Then the second disciple who had come first to the tomb also went in
.
He saw and believed (John 20:8).
In Italy's central region of Abruzzo, about 30 km inland from Pescara on the Adriatic Sea, lies the small village of Manopello. Unknown town with less than 7,000 inhabitants. inhabitants would remain unknown if it were not for the fact that there is a Capuchin church on its outskirts. It contains a mysterious scarf depicting the face of Jesus.
The history of the Manopello scarf
According to tradition, an anonymous pilgrim arrived at the church in 1508 with a wrapped cloth, which he gave to the doctor Giacomo Leonelli. He entered the church, opened the bundle and... discovered the image of Jesus . When the doctor went outside, he discovered that the mysterious pilgrim had disappeared.
The painting was owned by various families in Manopello. At the beginning of the 17th century, it was donated to the Capuchins and has been in their church ever since.
Basilica of the Holy Face
Visitors are often surprised by how small the painting is. Indeed, at the end of the long nave, in the glass enclosure behind the main altar, it is difficult to see a painting measuring 17 by 24 cm.
Walking towards it, you can see a mysterious face locked in a silver reliquary . Getting closer, the visitor notices that it is transparent.
Two-way stairs behind the altar allow for extremely detailed observations of the painting. Once at the top of the stairs, visitors can stand just centimeters from a painting depicting the face of Jesus . What is striking is that the image is equally visible from the other side.
The face of Jesus
The painting shows the face of a man with long hair, a light beard, open eyes and slightly parted lips. His face is filled with peace and shows no signs of pain or anxiety.
If a monk is present during the visit, he will turn the light on and off, illuminating and darkening the space inside the enclosure. Thanks to this, you can observe a certain change in the facial expression of the characters in the image. When the light is on, the man appears to be on guard. And when the light is turned off, it remains passive and dormant.
Experts examining the painting cannot determine what it is made of . Some have suggested that it was made of sea byssus or sea silk ( bisso marino ). Others were surprised by the way the pigment was applied and how it was possible that the image was equally visible on both sides.
Watch our video about the blood relics of Jesus:
Secrets of the Manopello Scarf
Sr. Blandina Schlömer, a German Trappist nun, visited Manopello in the 1970s. She made an interesting observation. Looking at the painting, she had the impression that she was standing in front of Veronica's veil . While the Gospels do not mention Veronica and her shawl, tradition says that she encountered Jesus along the Via Dolorosa, on the way to Calvary. She stopped to wipe the blood and sweat from His face with a scarf. She quickly discovered that the face of Christ was reflected on her veil.
Remembering the Shroud of Turin, Sister Blandina made copies of both paintings. She put one on top of the other. She noticed that there were 10 exact tangent points . Not only did the eyes, nose and mouth perfectly line up, but also the location of the wounds.
A little later, the Manopello and Turin paintings were superimposed with a copy of a lesser-known painting, the Oviedo shawl, a bloody cloth that may have covered Christ's body during burial. The face of Christ on the shroud matched the images from Turin and Manopello ( you can read more about research on the Turin shroud and the Oviedo scarf HERE ).
There is a large hall at the back of the church. You can see numerous exhibitions there, image studies from Manopello, descriptions of the shroud from Turin and Oviedo, and sea fine linen. There are also three panels showing paintings from Manoppello, Turin and Olviedo . Pilgrims can put them on themselves to see with their own eyes how the faces depicted on them overlap.
Pilgrimages to Manopello
Manopello is just 45 km from Lanciano , the site of a famous Eucharistic miracle. Both locations are located halfway between San Giovanni Rotondo (the burial place of Saint Padre Pio) and Loreto (where the House of Mary is located), making them a popular stop on pilgrimage routes .
In 2006, Manoppello was visited by Benedict XVI . Since then, interest in the painting has increased. Every year, numerous pilgrims visit the sanctuary. Although the Church has never issued a statement as to the authenticity of the Manopello painting, Pope Benedict said during his visit:
As the Psalms say, we all “seek the face of the Lord.” And that is the purpose of my visit. Let us strive to get to know the face of the Lord better and better. In His face, let us find the impulse of love and peace, which also reveals the path of our lives.
