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Late Breaking Website News!
Updated January 21 2023
Check here for important announcements and other Shroud of Turin Website news. This page will be updated whenever new page additions, articles and other resources are added to the site. Each item carries a posting date indicating when it first went online. The most recent update appears at the top of the page. As you scroll down through the page, you can review the items that were added this year in chronological order. You should find this an excellent way to sample the evolving content of this website. And you can also view every previous year's Website News pages at the links below:
27th Anniversary Update! January 21, 2023
Personal Report on The Mystery Man Exhibit
by Jostein Andreassen and Oddvar Soevik
Photo © 2022 Jostein AndreassenWelcome to our 27th Anniversary website update! It is still difficult for me to believe that twenty-seven years have passed since I clicked the "send" button on January 21, 1996 and put Shroud.com online! Of course, both the internet and this website have evolved dramatically over the years. We were online two full years before Google arrived and changed everything forever. And just in time (and very appropriate) for today's anniversary update, our dear friend Deacon Andy Weiss of the Shroud Exhibit and Museum (SEAM) in Alamogordo, New Mexico, sent us a link to Shroud.com's first capture by the Wayback Machine Internet Archive on December 27, 1996, when the site was less than a year old. So you can look back on how we appeared when we first started. Back in those days folks were still using very slow modems for their internet access, so web pages had to be very compact so they would load in a reasonable amount of time. Thus, there were very few photos or graphics used and no videos at all. The internet certainly has changed along with the technology and it is amazing just how far we have come!
Today's update is a bit smaller than our other recent updates, because it has only been six weeks since our last one! We lead off with the sad news of the passing of Cardinal Severino Poletto, retired Archbishop of Turin. Next is a personal report from a Shroud scholar who visited the recently unveiled Shroud exhibit in Salamanca, Spain. We have also added six more issues to the Collegamento pro Sindone archive and have posted news of the latest issue of the BSTS Newsletter. The update also includes eight new papers and links to many new internet articles, along with links to several important new Shroud websites, recently published books and news of some important upcoming events. I think my favorite parts of today's update are the quality podcast video interviews with many notable Shroud scholars that have been produced recently. This update includes six pages of them! That should still keep you busy until our Spring update! Although not mentioned elsewhere in today's update, please note that the Shroud Centers & Organizations page and the Shroud Booklist page have also been updated. - Barrie Schwortz, Editor
Here is the Update Table of Contents:
- In Memoriam - Cardinal Severino Poletto
- A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
- Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
- Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available
- Recently Published Papers & Articles
- Recently Published Books
- Shroud Related Videos and Audios
- The Shroud on the Internet and News of Several Upcoming Events
- This Just In... Not Smiling Anymore!
- Our Next Update
In Memoriam
Cardinal Severino Poletto
1933-2022We are deeply saddened to report that Cardinal Severino Poletto, the retired archbishop of Turin and former Papal Custodian of the Shroud of Turin, died December 17, 2022 at the age of 89. We extend our deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the millions of people he touched during his lifetime. During his tenure as Archbishop, he was in charge of the public displays of the Shroud in 2000 and 2010 and during the 2002 restoration of the cloth, so he played an important role in the Shroud's history. Here are links to several recent online news stories regarding his passing:
Retired Custodian of Shroud of Turin, Italian Cardinal Dies at 89 by Carol Glatz - The Tablet - December 19, 2022
Italian Cardinal Severino Poletto dies at age 89 by Hannah Brockhaus - Catholic News Agency - December 19, 2022
Pope pays tribute to late Cardinal Poletto's service to the Church - Herald Malaysia Online - December 20, 2022
Posted January 21, 2023
A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
Oddvar Soevik in the doorway of the empty tomb model at the exhibit
Link to A Personal Report on "The Mystery Man" Exhibit
by Jostein Andreassen and Oddvar Soevik
Photo © 2022 Jostein AndreassenOur good friend, Shroud scholar and longtime website supporter Jostein Andreassen and his colleague, Oddvar Soevik, took a trip from their home in Norway to visit the new exhibit titled, "The Mystery Man: Who was the Man of the Shroud of Turin?", at the Cathedral in Salamanca, Spain. (Here is a link to what we posted about the exhibit in our December 5, 2022 update). As we mentioned in that article, the centerpiece of the exhibit is a "hyper-realistic" model of the man of the Shroud that is claimed to be "the most accurate recreation to date of the face and body of Jesus." However, Jostein informed me that no photographs of the model were permitted, but he sent a few photographs taken in other parts of the exhibit. We are grateful to Jostein and Oddvar for taking the time to write about their experience at the exhibit and share it with us here. Here is a link to their informative article titled, "A marvellous exhibition of the Shroud of Turin in Salamanca, Spain." Here is a link to the official exhibition website: The Mystery Man Exhibition. Thank you Jostein and Oddvar!
Posted January 21, 2023
Six More Collegamento pro Sindone Printed Issues Added to Archive
Collegamento pro Sindone Issue #67
(Link to Collegamento pro Sindone archive on Shroud.com)Our archive of all the earlier printed issues of the Italian language journal Collegamento pro Sindone (1985-2000) has been updated with six more issues (from January to December 1995), all of which can be found on the Collegamento pro Sindone page here on Shroud.com, with sixty-eight issues now available in the archive. Our sincere thanks to our dear friends Emanuela Marinelli and her brother, Maurizio Marinelli, for making them available to us.
The journal started publication of their print edition in February of 1985 and continued doing so through 2000, when they discontinued the printed version in favor of publishing it solely on their website. As the printed issues grew in size and scope of content, their importance as a credible Shroud journal also grew. Starting with their January-February 1986 issue, they published six issues each year for the next fifteen years, so the archive will eventually include all 90 of those early printed issues. Our sincerest thanks to Emanuela and all of the respected Shroud scholars and researchers who contributed to make this journal such an important resource.
Posted January 21, 2023
Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available
Latest BSTS Newsletter Winter Issue #96 Now Available We are pleased to announce that the Winter Issue #96 of the British Society for the Turin Shroud (BSTS) Newsletter is now available online. In this first issue from new editor Michael Kowalski, this latest issue features articles by such notable Shroud scholars as Ian Wilson, Russ Breault, Richard Cutt, David Rolfe, Andrew Willie, Cesar Barta, Jim Bertrand, Paul Bishop, Michael Kowalski and Tristina Wheelwright. The latest online issues are available by subscription only via the BSTS Newsletter website at the above links and those issues will be archived here on Shroud.com after 12 months. You can also quickly access the archive of all the previous BSTS Newsletter issues on the BSTS Newsletter Archive page here on Shroud.com, which currently includes Issues #1 through #93 and five monographs. Issue #93 was added in today's update.
Posted January 21, 2023
Recently Published Papers & Articles
The Enigma Of Manoppello Finally Unveiled?
by Pierre de RiedmattenOur featured paper today is by our good friend Pierre de Riedmatten, Honorary President of the preeminent Shroud research organization, Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV), in France. Originally written in French and published in MNTV's journal, Les Cahiers sur le Linceul (The Notebooks on the Shroud), Pierre has graciously allowed us to reprint the article here in both English and French. The subject of the Manoppello has come up many times over the past ten years and in this article, Pierre has produced an excellent summary on the controversial artwork. In fact, we included an article about it in our December 2014 website update in a posting titled More On The Manoppello that includes links to other resources on this topic that you might find interesting. Thank you for the update Pierre! [Editor's Note: Since we first posted that article in 2014, a new paper by Roberto Falcinelli was published in 2016 titled, The Face of Manoppello and the Veil of Veronica: New Studies in which Roberto deepens his research on this topic.]
There are eight new papers in today's update. All have also been permanently archived on the Scientific Papers & Articles page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author) or, when appropriate, on the Religion and Philosophy page (alphabetically by title) and the Website Library page (alphabetically by author). Since there were too many to include on this page, we are only including one here and have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions listed chronologically, with the most recent paper at the top of the list, all in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below).
The Enigma Of Manoppello Finally Unveiled? by Pierre de Riedmatten - Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV) - Les Cahiers sur le Linceul (The Notebooks on the Shroud) No. 68, December 2022. This is an English language online translation of the original French language article. The author graciously gave us permission to publish both language versions here on Shroud.com. Here is the introduction: "Despite the fervor of which it is still the object, the Veil of Manoppello has raised many questions for decades. Based on the most recent historical 2and scientific studies3, Pierre de Riedmatten, who has already written on this subject for MNTV4, presents here the hypothesis according to which this astonishing image is in fact a painting, made "very probably" by Albrecht Dürer at the beginning of the 16th century." Here is a link to the French language version of this article: L'enigme De Manoppello Enfin Devoilee? This is a link to the Montre Nous Ton Visage (MNTV) website where newer issues are available for purchase and older issues are available for free.
Recently Published Papers & Articles - January 2023 - This is a link to a single pdf document file that includes links to all nine papers and articles featured in today's update. Authors represented include Giulio Fanti, Joseph G. Marino, Edwin Stok, Giovanni Fazio, Pierre de Riedmatten and Jean-Pierre Laude. You can either read it now or simply download the pdf file and review the links and materials at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Books Several new Shroud related books were published since our last update so we are listing them here and have also permanently archived the new titles on the Shroud of Turin Booklist page (alphabetically by author). To make it easy to find the newest additions, we have annotated the listings with "(Added 21 JAN 2023)" so you can simply search for that phrase on the Booklist page should you forget the titles. In addition, our dear friend Emanuela Marinelli has again provided us with another update to the Booklist. Thank you Emanuela!
The Shroud Of Turin - The Perfect Summary by Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson and Dr. Brian Donley Worrell - FREE Download!
Unlike most of the books we include here for your information, this one has a major difference: it is completely FREE! Written by Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, original member of the 1978 STURP team, with his colleague, Dr. Brian Donley Worrell, they decided the book would be distributed free of any charge. To obtain your copy, simply click on the photo at left or on the above link, enter your name and e-mail address and you can download the book in pdf format immediatedly. Here is a brief description:
"Any eyewitness can share what they have observed. But if there are three eyewitnesses to the same event - and the facts each of them observed are all in perfect agreement - doesn't that make the evidence essentially irrefutable? Allow me to introduce the three witnesses of scientific research, recorded history, and biblical record and their perfect agreement regarding The Shroud of Turin - the actual burial garment of Jesus Christ... Though broad in both scope and detail, the book remains both readable and enjoyable. We discuss the scientific foundation for the authenticity of the Shroud, scientifically debunk false information and unsound theories, reveal the biblical and prophetic aspects of the Shroud, and discuss their complete agreement with both scientific fact and historical record."
Digital Download: 216 pages (17 MB pdf file)
Publisher: Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson & Dr. Brian Donley Worrell (December 2022)
Language: English
Behold The Evidence by Alfredo Lerma Martinez
Here is an excerpt from the online description:
"...The question has become fundamentally invalidated with confusion echoing both the negative and the affirmative, that has left science begging the question--is this the authentic entombment linen cloth bearing the image of Jesus of Nazareth? With an insatiable thirst to end speculation and reach a verdict for all time, Alfredo Lerma Martinez in his latest book, "Behold The Evidence", does exactly that. He delivers the ultimate proof derailing the hoax theories that the Shroud is a sham fabricated by ingenious inventors of the Middle Ages, adding fancy to speculation--even da Vinci behind the mystery..."
ASIN: B0BPW1CJFC
Paperback: 51 pages
Publisher: Independently published (December 13, 2022)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8367237054
Posted January 21, 2023
Shroud Related Videos and Audios
New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin with Fr. Andrew Dalton In the past few years, the number of online Shroud related podcast videos and audios has increased so much that they now dramatically outnumber the written Shroud internet articles that used to dominate the web. Today's update is no exception and includes another large selection of interviews with or presentations by many notable Shroud scholars. The real value of the podcast format is that the programs are usually unedited and do not have the same strict time limits that standard cable television documentaries do. (Our featured video today is a perfect example).That means you get to hear directly from the Shroud experts without interruption or editing. That allows them to go into more detail about their work and gives the viewer a better chance to understand it. You will find many familiiar names (and a few new ones) included on this list, which takes up six pages in today's update! Since there were far too many to include on this page, we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin with Fr. Andrew Dalton - Pints with Aquinas - January 6, 2023 - Video (3:07:39) - Superb, in-depth interview with our dear friend and internationally respected Shroud scholar Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC. This is one of the longest and most extensive Shroud interviews we have ever included. Here is the online description: "Matt speaks with expert on the shroud of Turin, Fr. Andrew Dalton LC, about ... you guessed it, Jesus and the Shroud of Turin, and why it's authentic and what that means."
Shroud Related Videos and Audios - January 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to Shroud related videos, radio programs and podcasts that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
The Shroud on the Internet
National Shroud of Turin Exhibit
(Link to new website)Although this section is not as extensive as the videos and audios section mentioned above, there are still several pages of links to new internet content in today's update! Of course, we can't include everything on this page, so we have once again created a separate pdf file that includes all of the links and descriptions in a single file that you can download and view at your convenience (see link below). Items in that file are listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top of the list.
National Shroud of Turin Exhibit - New website - December 6, 2022 - Myra Adams of the Sign From God organization sent us the following information: "The NationalShroudofTurinExhibit.org (NSTE) launched its website on Dec. 6, 2022. NSTE is a project of SignFromGod.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization accepting tax-deductible donations. NSTE was formed to produce a permanent exhibit about the Shroud of Turin in Washington, D.C. We have an extraordinary team of 12 Shroud experts, several of whom were highly involved in the Museum of the Bible's "Mystery & Faith: The Shroud of Turin" exhibition that ran Feb 26 - July 31, 2022. The NSTE will collaborate with noted Shroud scholars from around the world to create an educational and spiritually enriching exhibit for visitors. The future is bright, and NSTE will be making more exciting announcements in the near future. Contact: Myra Kahn Adams myra@SignFromGod.org."
The Shroud of Turin - New website - December 2022 - A new website by former STURP team member Ken Stevenson - Here is the online description: "Scientists and people of faith have been trying to solve the mystery of the burial shroud bearing the image of a man crucified EXACTLY like Jesus of Nazareth for years. When the findings of a group of world-class scientists, engineers, and chemists coincides with well-known historical facts and biblical information, the evidence is beyond overwhelming..." Ken is also offering his new book, "The Shroud of Turin: The Perfect Summary for Everyone," FREE to download. See the Recently Published Books section above in today's update for details.
And News of Several Upcoming Events:
Special Event and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas - Pilgrim Center of Hope - Announcement of an upcoming event and exhibit on February 6 - 8, 2023 - The Pilgrim Center of Hope, producers of the new streaming series, "Who Is the Man of the Shroud?" are sponsoring a special event titled "A Journey with the Shroud of Turin," that includes a screening of their programs, an opportunity to meet the producers and an exhibit on the Shroud. Above link includes a complete schedule of the three day event. Angela Sealana, Pilgrim Center Media Coordinator, sent us this Press Release with the details.
Save the Date: Light from the Sepulchre - Link to Shroud Center of Southern California Website - Announcement of an upcoming presentation on February 25, 2023 by International Shroud of Turin Experts Emanuela Marinelli and Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ at the Freed Theater on the Christ Cathedral campus - Link is to page where you can obtain tickets for the event or contribute to the center.
The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin - Permanent exhibit and special event announced for April 27, 2023. Here is an excerpt from the press release we received from our good friend Nora Creech: "The National Museum of Funeral History (NMFH) in Houston, Texas will open a permanent Shroud Exhibit in April 2023. Following a blessing by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, "The Most Famous Burial of All Time: The Shroud of Turin" will open to the public on April 27, 2023! The centerpiece of the exhibit is a replica of the Holy Shroud printed on linen that was produced using authentic first century techniques and gifted to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston by the Center for International Shroud Studies in Turin, Italy... Planned for the evening of April 27, 2023, is An Evening with the Experts, a moderated conversation between two founding members of the 1978 STURP team..." Here is a link to the entire Press Release with more information. Check the National Museum of Funeral History Website for the latest updates and details.
The Shroud on the Internet - January 2023 - Link to a single pdf document file that includes a compilation of links to various Shroud related websites and internet articles that appeared online in the past few months. You can simply download the pdf file and review the materials and links at your leisure.
Posted January 21, 2023
This Just In... Not Smiling Anymore!
For the past few years we participated in a non-profit program from Amazon called "Amazon Smile," which allowed you to shop as you normally do and Amazon donated 0.5% of the purchase price directly to STERA, Inc. They charged no fees for this service and you could even adjust your browser settings to automatically enter Amazon Smile every time you logged on to their website. It provided an easy way for you to support our work and this website without spending anything extra. I know that many of you supported us in this manner and we truly appreciated it. Needless to say, we were rather shocked to receive an e-mail from Amazon on January 18, 2023 with the news that the program would be discontinued on February 20, 2023. Not the best news, especially for smaller non-profits like ours. Here are some excerpts from their e-mail:
"In 2013, we launched AmazonSmile to make it easier for customers to support their favorite charities. We were excited about the potential for the program and the impact it could have for many charitable organizations. We want to thank you for your partnership during all these years...
"After almost a decade of running AmazonSmile, we learned that with so many eligible organizations-more than 1 million globally-our ability to have an impact was often spread too thin...
"We are writing to let you know that we have made plans to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023. Until this date, customer purchases made via AmazonSmile will continue to accrue funds for your charity as normal. To help nonprofits like you plan ahead, we will also provide you with a one-time payment equivalent to three months of payments based on what you accrued in 2022 through this program. The timing of this final payment will be approximately 60 to 90 days after February 20, 2023. We hope that this will help minimize the impact that this decision might have."We are not sure what will happen to any of the links we made via Amazon Smile or if they will automatically be re-directed back to Amazon itself. I guess we will find out next month. Naturally, we are disappointed, but it provides us with this opportunity to thank all of you who supported us over the years and let you know how much you are appreciated. And in case you are interested in all the details, here is a link to the entire e-mail we received: Update on AmazonSmile.pdf. Now you know as much as we do.
Posted January 21, 2023
Our Next Update
We hope your holidays were good ones! Our next update will go online sometime in the Spring but I haven't set a date yet. Of course, it will include the latest papers, books, articles, podcasts, videos, audios and any breaking Shroud news. To be sure you don't miss any important Shroud information as it occurs, check our STERA, Inc. Facebook page from time to time, since Joe Marino now updates it to keep you informed between our regular website updates.
You can also join our Website Mailing List and receive an e-mail whenever the site is updated (3 or 4 times per year) or when any important Shroud news breaks. Note that mailing list subscribers have access to special offers not available to the general public. If you are already a subscriber but have changed your e-mail address recently, please remember that we are a self-subscribed mailing list and you have to update your e-mail address or you will stop receiving our quarterly updates. This is easily accomplished by clicking on the Update Profile link at the bottom of every e-mail we send. And finally, our best wishes to you and yours for a joyous and healthy New Year!
Barrie Schwortz
Editor & Founder, Shroud.com
President, STERA, Inc.Posted January 21, 2023
