While I agree with some of Msgr. Giuseppe Ghiberti’s sentiments, in this story, I must remind everyone that Ghiberti and indeed Cardinal Severino Poletto of Turin, the papal custodian of the Shroud of Turin, are not very popular in shroud research circles, particularly among scientists. It was Ghiberti, at the Dallas Conference in September 2005, who angrily stormed out of the room filled with about 100 researchers rather than face critical questioning. It was Ghiberti, along with others, who tried to stifle any conversation or debate that did not agree with Turin’s point of view. Full professor and scholars who were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals were told they could not ask questions.
Here is an example of what has researchers upset, right out of this story:
Msgr. Ghiberti said a shroud commission is studying proposals from scientists for further studies on the cloth. The commission will determine the most important and serious proposals and bring them to the attention of the shroud's custodian.
The custodian can amend the proposals concerning the shroud before he contacts the pope, who makes all final decisions, such as whether it will be displayed publicly or removed from its protective casket for study.
Want to know some facts around these statements? The proposals were submitted in 2000. It is now 2006. This has been said, of and on, for six years. Many of the proposals need to be updated because of new finding or advancements in technology. The commission making these decisions does not include scientists. Not only is the commission going decide (secretly, as is always the case with the Turin officials) but they may amend the proposals. Good grief.
The Papal custodian has been under attack ever since the destructive restoration of the shroud in 2002. Most recently it has been criticized for its ridiculous defense of non-scientific statements by textile restorer Flurry-Lemberg that pure carbon was eating the shroud. Pure carbon does not eat anything. Pure carbon is inert.
One can only hope that the Pope, who is technically the legal owner of the shroud, will hear other voices from honest Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical and non-Christian scholars before the Turin authorities do further damage.
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