The True Face of Jesus Christ: Holy relic hidden in a closet

What started as a residential theft has turned into a potentially significant discovery of historical religious artwork in Tennessee.

"This is a unique thing that is hard to put a dollar figure on, but could be potentially priceless in terms of history. It is a portrait of Jesus from the Veil of Veronica that was blessed by the Pope in the 19th century," said Bivens.

"There is not a lot specifically about Veronica in the scriptures, but tradition tells the story of how she wiped the face of Jesus with a cloth while he was carrying the cross," said Father David Boettner with the Diocese of Knoxville. "His image, the image of the face of Jesus, appeared in that cloth."

The seized portrait appears to be one of a series of reproduced images from the Veil of Veronica that were commissioned and blessed by Pope Leo XIII. The linen artwork features a wax seal stamped with the ring of the Pope.

"More than likely, the art dates back to somewhere between 1860 and the late 1890s. That wax seal is a seal of authentication that the artwork was part of a devotion attributed to the burial cloth that touched the face of Jesus," said Boettner. "The custom was to touch an original veil to these other works of art that were in the spirit of the actual cloth."

READ MORE: http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/204421/58/Holy-relic-hidden-in-a-closet-

It is related to an Orthodox iconographic type, "Savior not made by hands".

спас нерукотворный

There are two traditions regarding this.

In Eastern Orthodoxy, the image is known as the Holy Mandylion, a Byzantine Greek word not applied in any other context. The Keramidion is the name of a "holy tile" imprinted with the face of Christ miraculously transferred by contact with the Mandylion.
Image of Edessa
The most recent version of the legend recounts that Saint Veronica from Jerusalem encountered Jesus along the Via Dolorosa on the way to Calvary. When she paused to wipe the sweat (Latin suda) off his face with her veil, his image was imprinted on the cloth. The event is commemorated by one of the Stations of the Cross. According to some versions, Veronica later traveled to Rome to present the cloth to the Roman Emperor Tiberius and the veil possesses miraculous properties, being able to quench thirst, cure blindness, and sometimes even raise the dead. The story is not recorded in its present form until the Middle Ages and for this reason, is unlikely to be historical. Rather, its origins are more likely to be found in the story of the image of Jesus associated with the Eastern Church known as the Mandylion, coupled with the desire of the faithful be able to see the face of their Redeemer. During the fourteenth century it became a central icon in the Western Church – in the words of Art Curator Neil Macgregor – “From [the 14th Century] on, wherever the Roman Church went, the Veronica would go with it.”[1]
Veil of Veronica

Both tradition are possibly a reflection of historical Shroud of Turin in a legendary form.

Christ Acheiropoietos (Made without hands)

12th-century Novgorod icon
Assumption Cathedral, Moscow Kremlin

This is the three-prong beard version that apparently inspired the Tennessee iconogrpaher.

The Holy Face of Genoa
Church of St. Bartholomew of the Armenians
Genoa.

Finally,

the Holy Face of San Silvestro
the Matilda chapel, Vatican Palace, Rome

no evidence of "Veronica" even remotely coming from the Bible ... sounds like a complete myth

It is not in the Bible, like very many things we know from tradition, and often in imprecise form. That does not make everything not in the Bible a "myth". In fact, the New Testament in that respect, is no different: it is also a tradition of the Church written down after the events in the ministry of Christ took place.

there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written. (John 21:25)

Was St. John speaking of "complete myths"? The Shroud of Turin and the Sudarion are in museums and defy natural explanations. Had they not survived, some Protestant vandal would probably call that "myth" as well.

“Went to the link, found no evidence of “Veronica” even remotely coming from the Bible. Quite the contrary, it seems to corroborate that there are several versions of this story.

No offense to others, but sounds like a complete myth.”

1st century

In several regions of Christendom there is honored under this name a pious matron of Jerusalem who, during the Passion of Christ, as one of the holy women who accompanied Him to Calvary, offered Him a towel on which he left the imprint of His face. She went to Rome, bringing with her this image of Christ, which was long exposed to public veneration. To her likewise are traced other relics of the Blessed Virgin venerated in several churches of the West. The belief in the existence of authentic images of Christ is connected with the old legend of Abgar of Edessa and the apocryphal writing known as the “Mors Pilati”. To distinguish at Rome the oldest and best known of these images it was called vera icon (true image), which ordinary language soon made veronica. It is thus designated in several medieval texts mentioned by the Bollandists (e.g. an old Missal of Augsburg has a Mass “De S. Veronica seu Vultus Domini”), and Matthew of Westminster speaks of the imprint of the image of the Savior which is called Veronica: “Effigies Domenici vultus quae Veronica nuncupatur”. By degrees, popular imagination mistook this word for the name of a person and attached thereto several legends which vary according to the country.

In Italy Veronica comes to Rome at the summons of the Emperor Tiberius, whom she cures by making him touch the sacred image. She thenceforth remains in the capitol of the empire, living there at the same time as Sts. Peter and Paul, and at her death bequeaths the precious image to Pope Clement and his successors.

In France she is given in marriage to Zacheus, the convert of the Gospel, accompanies him to Rome, and then to Quiercy, where her husband becomes a hermit, under the name of Amadour, in the region now called Rocamadour. Meanwhile Veronica joins Martial, whom she assists in his apostolic preaching.

In the region of Bordeaux Veronica, shortly after the Ascension of Christ, lands at Soulac at the mouth of the Gironde, bringing relics of the Blessed Virgin; there she preaches, dies, and is buried in the tomb which was long venerated either at Soulac or in the Church of St. Seurin at Bordeaux. Sometimes she has even been confounded with a pious woman who, according to Gregory of Tours, brought to the neighboring town of Bazas some drops of the blood of John the Baptist, at whose beheading she was present.
In many places she is identified with the Haemorrhissa who was cured in the Gospel.

These pious traditions cannot be documented, but there is no reason why the belief that such an act of compassion did occur should not find expression in the veneration paid to one called Veronica, even though the name has found no place in the Hieronymian Martyrology or the oldest historical Martyrologies, and St. Charles Borromeo excluded the Office of St. Veronica from the Milan Missal where it had been introduced. The Roman Martyrology also records at Milan St. Veronica de Binasco, the Order of St. Augustine, on 13 January, and St. Veronica Giuliani on 9 July.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15362a.htm

Did anyone here claim otherwise? I gave you the reference link to the story which I’ve now spelled out. Why are you making it appear that there’s a reason to dispute?

NB: Scripture never says that Scripture is the sole infallible authority for God’s Word but does mandate the use of Tradition. St. Paul appeals to Apostolic Tradition in Scripture. Again, there is no historical evidence or Scriptural reference to this specific event. No one is claiming otherwise thus no dispute.

Thank you for the kind words.

These pious traditions cannot be documented, but there is no reason why the belief that such an act of compassion did occur should not find expression in the veneration paid to one called Veronica

We have many saints whom we venerate even though little is known about them as historical fact. We know little about St. George (one fighting the dragon) or St. Christofer (carrying people, infant Christ among them, across a stream) or St. Alexius (a Roman patrician become an ascete in Palestine). We venerate them because they are examples of holiness to us, and have been examples of holiness for centuries of our brethren before us. That is the meaning of the word Catholic: one in communion with the historical Church of all times and everywhere where valid Sacrament is offered.

The artistic element in the cultus of a saint is what carries the example through in its most vivid form. We don't know what animal it was that St. George defeated zoologically; not even whether it was a physical animal or Satan himself. But the image of St. George is nourishment to us; it inspires valor in us.

"There is not a lot specifically about Veronica in the scriptures,

The above is exactly what the author wrote, leading one to believe this story originates within the Bible. There is nothing even remotely mentioned in the Bible regarding this.

As for the New Testament coming from tradition, that is blatantly false:

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

2 Peter 1:19-21 19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Hi Bronxville,I don’t know if someone posted this info but I will just in case.I know someone who owns one of these.I was asked to research it.The one I researched was in Polish which made it harder.The image I researched was from an estate of a gentleman who died at 100.My guess it is valued around 3,000.00.The best info I could find was a miracle that happened with Veronica’s veil which lasted 3 hours.The church bells rang and everyone ran to the Basilica.The Veil was on display and was very faint.At the time of the miracle you could see the Face of Our Lord.Artist’s sketched it on silk and linen.These were touch to the veil and other first class relics and received the wax seal that it was authentic.There are very few of these in the world so it was an honor to hold it and research it.Here is a website with some info and also other sketchings of the same kind.As you can see they are similar but all a little different.
“1849: Shortly after the death of Sister Mary of St. Peter, Pope Pius IX ordered public prayers be offered in all churches in Rome to implore God’s mercy on the Papal States due to revolution occurring at the time. As part of these public prayers, a three-day exposition of the relic of Veronica’s veil was held for public veneration at St. Peter’s Basilica. On the third day of the showing, a miracle occurred through which Our Lord’s face on the veil became very distinct and glowed with a soft light. The Canons of the Basilica ordered the bells rung at sight of the miracle, which attracted crowds of people. The miracle lasted for three hours, and was attested to by an apostolic notary during the incident.

That same evening etchings and representations of the effigy were made and touched to the relic of Veronica’s veil and later sent abroad. Afterward, a custom was introduced where copies of the veil were sent to Rome to be touched to the original veil, making them objects of special devotion. These copies are typically noted to have stamps and/or wax authenticating seals in the lower corner, indicating it was touched to the original veil. Here are links to high resolution framed and unframed photos of one of these 3rd class relics. There are more copies of these images on our Holy Face Images page as well. Feel free to have any of these images printed to assist you with practicing the Holy Face devotion.”
http://www.holyfacedevotion.com/timeline.htm

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.