KUCHING — In conjunction with the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, the Archdiocese of Kuching, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and Othonia—the Global Centre for the Shroud based in Rome—organised a two-evening programme on the Shroud of Turin. The event was held on 7 and 8 July at St Joseph’s Cathedral.
The first evening featured a prelude titled, “From the Swaddling Cloth in the Manger to the Linen Cloth in the Tomb”, delivered by His Grace, Archbishop Emeritus John Ha. The highly anticipated keynote talk by Rev Fr Andrew Dalton, LC, took place on 8 July and was attended by over 350 participants from various parishes.
With the two presentations put together, one finds both intellectually stimulating and spiritually enriching—challenging the mind while uplifting the soul.
Below are some heartfelt reflections from attendees who experienced the profound impact of the talks:
I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to listen to Father Andrew’s talk on the Shroud of Turin and a session from Emeritus Archbishop John Ha, where he made an interesting connection between the swaddling cloth and the manger, linking them to the burial shroud of Jesus. It is seen as a symbol of humility and the humble beginnings of the promised Messiah.
The day before I went for this talk, I tried to search for the Shroud of Turin so that I could have a glimpse of it. Moreover, this is my first time hearing about it, so details as what has been explained by Fr Andrew. While there is no confirmation regarding whether this is the burial shroud of Jesus Christ, it is important to reflect on the fact that the man depicted in the shroud has endured tremendous suffering similar to that of Jesus during the Passion. Therefore, it serves as a powerful symbol of faith. It becomes a focal point for meditation and faith, encouraging believers to contemplate the passion and love of Christ for the world.
Finally, the shroud invites us not only to look outward, through the lens of science and history, but also inward; towards our own beliefs, doubts and hopes. Reflecting on the Shroud and its connection to the suffering of Christ, it conveys to me the message of God’s unconditional and tremendous love for each of us.
-Sr Wivina Gelan Liek, SSFS
From swaddling cloths to linen cloths translates to me the humble birth of Jesus to His sacrificial death. The swaddling cloths was a sign of His humanity and the linen cloths represented His departure from the earthly realm. As a baby and a grown man, Jesus was wrapped in cloth which was a sign, bringing forth the extraordinary out of the ordinary. The swaddling was the ordinary; the birth in the stable and placing of Jesus in the manger was not – there was no room for Jesus among humanity. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, treated the same way as the sacrificial lambs were at His time. Thus, the swaddling cloths in the manger represents the humility of Jesus and the rejection of mankind of the Son of God.
This then foreshadows Jesus’ life and mission. The sign given to the shepherds not only identified Jesus as the Messiah and sacrificial Lamb but also pointed forward to His death. The Savior was born to die. He came into this world swaddled and laid on a bed of stone (the trough). In His death He was swaddled and laid on a bed of stone (the slab in the tomb). Christ came into this world, subjecting Himself to the poverty and bondage of our existence. He died in our place and subjected Himself to the poverty and bondage of death. He fulfilled His role as the sacrificial Lamb. When He broke free from the linen cloths and rose from the bed of stone, He rescued us from the power of death forever. This is the glorious Good News of Jesus’ birth. He lived, He died, and He rose again!
– Mary Jane Tendahal
The film ‘The Passion of the Christ’ by Mel Gibson has made the most impact in my life. The scenes where Jesus was scourged, forced to carry His cross, crucified, and died never failed to conjure this question in my mind: Who is this person who had to endure such gruesome and inhumane treatment? C.S. Lewis famously suggests three possible answers to this question: He was either God, a liar, or a lunatic.
While the film helped me to reflect on the Paschal Mystery—the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—the talk on the Shroud of Turin proved to be another powerful means through which I encountered how Jesus willingly endured pain and suffering to show His love for me.
The main highlight for me was when Fr Andrew Dalton spoke about the instruments used to inflict pain on Jesus. The first was the Roman Flagrum, designed to tear flesh from the victim’s body. Each flagrum had three leather thongs, each embedded with small pieces of metal at intervals. The Shroud displays droplets of blood believed to be from the wounds caused by this scourging—more than 300 such marks were found. This suggests that Jesus was scourged over a hundred times at the pillar.
While most statues depict Jesus being nailed through His palms, historical and anatomical evidence suggest otherwise. The weight of His body would have caused the nails to tear through His hands. Instead, it is believed that He was nailed through His wrists—specifically, through the Destot’s space. Besides enduring the agony of the scourging, He would have had to lift Himself repeatedly to breathe, pushing up against the nails in His wrists and feet. These details are visible on the Shroud, and modern scientific studies have affirmed many of these findings.
However, I also found great consolation when Fr Andrew spoke about the resurrection of Jesus. The double image on the front and back of the Shroud of Turin suggests that the body became translucent and the cloth most likely collapsed. Remarkably, the Shroud not only shows the external features of the body but also reveals the bones—almost like an X-ray image. This observation echoes the account in the Gospel of John: “That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors… suddenly, Jesus was standing among them!” (John 20:19–20). Death cannot separate us from the love of Jesus. He comes to us even in our fear, sadness, and loss.
The talk on the Shroud of Turin truly captured the saying mysterium tremendum et fascinans—“a mystery that is both terrifying and fascinating.” It is terrifying to see how our sins disfigured and led Jesus to die on the Cross, yet it is also fascinating to realise how deeply God loves us—loving us to the very end.
– Seminarian Joseph Tan, Theology Year 4, St Peter’s College Major Seminary
