Cardinal Chito Tagle and Fr. Boni Lopez walking in procession during the Feast of the Holy Veil through the streets of Manoppello

For Christians, to see the Face of Christ is the ultimate goal if one gets to heaven. But how about the possibility of getting a glimpse of it here and now?

- MISSY SANARES-REYES

There is a holy relic cared for by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in a place in Italy called the Basilica Santuario del Volto Santo di Manoppello. It is an image of the face of Jesus, imprinted on a small burial cloth that covered his face as he lay in the tomb.

How it got there was quite a journey. Fr. Bonifacio "Ted" Lopez and Cardinal Chito Tagle recount what they know of the Veil of Manoppello.

When the Lord died, there was a cloth or handkerchief positioned on his face, along with the shroud that wrapped his entire body. After three days, he resurrected, and the powerful force of this event caused his image to be imprinted on the shroud and on the veil. Scientists cannot explain it. It is not pigment, paint, or ink.

The rare cloth is made from the fine hair of seashells, called byssus. It is so fine—three times thinner than human hair. It is waterproof. It can be dyed but cannot be drawn upon.

It traveled from Jerusalem to Constantinople, San Giovanni, and then to Rome at the old St. Peter's Basilica. (In 1506, the new St. Peter's Basilica was being built, and around this time, the veil was kept away), but by 1527, during the sack of Rome, it was lost.

However, some accounts say that in 1506, people were talking about this mysterious man, some say an angel, who brought the veil to the Church of San Niccola in Manoppello.

He gave it to one of three men talking nearby, Giacomantonio Leonelli, who was told to take care of it as this would bring blessings to his family and the town of Manoppello. As Giacomantonio opened the handkerchief, the man disappeared. It was kept safe with his family for over a century.