Catholic News Service:
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Remembered especially for his homilies and for supporting factory workers, retired Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini of Turin died April 18 at the age of 86.
Offering his condolences to Catholics in Turin April 19, Pope Benedict XVI said the cardinal was a “zealous priest” and a “caring and loving archbishop” who endured a long illness with trust in the Lord.
As the archbishop of Turin from 1989 to 1999, he was the custodian of the Shroud of Turin, which many believe was the burial cloth of Christ.
The cardinal once said: “The shroud is an icon, which represents the passion of Christ. This is its value. It is not accurate to speak of a relic or of a miracle.”
