Manny N. Black in The Shroud Of Turin: Real Or Fake? in the blog Otherworld Mystery:
What exactly is The Shroud of Turin? Well, if you’re a devout Catholic, it’s the sheet the Jesus Christ was buried in; if you’re anyone else, then well, the shroud is a mystery that has yet to be solved.
Being a devout Catholic doesn’t make you automatically believe it is really Jesus’ burial cloth. Many Catholics don’t believe it. It’s not doctrine or dogma. They don’t have to believe it. They are not expected to believe it. Moreover, many Christians of many traditions, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Evangelical, etc., etc., etc. sincerely believe it is real. I know of a couple of Jews that think so. I’ve met an Atheist who thinks so. I’ve corresponded with Muslims who think so. It is less and less a Catholic thing and more and more something for everyone to wonder about and perhaps believe in. I agree it is for everyone “a mystery that has yet to be solved.”
Excuse me but here in Quebec, Canada, the vast majority of devout catholics doesn’t care one bit about the Shroud of Turin !!! And I know some people who are not devout in any religion who believe the Shroud is the genuine burial Shroud of Jesus… So this affirmation is far from being correct !!!
I think that is what Dan was saying. You said it better.
I agree. Very well put.
I think the same is true of many of the Catholic saints. Some of the saints were early martyrs. I’m not Catholic but I’ve been interested in all of Church history recently and I’ve been very moved by the witness and dedication of the early martyrs. Who can say that those saints were only “Catholics”, especially if it happened before Constantine.
All of Church history merges together at some point. And the death of Christ is certainly common to us all, so the Shroud (if it is Christ’s Shroud) would be something that all Christian sects and denominations would find intriguing.