You all keep missing the point. Of course faith matters. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist all have faith. But Catholicism is founded on both faith and reason. The accounts of the Gospel and the teachings and practices of the early disciples are all part of that reason. The authenticity of the books assembled as part of the canonical text are all part of that reason too through historical scholarship and practice. While the Shroud is NOT necessary to affirm that belief because of the other historical sources, it does scientifically validate the belief. Now, isn’t that marvelous. Just as we know historically that the story of the Crucifixtion is historically a valid event.
First of all I’m not RC. Second the shroud proves nothing. It can add nothing to my faith. But if eventually proven a forgery it could prove shattering to the faith of those who rely on signs and man made traditions to validate their faith. The shroud is an interesting curiosity, and someday we will know the truth about it, but meantime we should not let sideshows detract from the Truth.
How do you know that the shroud is the one used for Jesus? It appeared more than a thousand years after the event, and Turin is about 1,500 miles from Jerusalem.
I once saw a nail from the cross of Christ in a museum in Vienna. And in Trier, Germany, I visited the cathedral which has the Holy Tunic worn by Jesus before his crucifixion. The crown of thorns, the spear with which he was stabbed, and pieces of the cross itself have also been preserved in Catholic houses of worship.