Moscow Patriarchate: One more time the Shroud of Turin is proved to be a fake does not affect the Church's position
Moscow, 6 October 2009, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church does not intend to change its view of the Shroud of Turin after a group of scientists at the University of Pavia, Italy, stated that the Shroud was a fake.
"The scientists make their research and arrive at different conclusions, however, the Church is not in the position to approve or disprove anything. This is the authority of scientists who use different methods which always are limited in their capacities," head of communication service of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Relations Priest Georgi Zavershinski said Tuesday to Interfax-Religion.
According to him, the Church's attitude to scientific discoveries and achievements always takes into account that "eventually, anything may change, and the research work may continue, and today's conclusions may be challenged."
Thus, Father Georgi noted that the attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Shroud "remained unchanged, along with its standpoint on the previous research which had proved that the Shoud of Turin is not a fake."
Fr. Georgi favours the veneration of the Shroud by believers. "The existence of the Shroud has led many people to God, and this is only beneficial for the Christian Church in Europe," the priest said.