THE VERONICA

The VEIL of VERONICA, or Sudarium  (Latin for sweat-cloth), also known as the Veronica, is a Christian  relic consisting of a piece of cloth said to bear an image of the Holy Face of Jesus produced by other than human means (an acheiropoieton, "made without hand"). 

The story of the image's origin is related to the Sixth Station of the Cross, wherein St Veronica, encountering Jesus along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, wipes the blood and sweat from his face with her veil. According to some versions, St. Veronica later traveled to Rome to present the cloth to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. The veil, possessing the Grace of God, has been said to quench thirst, cure blindness, and even raise the dead.

The first written evidence of the story is from the Middle Ages and during the fourteenth century the veil became a central icon in the Western Church. In the words of art historian Neil Macgregor, "From [the 14th Century] on, wherever the Roman Church went, the Veronica would go with it”.

The name "Veronica" is a blend of the Latin word vera, meaning “truth”, and Greek icon (eikon), meaning "image".  The Veil of Veronica was therefore largely regarded in medieval times as "the true image", and the truthful representation of Jesus, preceding the Shroud of Turin.

Even though the event is commemorated by one of the Stations of the Cross, it is not found in the Bible and does not appear in its present form until the Middle Ages. For this reason, it is unlikely to be historical. Rather, its origins are more likely to be found in 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. Nevertheless, during the fourteenth century, the Veil of Veronica became a central icon in the Roman Catholic Church which attracted thousands of pilgrims.  

 While it has over the centuries been assumed that the Veil resided in The Vatican, the story has had many layers.

There is an image kept in St. Peter's Basilica which purports be the same veil as was revered in the Middle Ages. This image is stored in the chapel that lies behind the balcony in the southwest pier supporting the dome.Very few inspections are recorded in modern times and there are no detailed photographs. The most detailed recorded inspection of the 20th century occurred in 1907 when Jesuit art historian Joseph Wilpert was allowed to remove two plates of glass to inspect the image.  According to author Ian Wilson, he commented that he saw only "a square piece of light colored material, somewhat faded through age, which bear two faint rust-brown stains, connected one to the other".

Nevertheless, the face is still displayed each year on the occasion of the 5th Sunday of Lent, Passion Sunday. The blessing takes place after the traditional Vespers at 5.00 pm.[ There is a short procession within the basilica, accompanied by the Roman litany. A bell rings and three canons carry the heavy frame out on the balcony above the statue of St. Veronica holding the veil. From this limited view no image is discernible and it is only possible to see the shape of the inner frame.

Various existing images have been claimed to be the original relic, as well as early copies of it, but in 1999, German Jesuit Father Heinnrich Pfeiffer, Professor of Art History at the Pontifical Gregorian University, announced at a press conference in Rome that he had found the Veil in a church of the Capuchin monastery, in the small village of Manoppello, Italy, where it had been since 1660. It is known as the Manoppello Image.

According to local tradition, an anonymous pilgrim arrived in 1508 with the cloth inside a wrapped package. The pilgrim gave it to Dr. Giacomo Antonio Leonelli, who was sitting on a bench in front of the church. The doctor went into the church and opened the parcel containing the Veil. At once, he went out of the church but did not find the bearer of the packet. The Veil was owned by the Leonelli family until 1608.

Pancrazio Petrucci, a soldier married to Marzia Leonelli, stole the Veil from his father-in-law's house. A few years later, Marzia sold it for 400 scudi to Doctor Donato Antonio De Fabritiis to pay a ransom demand for her husband who was then a prisoner in Chieti. The Veil was given by De Fabritiis to the Capuchins, who still hold it today. This history was documented by Father Donato da Bomba in his Relatione historica following researches started in 1640.  

Whatever the truth may be, it is not hard to believe that at least one brave woman stepped forth on the Via Dolorosa and wiped the bloody brow of the Lord. 

IMAGES:

Top left:  James Tissot - Brooklyn Museum

Right:  Gina  Bold - London

Left  Virgil Cantini- John Paul II Cult. Center, WA, DC

Right:  Mexican retable  19th C.

Bottom right:  Br. Martin Erspamer, OSB- St Meinrad Archabbey, Indiana