EUROPE/ITALY - “The Holy Shroud is the face of Christ. But what is more difficult is to go back in time and show the face of the young Christ”. Orazio Petrosillo, journalist of the “Il Messaggero” and a Vatican expert told Fides

Rome (Fides Service) - “I am convinced on scientific bases that the Holy Shroud is the true face of Jesus. The image it represents could never be reproduced artificially and it portrays the corpse of a man who fits perfectly with the Gospels’ description of Christ. The Holy Shroud portrays the face of Christ shortly after his terrible death. But what is more difficult is to go back in time and show the face of Christ as a Child. It is certainly possible but it is not easy to remove the trauma and bruises from the face on the Shroud. The operation however is more reliable than one carried out recently by British and Israeli scientists on the basis of the skull of a 1st century Jew whom they claimed resembled Jesus Christ. Whatever the case, I an certain that the Holy Shroud is truly the face of Jesus of Nazareth ”. (Agenzia Fides 23/12/2004 - Righe 10; Parole 153)