Pope Benedict XVI blesses in front of th

Pope Benedict XVI blesses in front of the Shroud in theTurin cathedral on May 2, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI will bow before the Shroud of Turin, the object of both bafflement and veneration believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ."It will be a propitious occasion to contemplate this mysterious visage that speaks silently to the heart of men, inviting them to recognise the face of God," Benedict said in 2008 as he announced the planned new exposition of the mysterious cloth. The 83-year-old pontiff, in his one day visit in Turin, will celebrate an open-air mass in Piazza San Carlo next to the Turin Cathedral housing the shroud, meetings with youths and a visit to a centre for severely handicapped people. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)