Saint Veronica

[CyrilSebastian]

Saint Veronica is the lady who offered a cloth to Jesus so he could wipe his face on the way to his crucifixion.
The cloth is believed to be in the Vatican. The cloth is a relic of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

[pianistclare]

And?

What are you getting at.

She became known as veronica because the name is a combination of vera icon, meaning true image.

 

[undead_rat]

She became known as veronica because the name is a combination of vera icon, meaning true image.

That is correct. “Veronica” is neither a Hebrew or Aramaic name. The legend of Veronica was started about 1000 years ago by the populace when a representation of the Holy Mandylion arrived in Rome.
Many such icons of the Mandylion were made by iconographers of the Orthodox Church. I have over a dozen wooden reproductions of these icons in my home, mostly from skete.com.

One of the problems of the history of the Holy Mandylion, also known as the image (of Jesus) “made without (human) hand,” is that no one seemed to know exactly how it came to be. The legend starts with king Abgar V of Edessa who sent his messenger to Israel to summon the Teacher and Healer in about 30 A.D. Jesus declined, but, according to legend, held up the messenger’s cloth to his face leaving His divine image. But this invention does not account for what appear to be bloodstains on the cloth. Another story was that Jesus held a cloth to His face as He prayed in the garden and sweated drops of blood. That too is unsatisfactory considering the amount of blood on the cloth and the obvious facial bruises. But the story of Veronica accounts for these features. What makes this legend unlikely to be true is that the creation of the image would have occurred in full view of the religious authorities who would have immediately confiscated it.

Towards the end of its sojourn in Constantinople, the Holy Mandylion seems to have become recognized as something much more that just a face cloth. Indications are that it was actually Jesus’ 14 foot long burial cloth containing both dorsal and ventral body images as well as copious bloodstains. This most sacred cloth was looted by the French Fourth Crusade in 1204 and was never seen again, at least not as the Mandylion.

The Sixth Station of the Cross is revered in both the Catholic and Anglican Churches, but, unfortunately, does not appear to be a true story. However, there is a great and even more marvelous truth behind the legend of Veronica and that is the most holy Shroud of Turin, Christ’s living miracle here in our present day and also the true source of the Veronica.

 

[friardchips]

That is correct. “Veronica” is neither a Hebrew or Aramaic name. The legend of Veronica was started about 1000 years ago by the populace when a representation of the Holy Mandylion arrived in Rome.
Many such icons of the Mandylion were made by iconographers of the Orthodox Church. I have over a dozen wooden reproductions of these icons in my home, mostly from skete.com.

One of the problems of the history of the Holy Mandylion, also known as the image (of Jesus) “made without (human) hand,” is that no one seemed to know exactly how it came to be. The legend starts with king Abgar V of Edessa who sent his messenger to Israel to summon the Teacher and Healer in about 30 A.D. Jesus declined, but, according to legend, held up the messenger’s cloth to his face leaving His divine image. But this invention does not account for what appear to be bloodstains on the cloth. Another story was that Jesus held a cloth to His face as He prayed in the garden and sweated drops of blood. That too is unsatisfactory considering the amount of blood on the cloth and the obvious facial bruises. But the story of Veronica accounts for these features. What makes this legend unlikely to be true is that the creation of the image would have occurred in full view of the religious authorities who would have immediately confiscated it.

Towards the end of its sojourn in Constantinople, the Holy Mandylion seems to have become recognized as something much more that just a face cloth. Indications are that it was actually Jesus’ 14 foot long burial cloth containing both dorsal and ventral body images as well as copious bloodstains. This most sacred cloth was looted by the French Fourth Crusade in 1204 and was never seen again, at least not as the Mandylion.

The Sixth Station of the Cross is revered in both the Catholic and Anglican Churches, but, unfortunately, does not appear to be a true story. However, there is a great and even more marvelous truth behind the legend of Veronica and that is the most holy Shroud of Turin, Christ’s living miracle here in our present day and also the true source of the Veronica.

I don’t think that the Shroud has been affirmed as categorically being the imprint of Christ, but rather has been confirmed as being an imprint of a man that has suffered -could be true yet might not be Him. Even if it is not Him, this person evidently suffered, and so could be considered another Christ - Christ-like - in that sense.

 

[undead_rat]

I don’t think that the Shroud has been affirmed as categorically being the imprint of Christ, but rather has been confirmed as being an imprint of a man that has suffered -could be true yet might not be Him. Even if it is not Him, this person evidently suffered, and so could be considered another Christ - Christ-like - in that sense.

The corpse pictured on the Shroud shows all the signs of having died by crucifixion, but that torture was outlawed in the fourth century.
The bloodstains on the Shroud have been found to be human blood, which always turns black after a year’s exposure to the atmosphere.
But some of this blood on the Shroud retains a pinkish color, impossible to explain by anything except the resurrection of our Lord.+

Although the Church has not formally endorsed the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, one can deduce what our holy fathers think of it by reading between the lines of what they have said.

BTW, the C-14 dating of about 700 years old of a Shroud sample is about the OLDEST date that you will get. As the samples get closer to the body, the dates will get younger (very much younger, in fact.)
This has already been found to be true from the 1988 testing. The samples closer in dated younger.*

+Historically Consistent Hypothesis
*TEST THE SHROUD, Antonacci, 2015.

 

[friardchips]

The corpse pictured on the Shroud shows all the signs of having died by crucifixion, but that torture was outlawed in the fourth century.
The bloodstains on the Shroud have been found to be human blood, which always turns black after a year’s exposure to the atmosphere.
But some of this blood on the Shroud retains a pinkish color, impossible to explain by anything except the resurrection of our Lord.+

Although the Church has not formally endorsed the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, one can deduce what our holy fathers think of it by reading between the lines of what they have said.

BTW, the C-14 dating of about 700 years old of a Shroud sample is about the OLDEST date that you will get. As the samples get closer to the body, the dates will get younger (very much younger, in fact.)
This has already been found to be true from the 1988 testing. The samples closer in dated younger.*

+Historically Consistent Hypothesis
*TEST THE SHROUD, Antonacci, 2015.

Interesting, thank you. I am not an absolute believer in the Shroud but am open to the possibility. I’ve seen various documentaries. I don’t doubt it is blessed, either way. How true is the story of Veronica? I noticed you used the word “legend”. I was recently informed that this is the correct terminology, though it is very possible that she existed.

 

[undead_rat]

Interesting, thank you. I am not an absolute believer in the Shroud but am open to the possibility. I’ve seen various documentaries. I don’t doubt it is blessed, either way. How true is the story of Veronica? I noticed you used the word “legend”. I was recently informed that this is the correct terminology, though it is very possible that she existed.

Thanks for your reply. Ian Wilson is the world’s premier Shroud historian. I recommend his excellent work, “THE SHROUD.” 2010 in hardcover. There are many others.
Despite the fact that I believe that an icon of the Holy Mandylion was the source of the Veronica story, I still feel a great reverence for Station VI whenever I pass it.
I would encourage you to seek out the truth in this matter, which, I believe, is even more awesome and inspiring than the legend.