The last of these studies was carried out by the Catholic University of Murcia in Spain, which concluded that both fabrics enveloped the same person. The examination also indicated that the man of the Shroud of Turin and the man of the Shroud of Oviedo suffered the same wound to the side.
This detail agrees with John’s Gospel which records, “When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.”
The Holy Chalice of the Last Supper
According to tradition, the chalice that Jesus used during the Last Supper is preserved in the Valencia cathedral.
According to Fr. Jaime Sancho, custodian of the Holy Chalice, the most complete study of this object was made in 1960 and the evidence suggested a very high degree of confidence in the relic’s authenticity.
The cup dates back to the time of Jesus and is made of a type of agate stone that was only found in the Holy Land.
“No subsequent archaeological study has disproved this research. It is the only chalice that has stood up under criticism and historical research,” said Sancho in a July 2016 interview with ACI Prensa.
“When one looks at this relic, one discovers the love of God in the Eucharist and that is what converts people,” the priest said.
St. John Paul II venerated the chalice in the Valencia cathedral and used it for the consecration during his visit to Spain in 1982.
Pope Benedict XVI used the chalice during the Mass for the Fifth World Meeting of Families held in Valencia in 2006.
The Chapel of the Holy Chalice can be visited virtually here.
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