Astana exhibition on the Shroud revives interfaith dialogue

The exhibition opened in early August with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. It was organised by the Sovereign Order of Malta and the charity foundation Kirche im Not. Minister Balaeva: ‘A testimony to the spiritual growth of humanity as a whole.’ A unique relic that has attracted interest since ancient times.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - At the beginning of August, an international ‘spiritual and educational’ exhibition on the Holy Shroud of Turin opened in Astana with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) of Moscow, in preparation for the 8th Congress of World Leaders of Traditional Religions, which has been held for years in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The exhibition was organised by the Russian Orthodox Church in Central Asia, together with the Sovereign Order of Malta and the charitable foundation Kirche im Not.

The reproductions of the Shroud and other items were displayed in the Dvorets Mira, the Palace of Peace/World in the city centre, under the supervision of the Metropolitan of Astana and all of Kazakhstan, Aleksandr (Mogilev), assisted by other clergymen together with professors and students from the Orthodox theological seminary in Almaty.

The inauguration was also attended by the Kazakh Minister of Culture, Aida Balaeva, and many civil authorities, including the president of the International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue and Interreligious Dialogue, Marat Kaližanov, together with the Apostolic Nuncio to Kazakhstan, Archbishop George Panamthundil, other diplomats from various countries, the president of Kirche im Not Regina Lynch, archaeologist and Princess Sofia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, a great expert on the history of research on the Shroud, and many other high representatives of the Catholic Church and the cultural world of Kazakhstan.

Minister Balaeva noted that the reproductions offered to the residents and guests of Astana are ‘a testimony to the history of the spiritual growth of all humanity,’ in the spirit of the interreligious congress that attests to Kazakhstan's dedication ‘to the ideals of peace, harmony and humanism.'

The minister recalled the words of President Kasym-Žomart Tokaev, who in a message pointed to the ‘educational function of religion in all times, and the Holy Scriptures are full of ideals of great humanity, compassion and mercy’, also recalling the section of the exhibition on ‘Sacred Books’ with 50 examples of manuscripts from various eras referring to different religions.

Balaeva emphasised how the exhibition is ‘a great event in our current era, marked by so many tragedies, to regenerate the moral guidelines and values that enrich the human soul.’

Metropolitan Aleksandr welcomed the joint participation of representatives of various faiths and countries in the exhibition on “what is called the Fifth Gospel, a unique relic that has attracted the interest of both the scientific community and countless pilgrims since ancient times, encouraging people to read the Scriptures and study biblical history”.

Nuncio Panamthundil noted ‘how appropriate it is that this exhibition is taking place in Kazakhstan, a country known for its ability to develop interreligious dialogue, mutual respect and peace-building.’

The Catholic bishop of Astana, Tomasz Peta, confirmed that ‘religious freedom truly exists here, with fruitful collaboration between representatives of different religious views of the world, which contribute to deepening the spiritual awareness of our people.’

The exhibition will remain open until 25 September, when the interfaith congress ends, offering a full-size replica of the Holy Shroud, 27 information panels, artefacts and historical objects, video material and illustrative brochures dedicated to the phenomenon of the sheet bearing the face of Jesus and the many analyses and studies on it, which still today provoke discussion, criticism and in-depth analysis, even in the non-specialised press.

The exhibition experts have also made copies of the crown of thorns and the nails of the Holy Cross, corresponding to the customs of the first century of Christianity.

• Kazakhstan
• shroud
• Orthodox Christians
• Christians
• Kirill
• congress
• religions
• spirituality
• evangelisation
• religious freedom