the Shroud itself is actually much older."

As a result of his own research and chemical tests, Rogers concluded that the radiocarbon sample is totally different in composition from the main part of the Shroud of Turin and was cut from a medieval reweaving of the cloth. Rogers was also the leader of the chemistry group for the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP), the scientific team that performed the first in-depth scientific examination of the Shroud in 1978.


EDITOR'S NOTE: You can access the journal paper (or at least the abstract) at the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2004.09.029. Once there, if you click on the link to "Volume 425, Issues 1-2" at the bottom left of the page, it will open the table of contents for this volume. In the table of contents, scroll down to number 26, Ray's paper, and click on the "Summary Plus" link. That will take you to the entire paper, which is currently available gratis, but that will probably change very soon. In future, one will have to register and pay a fee to access the full text and illustrations. However, the free link to the abstract is permanent.


Rogers' new research clearly disproves the 1988 findings announced by British Museum spokesperson, Michael Tite, when he declared that the Shroud was of medieval origin and probably "a hoax." The British Museum coordinated the 1988 radiocarbon tests and acted as the official clearing house for all findings. Interestingly, the original carbon-14 dating protocol had called for chemical analysis of the samples prior to their destruction during the testing. However, that analysis was never performed by any of the three dating laboratories. Each lab was given a small portion of the single sample cut from a corner of the Shroud specifically for the tests. It is difficult to predict whether the anomalous nature of the sample would have been detected had the chemical analysis been performed, but it might have led the laboratories to request additional samples be taken from other areas of the Shroud to validate the accuracy of their results. As it was, the three laboratories concluded that their results were correct to a 95% certainty, a claim that, according to some experts, is difficult to support based on the single sample tested.

Another issue that arose in Ray Rogers' study was the finding of cotton fibers in the sample used for C-14 dating. There was no cotton found in any of the samples taken by the STURP team from the main body of the Shroud cloth in 1978. Yet even the Oxford lab, one of the three labs that performed the C-14 dating in 1988, reported they found cotton in the fibers of the sample they tested. My thanks to Rev. Albert "Kim" Dreisbach, Jr., for providing me with the additional information and several references to this cotton issue in an e-mail today. I have included his comments at the following link: Cotton Fiber in C-14 Sample.

Almost immediately after the results were released in 1988, Shroud analysts questioned the validity of the sample used for the dating. In fact, one researcher with considerable experience in radiocarbon dating ancient artifacts, University of Hong Kong based archaeologist William Meacham, presented a paper in 1986, two years before the infamous dating, outlining his concerns. Titled, "Radiocarbon Measurement and the age of the Turin Shroud: Possibilities and Uncertainties," it suggested that contamination could easily skew the results. Unfortunately, it went largely unnoticed. In light of Rogers' recent work, it is undoubtedly well worth re-reading.

More recently, researchers M. Sue Benford and Joseph Marino, using high-resolution photographs of the Shroud and enlisting the aid of textile experts, found indications of an "invisible" reweave in the area used for the C-14 testing. They presented a series of controversial papers at Shroud conferences that revealed their results, including Evidence for the Skewing of the C-14 Dating of the Shroud of Turin Due to Repairs in 2000 and Historical Support of a 16th Century Restoration in the Shroud C-14 Sample Area and Textile Evidence Supports Skewed Radiocarbon Date of Shroud of Turin in 2002.

It is interesting to note that when Ray Rogers first saw the Benford/Marino papers, he believed he could "disprove their theory in 5 minutes." Of course, that was not to be the case. In essence, Benford and Marino's findings stimulated him to do the research that ultimately led to today's stunning announcement. In fact, in a classic example of how science is truly self-correcting, Ray ultimately proved that Sue and Joe were correct! Ironically, it should be noted that the 1988 C-14 dating results were also technically correct: the only sample they tested was in fact, medieval. Unfortunately, it did not represent the main body of the Shroud cloth. Years later, when Prof. Luigi Gonella, Official Scientific Advisor to the Archbishop of Turin (and the man who approved the decision to take only a single sample) was asked why this was allowed to occur, he responded with a single word, "expediency." Unfortunately, that ill-fated decision caused seventeen years of turmoil and chaos in the study of what is arguably the most important relic in all of Christianity.


During the course of his research, Ray enlisted the aid of professional microscopist John L. Brown to independently examine some of his samples. See the article John Brown wrote exclusively for the Shroud of Turin Website below.


Independent Microscopy Supports Ray Rogers' Conclusions

I am truly honored to publish an article today by John L. Brown titled Microscopical Investigation of Selected Raes Threads from the Shroud of Turin  (.pdf format) [190k]

John was a Principal Research Scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Energy and Materials Sciences Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology until his retirement in 1984. He is an expert microscopist specializing in the field of forensic analysis of material failures, and was enlisted by Ray Rogers to examine samples of selected Raes threads taken from the Shroud in 1973. These threads are important because they were taken from the area immediately adjacent to the sample used for carbon-14 analysis of the Shroud in 1988. In this article, John provides an independent review of the samples he examined, along with seven previously unpublished photomicrographs and scanning electron microscope views that supplement and support the conclusions drawn by Ray in his recent peer reviewed paper. I want to thank John again for taking the time to write the article and provide it to us for today's update. John's article can also be accessed from the Website Library and Scientific Papers & Articles pages of this site.

Posted January 21, 2005

Shroud.com Celebrates 9th Anniversary!

January 21, 2005, marked the ninth anniversary of Shroud.com. It is hard to believe that nine years could pass so quickly! I know I say this every year, but the continued success of this site is due primarily to the participation of Shroud scholars around the world, and the viewers like you who continue to honor the site with your dedicated support and participation. It would be nothing without all of you, and I thank you all sincerely.

That being said, most of you have probably already noticed that the biggest story today is not the website anniversary, but the news regarding Ray Rogers' important new paper. In fact, it is probably the most important announcement I have ever made on this website. What better way to celebrate nine years online than to bring this extremely important news to you, the viewers!

Typically, the annual anniversary update is the largest of the year. I am not sure if that will be the case this time, but a considerable amount of new information has been added to the site. In addition to the announcement of Ray's new paper and the excellent supplemental article by John Brown, this update includes information on Dr. Frederick Zugibe's new book, the latest edition of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter, articles on upcoming Conferences, Lectures and Exhibits and much, much more. So, without further delay...

Posted January 21, 2005

New Shroud Book Scheduled For Release

I am pleased to announce that The Crucifixion of Jesus: A Forensic Inquiry by Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe is scheduled for release in late March 2005 by M. Evans and Company, New York. Dr. Zugibe retired in 2004 after 34 years as the Medical Examiner of Rockland County, New York. As regular website viewers probably know, his 50+ year in-depth research into the Shroud of Turin and the effects of crucifixion on the human body has made him the acknowledged forensic expert on the subject. In fact, links to several of his papers can be found on both the Website Library and the Scientific Papers & Articles pages of this website.

In this long awaited update to his first book, The Cross and the Shroud, originally published in 1982, Dr. Zugibe challenges the conclusions of Dr. Pierre Barbet, the first researcher to evaluate the image on the Shroud from a medical point of view. Although he and Barbet agree on the authenticity issue, they disagree on the specific pathology of crucifixion, particularly as evidenced on the Shroud. In this newly updated edition, Dr. Zugibe reviews all of the forensic evidence, including his latest research and the evidence supporting his theory that the Man of the Shroud was washed before being wrapped in the cloth. He also provides a detailed and up-to-the-minute overview of the most current research being done by other Shroud scientists (including Ray Rogers). The book can be preordered on Amazon.com by using the link at the top of this paragraph, or any of the links in the Books section of the Website Store or the Shroud of Turin Booklist page of this site. Hardbound, with more than 100 photographs and illustrations, this will undoubtedly be an important addition to every Shroud researcher's library.

Posted January 21, 2005

British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) December 2004 Newsletter Added

The British Society for the Turin Shroud page has been updated to include the text of the latest issue (No. 60) of the BSTS Newsletter. This issue includes excellent articles by Lennox Manton, Prof. Dan Scavone and newletter editor, Mark Guscin. It also features a candid interview with Ray Rogers. For those of you who might be interested in an annual membership in the BSTS (which includes a subscription to two issues of the Newsletter) see the About the British Society for the Turin Shroud page for details. The newsletter is published semi-annually, usually in June and December, and is republished on this website in the Acrobat PDF format.

Posted January 21, 2005

Shroud Booklist Updated

I am happy to report that the Shroud of Turin Booklist page of this site has been updated again. The Booklist contains thousands of entries and is probably the most comprehensive bibliography of Shroud related books that exists. As always, I extend my thanks to Emanuela Marinelli of the Collegamento pro Sindone in Rome, who provided 25 new titles in this update. Over the years, Emanuela has been the primary source of updates to the list. Of course, Emanuela is also responsible for the most extensive bibliography of Shroud Articles that exists in the world. You can access it directly from this link, from the Collegamento pro Sindone page of this website or the excellent Collegamento pro Sindone Website produced by my dear friends Maurizio and Simona Marinelli. My sincerest thanks to the entire Marinelli family for their ongoing friendship and contributions to this website.

I am also grateful to my friend José Manuel Portilla in Mexico for providing an additional 13 titles for this update. José makes an important contribution to the list by keeping it up to date, particularly in the area of Spanish language titles. My sincere thanks to José for his continued enthusiasm and participation.

Posted January 21, 2005

Shroud Speakers Directory Page Updated

I am pleased to announce the addition of a new speaker to the Shroud Speakers Directory page of the website. I have added educator and Shroud lecturer David Onysko to the page, which is designed to provide groups and organizations with a selection of Shroud lecturers that are available to speak at their events. Included is a short biography of each speaker, a description of the topics they present, their geographic location, how to contact them directly and other pertinent information.

Posted January 21, 2005

Upcoming Conferences, Lectures and Exhibits

The year 2005 is going to be a busy one in world of the Shroud. In addition to the impact that Ray Rogers' groundbreaking paper will inevitably have, a number of important Shroud related events are being planned. Several international conferences are scheduled, as well as a number of regional conferences and lecture series. Naturally, I am most excited about a major photographic exhibit being produced in New Zealand that will include many of my photographs. There is also a television talk show that will feature a segment on the Shroud in one of its upcoming episodes. This is by no means intended to be a complete list, but it represents all the information I have at this moment in time. The items are presented below in chronological order with the earliest one first and new items will be added as they become available. I look forward to meeting some of you at these events.


The Man of the Shroud Exhibit & Lecture Series - February 12 - 20, 2005 - Vancouver, B.C., Canada

The Man of the Shroud Exhibit, an exhibit on the history, science and significance of the Shroud of Turin, will be presented from February 12 - 20, 2005, at the Good Shepherd Church in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. The exhibit itself includes beautifully produced and profusely illustrated museum boards covering a wide range of Shroud topics including "Imaging Theories," "The Pollen Evidence," "The Sudarium of Oviedo," "The 1978 STURP Project," "Secondo Pia's Photography," "Forensic Pathology," and much more. Sponsored by the Vancouver Shroud Society and the BC Christian News, the exhibit is accompanied by a lecture series presented by noted Shroud authors and researchers including Professor Emanuela Marinelli, Dr. Frederick Zugibe, Professor Dan Scavone, Dr. Phillip Wiebe, Dr. Thaddeus Trenn, Dr. Thomas Hatina and Barrie Schwortz. Admission is free but reservations are required. For seat reservations, exhibit hours or more information, please call the number below or go to the web address provided and follow the links. The website also includes a complete lecture schedule, information for group pre-registration and biographies of the speakers.

Good Shepherd Church
2250 150th Street
S. Surrey, British Columbia V4A 9J3
Phone: 604-536-3421 (leave message)
Website: www.starofthesea.bc.ca (No longer available)

Faith Enrichment Series - March 4, 2005 - Redondo Beach, California

The St. Lawrence Martyr Parish in Redondo Beach, California, has invited me to speak at 7:00 pm on March 4, 2005, at their parish hall, as part of their Faith Enrichment Series. The event is free to the public and no reservations are required. For more information, contact Eve Young-Moir, Coordinator of Liturgical Ministries.

St. Lawrence Martyr Parish
Faith Enrichment Series
1900 South Prospect Avenue
Redondo Beach, California 90277-6099
Phone: 310-540-0329 Extension 267

Sindone Educational Gallery 5th Annual Shroud Conference - March 19, 2005 - Stockton, California

The Sindone Educational Gallery at 2233 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 103-B, in Stockton, California, is sponsoring their "5th Shroud Conference" in the form of a lecture series at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Radisson Hotel Stockton (one block from the Gallery). I am honored to be one of the speakers scheduled for the event, and am thrilled to share the platform with journalist Mary Jo Anderson, who will discuss "What the Shroud of Turin Says to the United Nations," Janice Bennett, author of "Sacred Blood, Sacred Image: The Sudarium of Oviedo" and Fr. Michael Pintacura, Director of the Sindone Educational Gallery and a Vatican representative and participant in the 1978 scientific examination of the Shroud.

Dr. Corazon Galvez, Founder of the Gallery, always organizes an outstanding event, and this year should be no exception. In addition to the lectures, we will also spend some time answering questions and meeting personally with the folks who attend. Seating is limited so reservations are definitely required. For more information, directions to the gallery, or to make reservations, call 209-477-3554. The Sindone Educational Gallery Website (No longer available) is currently being updated so it may not have the latest information at this moment. Dr. Galvez hopes to have the conference information online in the near future.


Good Friday Shroud Lecture at the Miracle Center - March 25, 2005 - Helendale, California

Senior Pastor, Dr. Rik B. Wadge of the Silver Lakes Community Church has invited me to present a Shroud lecture at 7:00 pm, March 25, 2005, in their Miracle Center at 26540 Vista Road, in Helendale, California. I will share my personal experiences and review more than 25 years of Shroud science with an obvious focus on the latest results of Ray Rogers' research. Reservations are required as this is a Special Engagement and seating will be limited. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the program will begin at 7:00 pm. For additional information and to make reservations, contact the Silver Lakes Community Church.


"Faith Under Fire" Television Program - March 26, 2005 - PAX-TV

I have been invited to appear on the "Faith Under Fire" television program that airs on PAX-TV and will be broadcast on Saturday, March 26, 2005. According to the producer, the program is a "bold and edgy hour-long primetime series...in the style of Crossfire, Hardball and Larry King Live. It takes an unflinching look at the most controversial issues involving religion, spirituality and morality and how these issues influence and change our lives." It is hosted by former Chicago Tribune legal editor and renowned author Lee Strobel. Appearing on the program with me, oestensibly to take an opposing point of view, is Paul Maier from Western Michigan University, a history professor who "questions the hard facts and history of the Shroud." Check your local programming guide for the exact times and a segment titled, "Reexamining the Shroud." I hope Mr. Maier has seen the news of Ray Rogers' paper before we tape the program in February, or he might be in for something of a surprise.


The History & Science of the Shroud of Turin - An Exhibit - May 13 -24, 2005 - Auckland, New Zealand

I am very pleased to report that a major exhibition of my Shroud photographs and other materials is being planned in Auckland, New Zealand, and will open to the public on May 13, 2005. With over 90 items on display, including a new, life size Shroud replica digitally reproduced on cotton cloth from my highest quality 1978 photographs, it will be the largest Shroud exhibit ever mounted in the South Pacific. The organizers plan to expand in the future to include additional exhibits in Melbourne, Australia, Christchurch, New Zealand and other parts of the Pacific Rim. The beautiful new website, created specifically for the exhibit, www.shroud.co.nz (no longer available), is now online. The site will serve to provide details about the exhibit as they become available. I will be visiting Auckland in May to open the exhibit and look forward to meeting some of our New Zealand website viewers at that time.


3rd International Dallas Scientific Conference on the Shroud of Turin - September 8 - 11, 2005 - Dallas, Texas

On November 22, 2004, I published a press release from AMSTAR announcing their upcoming 3rd International Dallas Shroud Conference and providing a Call For Papers for researchers who wish to submit their work for presentation at the conference.. This information is now listed on the 2004 Website News page For details of the event and more information on submitting your paper, click here: Dallas Conference

Posted January 21, 2005

Other Website Pages Updated

Other website pages that were updated today include the Links To More Information page, where all of the "broken" links have been removed and several new links added, and the Videos & DVDs section of the Website Store page, where the recently announced "Wonder of the Shroud" DVD has now been included.

Posted January 21, 2005

A Final Thought...

As I sat here at my computer over this past week, working on this update, it occurred to me more than once that, as exciting as the news of Ray Rogers' work is to the world of the Shroud, the skeptics out there are probably going to come out in full force to reject Ray's conclusions. I guess that is to be expected, since we are after all, talking about the Shroud of Turin. It is, without doubt, the most controversial relic in the world, and it brings together, "face to face" in a single object, two normally opposing points of view, science and religion. Since my perspective on the Shroud is based on my direct participation in its scientific research and since I am Jewish, I have always tried to find the middle ground between these two viewpoints. Frankly, I find it very ironic indeed that I spend so much of my time educating Christians to the possibility that the Shroud is actually authentic. I often wonder why so many people, particularly Christians, have so much difficulty accepting that the Shroud may well be an artifact of Jesus. After all, we have many genuine artifacts that are much older than the Shroud. Perhaps it is just in our nature to challenge those things that challenge us, and the Shroud certainly does that!

I always believed my opportunity to examine the Shroud in 1978 was truly a privilege. Years later, after I built this website, I felt that I had begun to fullfill the obligation that came with that privilege. That is what this website really means to me, personally. The fullfillment of the obligation that came with the privilege. And for that, I am truly grateful. Yet all I can do is provide you with the information. Even with the latest evidence now eliminating the only serious science that opposed the Shroud's authenticity, even though that evidence appeared in a highly respected peer reviewed journal, there will still be disagreement and skepticism and debate. As is always the case when dealing with the Shroud of Turin, in the end, each one of us will have to confront the evidence and ultimately, decide for ourselves.

Barrie Schwortz
Posted January 21, 2005


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