Official: An Extraordinary Exposition of the Holy Shroud in 2015

This is the official Announcement in Italian. Hat tip to Gian Marco Rinaldi

Google Translation:

Exposition of 2015: announcement of the Guardian Bishop Nosiglia 

With a lot of hope, and also with a little trepidation, I am happy to announce that it will be held in the Cathedral of Turin, in 2015 , the extraordinary un’ ostensione of the Holy Shroud . I have, in fact, recently received by the Secretary of State of the Holy See communication of assent by the Holy Father, in this public exhibition as part of the celebrations for the bicentenary of the birth of St. John Bosco , Father and Teacher of young people, whose fruitful charism is today more timely and vital than ever, even in the works initiated by him and in the service that his sons and daughters of the Salesian congregation held in favor of the universal Church.

The exposition will be held then in the spring of 2015, in a period of about 45 days between the Easter season (from mid-April 2015) and the closing celebrations of the bicentennial (August 16, 2015). We are confident that on this occasion the Pope Francis may come to pray before the sacred Linen and to honor St. John Bosco, thus sealing an extraordinary year for our ecclesial and civil communities.

The opening of the exposition in the Easter refers to the death and resurrection of the Lord, and with it the beginning of the Church’s mission. The shroud, shroud of death for believers becomes a witness who recalls with great effectiveness evocative, just the victory of the Lord of life. Yes, because the Shroud leads us into the darkness of the tomb of Christ, but it also leaves a glimpse of the light of his resurrection, he shows us the deep wounds caused to the Lord by his passion and death on the cross, but at the same time announcing the victory of grace over sin, forgiveness, hatred and violence, trust in God on despair. The darkest mystery of faith that the Holy Saturday reminds us, is at the same time the most luminous sign of a hope that goes beyond death.

So we invited Francis Pope in his message on the occasion of the recent exposition of the Shroud television: "The Face of the Shroud reveals an energy limited, but powerful, as if to say: have faith, do not lose hope, the power of love of God, the power of the Risen conquers all. " If devastating is the sin that leads us away from him and deeper the sufferings which oppress us, or the evidence that we have to deal with, much bigger and more fruitful of joy and hope of Easter is the victory that is given to us.

The Shroud in this time of crisis can restore strength and hope to so many people, families and peoples, to anyone who knows how to contemplate and worship with faith and love and is committed to living it.     

This exposition presents itself as truly extraordinary, close in time to the last of 2010 because it connects to a special circumstance as the Salesian Jubilee: an anniversary for Turin and its surroundings mean a lot, because here are the roots of holiness and of ‘ experience of the children of Don Bosco and the Salesians and because here the Salesian Sisters, in all their components, today also offer a valuable service in various sectors, from education to sport animation of the parish community, to the world of mass media . The exhibition of the Shroud is an event and experience distinct from the Salesian celebrations, whilst being in the context of what will be achieved in 2015. I believe, however, that we can proceed in a climate of mutual and fraternal collaboration with the Salesian family.

I spoke of hope and concern. Hope because the exposition is always a great occasion of pilgrimage and meditation that reaches the hearts of people and produces spiritual fruit also unexpected and unhoped for. Concern, trepidation because I know well, my collaborators and from having followed the previous expositions, what it means to organize such a mobilization, which involves the city and the whole territory of the Region. Even for that I recall, even now, working closely with the people, communities and organizations that have actively and effectively collaborated in the organization of expositions previous and active service of the media to help spread all the necessary information . In the coming weeks will go to those organisms form of address management and who worked on the previous expositions, and of these acts, such as the progress of work, of course the news will spread gradually.

I believe that the very difficult situation that we are experiencing requires the involvement of all qualified in Turin and in Piedmont: the first parishes and ecclesial realities and each of the faithful, the local authorities as state institutions, the banking foundations such as the world of business and work. We also ask our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations to join our prayer that this event promotes a common understanding of the Christian faith in the kerygma of the death and resurrection of the Lord all that we profess. To the faithful of other religions deserve our respectful invitation to accompany friendship and goodwill with the time of the exposition. With all we want to start a real dialogue to find out what resources we can put together for the success of an event which, I know, has a clear ecclesial nature but has also become important opportunity to promote and offer all the great values ​​of the host , respect, solidarity and love that Turin and its surroundings have laid the foundation of one’s religious experience and social life. The exposition of 2015 that I would like to excel for another choice to be made with the utmost rigor: that of sobriety and simplicity. The exhibition of the Shroud is not the answer to the economic crisis, social ethics and cultural are fighting against. But the will which, in fact, intend to get out of the crisis by bringing into play all our resources and engaging all our responsibilities. The exposition is therefore an opportunity that is given to us to try – to ourselves first of all – that we are able to work together, around a concrete project that even on the level of resources provides an example of the poverty to which we always Pope recalls Francis. The poor, the sick, the disabled, people in need, the elderly and families, will therefore first place.

There is another important word I want to ask right away, and is "welcome." We are committed to finding, pilgrims and visitors who come, a city that "waiting for them," that he wants to meet them. The Christian communities have experienced various forms of exchange and mutual understanding during the exhibitions bringing into play the great resource of volunteering. In all expositions of the postwar period, the volunteers proved to be the true wealth of these pilgrimages: the purple jackets of the Shroud, but also all those who belong to other organizations that have provided medical assistance and health care, to the accompaniment of the groups, the infinite service systems that must be activated on occasions like this. Not to mention the many partners who have contributed with offers and services.

Prayer and faith, acceptance, involvement, organization sober and essential resources I think are the keywords on which to build prepare to accomplish together, each in its own role and its own powers and responsibilities, the exposition of the Shroud.

+ Nosiglia

Archbishop of Turin

Papal custodian of the Shroud