POPE BENEDICT PRAYS BEFORE TURIN SHROUD

POPE PAYS HOMAGE TO TURIN SHROUD
AND PRAYS BEFORE THE FAMOUS RELIC

ROME (CNN) - Pope Benedict XVI has viewed the Turin shroud - the cloth in which, according to many believers, Christ was buried. The pontiff spent several minutes praying before the shroud, although in line with papal tradition he did not touch on the authenticity of the cloth. The frail linen, which shows an image of a man's body and what appear to be the marks of crucifixion, has gone on display for the first time in 10 years. The Pope appeared to come close to acknowledging the relic was the burial shroud of Jesus. "The Holy Shroud eloquently reminds us of Jesus' suffering", the Pope said in Turin. During Sunday's visit to the display in Turin Cathedral, Benedict said: "This is a burial cloth that wrapped the remains of a crucified man in full correspondence with what the Gospels tell us of Jesus." The Pope did not touch on the scientific questions that surround the linen and its authenticity, saying it was "an icon written in blood". The shroud was put on public view for six weeks in a bullet-proof and climate-controlled case on 10 April. In addition to the pope, 2 million people are expected to see the shroud.

Tests in 1988 suggested that it dated from the Middle Ages, but those carbon dating findings are contested. Many scholars contest the shroud's authenticity, saying it dates to the Middle Ages, when purported biblical relics - like splinters from Jesus' cross - surfaced across Europe. The Catholic Church's official position regarding the shroud is that it's an important tool for faith regardless of its authenticity. The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome say that the Pope is by tradition the keeper of the shroud, but it is not clear what his own personal thoughts are on its authenticity.


The Vatican has never said whether it considers the burial shroud to be authentic or not, but the enigmatic image imprinted in the cloth of a man's face and body "reminds us always of Christ's sufferings" as the Pope said; so regardless of its authenticity, this truth of faith is the most significant reality for believers.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Sraddha is more than calculative truth. ... The physical truth, the material truth does not have much value. After all it is the very strong, yet false, attitude of the mind. So this truth should not be given greater respect than acaran, the intuitive practices of pure devotees. The intuition of a pure devotee should be given preference over this materially truthful calculation of the ordinary persons. Faith does not have any connection with the factual 'reality' of this world. It is completely independent, sraddhamayoyam loka. There is a world that is guided only by faith. Faith is everything there and it is of infinite nature, all-accommodating. Everything may be true in the world of faith by the sweet will of the Lord.

Śrīla Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Mahārāja :
“Follow the Angels” - The Path of Dedication
Part One: “Sraddha is More than Calculation”
http://bvml.org/SBRSM/index.htm