The Face of God: The Rediscovery Of The True Face of Jesus

by Paul Badde

Best-selling journalist, historian and author Paul Badde embarks on an exciting quest to discover the truth behind the Holy Face of Manoppello, a relic recently rediscovered and rumored to be the veil of Veronica. Vatican correspondent for German newspaper Die Welt, journalist Paul Badde was intrigued when he heard of a mysterious image in a remote Italian village--an image of a man's face on byssus cloth. Byssus, or sea silk, is a rare and delicate fabric woven from a silky filament produced by mollusks. It is claimed that the fabric is so thin and delicate that it is impossible to paint on--yet the image in Manoppello is clearly visible and, moreover, when laid over the image of the face on the Shroud of Turin forms a perfect match. Experts determined that the cloth of Manoppello is not Veronica's veil, but rather the face cloth layed over the face of Jesus in the tomb. Unlike the Shroud of Turin, which is a negative of the image, the image on the face cloth is a positive of the face of Christ. Paul Badde takes the reader along on a thrilling journey of discovery as he travels to research this remarkable relic, tracing the turbulent history of the Holy Face from ancient times up to the historic 2006 visit to Manoppello by Pope Benedict XVI. Illustrated with 16 pages of color photos.

Genres: Religion, Catholic

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book....picked it up after awhile and got right back into it. Fascinating and informative. The discovery and the assistance of various people were nothing short of miraculous. At times somewhat confusing but the author puts everything in order at the end. All I can say is the Deposit of Faith is vast and not just written.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Paul Badde, is a German Catholic journalist who wrote this book in the early 2000s. He had learned of the existence of the image of Christ's face on a cloth in a church in the remote village of Manoppello in the Abbruzzi region on Italy's southeast near the Adriatic Sea. The book is his story of how he traced the history of it, how it probably came to be there and how in the end, Pope Benedict XVI came to Manoppello to pray before it. The cloth was probably one that had been in the Vatican for hundreds of years but disappeared from there in the 16th century or thereabouts. If genuine, and Badde believes it is, it's probably the "napkin" that is referred to in the Gospel of John 20:7 that was laying aside from the main grave clothes. The main linen referred to there would be the Shroud of Turin. In any case, the face on the Manoppello cloth matches the face on the Shroud. Throughout the book, he discusses how these relics and other were transmitted down through the centuries, the references in various Byzantine and other documents, and how they probably ended up where they are today. The Face of Christ on these relics also greatly influenced the religious artwork and icon writing of the time and into the present. The book contains a bibliography of the works he refers to, some of them written by people he had personal discussions or correspondence with. All in all, I found this a most fascinating read.

[Scott Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badde has strung together a fascinating narrative, providing the reader with a comprehensive account of his journey to discover the origins of the Veil of Manoppello. Toward the beginning, however, Badde's storytelling is slightly discontinuous.

The evidence supporting Badde's claims are presented in a very convincing way. Even if you do not believe everything in this book, you will find yourself longing to see the Veil of Manoppello in person.

Seeing is believing.

[Russ Lemley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very important book. It documents Badde's discovery of the Veil of Manoppello and its broad ramnifications. Badde argues, in the end effectively, that the Veil was not made by human hands and is a representation of Jesus's face after He rose from the dead. This means that this is a document of the Messiah before even the Gospels themselves had been written! Moreover, the face on the veil corresponds exactly to the face as shown on the Shroud of Turin, the impressions on which, again, appear to not be made by human hands. Badde is correct in saying that this is the first of many books on the Veil that will be published in the future.

It is reasonable, therefore, to wonder why I am only giving the book 4 stars? I'm doing so for a lot of little reasons. The book itself didn't flow very well, and there were several times where I was quite confused as to what Badde was trying to say. I don't if it was because I wasn't a careful reader, or because of the translation from German to English, or because the book appeared to have been written very quickly. All I know was that it was challenging at times to follow Badde's story or thought process along the way, which resulted, I'm afraid, in diminishing the power of the message in this book. Having said all of this, this is still a very important book which should be read by anyone and everyone.

In an age when the secular culture generally, and atheism in particular, is on the rise, with its fascination of the "scientific method" and materialist and morally relativist philosophies, it is fascinating to become aware of concrete objects that point directly to not only the existence of the Son of God, but also of a representation of His face *after* His resurrection in a manner that no human could have accomplshed, then or now! Badde successfully, albeit at time clumsily, documents his discovery of the Veil and why the realization of its existence could have earth-shattering implications on our understanding of how things really are.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As he did in his wonderful Maria of Guadalupe: Shaper of History, Shaper of Hearts, Badde takes you along on his search for truth rather than simply expounding on the subject at hand. When he is confused, you are confused. And when he is transported by the beauty of what he has discovered, so are you. In the end, you realize you have been on a pilgrimage with him. This is an excellent Lenten book.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's rare for me to not finish a book, but try though I might, I simply could not finish this one. I wanted to like it so bad, because I admire his determination and was so intrigued by his theory. However, when he starts relying on evidence like the visions of a 19th century nun about ancient events, I simply can't swallow it.

[Dave Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book twice. The first reading inspired me to go see the Holy Face. The second time after having experienced it. If you love Church history, are fascinated by the shroud of Turin or plan impending going to Italy, you should read this book.