More on the Holy Shroud

Am still reading "The Shroud of Turin-a case for authenticity". (Fr. Vittorio Guerrera-TAN books).

The Holy Shroud is the perfect mystery for me. It marries science, (which I am trained in), history (my amateur love), Scripture, and Theology. This type research challenges you in many directions.

Yet when merely reading about others' work, it is hard(unless you read with pen and paper in hand, jotting down notes and tracking charts and time-lines) to distinguish what theory holds the most weight. Usually the author has a preference, so leads you in that direction. If you are involved in the work yourself, you follow each path, reconstruct others' work, verify or disgard.

I mention this because last night I was reading the debate on asphyxiation versus loss of blood as cause of death for Christ on the cross. (There are other theories such as heart rupture and traumatic shock.) One of the cases for death by asphysia has always been that there are two trails of blood on the wrist in the Holy Shroud-seemingly to indicate that the man of the Shroud is alternating between two positions-which can be explained by a man who is hanging by his arms: his weight hanging causes his lungs to collapse, to at regular intervals he lifts himself up to breath. This continues until he is too weak to do so and then dies of asphyxiation.

There are two problems with this theory as presented in the context of the evidence of the Shroud: one is scientific and the other theological.

The angles of the two bloodstreams are about 65 degrees and 70 degrees. Some scientists would contend "that a victim whose arms were outstretched on a cross would not have difficulty breathing at an angle of 65 to 70 degrees." (Just reading the evidence for asphixiation and not experimenting etc. could easily lead you astray.) Further, asphyxiation leaves one unconscious for the last several minutes of life. This is inconsistent with the testimony of the Gospels and Christian theology: Christ gave his life fully and freely and thus must have been conscious at the last moment to do so. (Yet others, while dismissing asphyxiation as the cause of death, still attribute the two trails of blood to Christ's avoiding ashyxiation until He died of some other cause.)

Yet it is again interesting that God does work in nature. According some other theories, "the cause of death would correspond to a traditional Christian belief regarding Christ's death, that He died from loss of blood." He poured out His Precious Blood for us-out of His side flowed blood and water and the birth of His bride, the Church.

(Note: the picture is NOT from the book I am reading, but from "The Way of the Cross in the light of the Holy Shroud" by Msgr. Giulio Ricci.)

Oremus pro invicem!