Pope venerates Holy Shroud of Turin

(May 3, 2010) Even in the extreme solitude of death, there will be a voice that calls us and a hand that reaches out to us, says Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope made this reflection on Sunday during his visit to the northern Italian city of Turin to venerate the Holy Shroud, a long linen believed to be the burial cloth of Christ. The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic or that it is a matter of faith. The Shroud is on public display from April 10 to May 23, the first time in a decade.
While venerating the sacred relic in Turin Cathedral Sunday afternoon, the Holy Father reflected on the theme of the exposition, “The Mystery of Holy Saturday.” The Pontiff said that the "most obscure mystery of faith" is simultaneously "the most luminous sign of a hope without limits." He explained that Holy Saturday is the 'no man’s land' between death and resurrection, but into this 'no man’s land' has entered the One, the Only One, who has crossed it with the signs of his passion for man. The Pope reflected on how in "that 'time-beyond-time' Jesus Christ 'descended into hell' - the extreme and absolute solitude of man, where no ray of love enters, where there is total abandonment without any word of comfort. The Pope compared this solitude to the childhood experience of fear of the dark, when only the presence of a loved one could bring comfort. "So, it is exactly this that happened on Holy Saturday," he said. “In the most extreme darkness of the most absolute human solitude we can hear a voice that calls us and find a hand that takes us and leads us out.
Pope Benedict’s first public appointment in the city of the Holy Shroud, however, was an open air Mass in the city’s San Carlo Square Sunday morning. In his homily he reminded thousands of faithful that in the Shroud “we see our own afflictions reflected in the suffering of Christ. For this reason, it is a sign of hope. Christ confronted the cross to stop evil and let us to see that his Easter anticipates that moment in which all our tears will be wiped away and that there will be no more death, sorrow, lament or worry.” Pope Benedict said Jesus’ love is boundless, universal, and capable of transforming all negative circumstances and obstacles in opportunities to progress in love. The Holy Father addressed some of Turin’s problems such as unemployment, an uncertain future as well as physical and moral suffering. He remembered families, the young people, the elderly who often live alone, the marginalised and immigrants. By giving us the new commandment, Jesus calls upon us to live his own love, which can overcome all obstacles, the Pope said.
Pope Benedict also recalled some of the famous priests of Turin, such as Don Bosco, Cottolengo and Cafasso and encouraged priests and religious to draw the strength to face the hardship, exhaustion and problems of their ministry from their loving relationship with God through prayer. “In your ministry, bear witness to the power of love that comes from above,” the Pope exhorted them. He encouraged “families to live the Christian aspects of love within family relationships and in the simple things of everyday life, so as to be able to overcome divisions and misunderstandings.” He also urged those who work in the academic world to engage “in a humble search for the Truth,” and encouraged the city administration to “work together to pursue the common good and make the city a more humane and agreeable place.” Before reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer at the end of the Mass, the Pope prayed to Mary to watch over families, workers and those who have lost faith and hope. He implored comfort for the sick, the prisoners and the suffering; support for Christians, the young, the elderly and all those who are in difficulty.
During his visit to Turin on Sunday, Pope Benedict also had appointments with the young people and the sick. He encouraged the youth to live life to the fullest and be witnesses of Christ. "May the Holy Shroud be for you in a totally unique way an invitation to imprint on your spirits the face of the love of God, so as to be you yourselves, in your environments, with those of your age group, a credible expression of the face of Christ," the Pope told them. He reminded them of their appointment with him in Madrid, Spain, in August next year, where the next World Youth Day will be held. "I desire with all my heart that this extraordinary event, in which I hope that a great number of you can participate, will contribute to increase in each of you enthusiasm and fidelity in following Christ and in joyfully welcoming his message, the source of new life," he said. As a model, Pope Benedict proposed to the youth the testimony of Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati a young student and member of the Third Order Dominicans and Catholic Action who died in 1925 at the age 24. "His existence was totally surrounded by grace and love of God, and it was consumed with serenity and joy in the passionate service of Christ and neighbor," the Pontiff said. "Young like you, he lived his Christian formation with great commitment, and gave a testimony of faith, simplicity and efficacy.
Addressing the ill and suffering at the Little House of Divine Providence founded in 1832 by Fr. Joseph Cottolengo the Pope reminded them of their important mission of sharing in the redemption of the world. "This House is one of the mature fruits born of the cross and resurrection of Christ and it shows that suffering, evil and death do not have the last word," he said, because from death and suffering, life can spring up. From the Little House of Divine Providence, the Holy Father left for Turin airport to return to Rome.