imageThe Cranky Catholic notes that “Easter must be upon us. Why? The media is dragging out new Shroud of Turin stories!

On Thomas de Wesselow’s new book, The Sign: The Shroud of Turin and the Secret of the Resurrection:

[The author] claims that the Shroud is real, and that the picture on it (but not an encounter with the Risen Christ) was what convinced the disciples that Jesus had returned from death.

Now I don’t consider the Twelve bright or sophisticated, but I doubt that a picture on a dirty, bloody piece of cloth would convince me to risk my life proclaiming the Messiah.

And then there is this.

On the other side of the mountain of faith, there’s that bunch of perennial optimists — Italian Scientists! — who (again) claim the Shroud is real:

The scientists set out to "identify the physical and chemical processes capable of generating a colour similar to that of the image on the Shroud." They concluded that the exact shade, texture and depth of the imprints on the cloth could only be produced with the aid of ultraviolet lasers – technology that was clearly not available in medieval times.

Ooh! Ultraviolet lasers! Jesus! What is your frequency? (Dan Rather fans will get the reference)

Note: The ultraviolet lasers story broke at Christmas time. It is just being repeated again.

It’s a two-sips-of-coffee read. The Cranky, Skeptical Catholic.