Jill Rachel Jacobs interviews Linda Stasi (pictured), Author of the new novel The Sixth Station in the Huffington Post: (But first read my previous post, And what theory is that?)
[Stasi is] an award-winning Big Apple columnist in a newspaper with over 1 million readers daily. Media critic and co-host of NY1’s "What A Week," Linda Stasi, has also been a guest on The O’Reilly Factor, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, Chris Matthews, CBS Morning Show,Good Day New York, to mention a few.
In her new book, The Sixth Station (Jan. 22), Stasi reveals a riveting and provocative read, full of twists and turns, passion and conspiracies, while tackling a host of hot and timely topics, such as terrorism, Christianity, good vs. evil. . . .
The interview explains how she conducted her research for six years. And then:
Q: So is there really a relic that exists in a monastery deep in the mountains of Italy that may contain the DNA of Jesus?
A: I believe that it does. It’s called il Volto Santo and is the true Veil of Veronica, which is celebrated as part of the Stations of the Cross in almost every Catholic Church in the world. The thing I discovered is, however, that there never was a saint — or a woman– named Veronica. That is a story made up by the Church. The image most likely however, appeared on the cloth wrapped around the face of Jesus — as was the Jewish custom back then — as he was laid in the tomb. The Shroud of Turin was then wrapped around the cloth and the body. Thus the images.
And then:
Q: What do you say to cynics or to those whose feathers may have been ruffled with the controversial subject matter you tackle in The Sixth Station?
A: For one thing I prove that Saint Veronica, who is celebrated in The Sixth Station of the Cross, and for whom the fourth and most important pillar of the entire Vatican is dedicated, is a total fiction story. She never existed — but the story was made up because the Church wouldn’t have allowed the most important relic in all of Christendom to be placed in the hands of a woman they denigrated –Mary Magdalen. Did I mean to upend a 2,000 year old belief?
No. As a reporter did I have a choice? No–not once I found out the truth I didn’t.
Okay, I ordered the Kindle version. I wish it came as an audiobook so I could listen to it while walking the dog.
“Therefore no DNA…” [from earlier posting on The Sixth Station: And what theory is that?], time to look elsewhere, I suppose. These cloning novelists certainly make the rounds: the Shroud, the Sudarium, and now the veil of Manoppelo. My local library has a copy-yes, there is a (short) waiting list-I am in the queue.
The XV Station: The people donned their Tinfoil hats.