Shroud Association adds new acquisitions

By Jeff Graham

The Vancouver Shroud Association, a group dedicated to furthering understanding and devotion of the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has recently added two more artifacts to its already impressive exhibit.

Replicas of the Sudarium of Oviedo, a piece of cloth believed to have been the one used to wrap Jesus's head after His death, as well as the Santo Caliz (Spanish for Holy Chalice), which some believe to be the chalice used in the Last Supper, are now being exhibited by the group.

"The Sudarium of Oviedo is a piece of cloth that has been in Spain since the seventh century. It contains blood stains, and it is believed to be the cloth mentioned in John 6:20 as the piece of cloth that lay rolled up by itself," said Father John Horgan.

"With the sudarium, what we seem to be dealing with is a funeral cloth wrapped around the face and head to gather up blood. Scientific evidence seems to show that the cloth was once placed on the face of an adult man."

"The man was dead, because we have a mixture of fluid and blood. There are scalp wounds on the neck and shoulders, and the man suffered a pulmonary edema as a result, with his arms outstretched above the head; totally compatible with crucifixion."

The society's replica of the sudarium has been made photographically.

The other artifact, the replica of the Santo Caliz, consists of a stone cup which rests on a base made of precious metals and stones.

"The original is believed to be the chalice of the last supper," said Father Horgan. "The chalice is made of stone, and it has been kept in the cathedral of Oviedo since 1437. Documents about it go as far back as 1071."

"The cup is in two parts. The top part is believed to be what Christ used at the last supper, and the bottom half and the base and handles were added at a later time. The cup, the part used by Christ, was made of dark brown agate."

"The tradition associated with this is that the chalice was brought to Rome by St. Peter and was used by Popes up until Pope Sixtus II in the year 258. Then it was taken to Spain by St. Lawrence, because he was a Spaniard, and it was subsequently kept in monasteries and hidden until 1071, when we find the first accounts of it."

The original Santo Caliz was recently used by Pope Benedict XVI this summer to offer the Mass. It had previously been used by his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

Father Horgan and the Shroud Association hope the artifacts will lead people to a greater understanding and appreciation of their faith.

"We try to provide an understanding of the events and circumstances around the crucifixion, as well as the history of Christian tradition," he said. "We hope to trace the actual historical evidence, and at the same time we recognize there is another history, the history of Christian devotion."

The exhibit will run Oct. 10 - 16 at St. Peter's Church in Nanaimo. For details see http://bcc.rcav.org/shroud.pdf.