Veneration & Liturgical Use Of The Shroud
At left is the Byzantine Rite (in union with Rome) leaflet series #7. Titled: 'The Veneration of the Holy Shroud according to the Byzantine Rite Tradition'
The beginning of the Byzantine Liturgical Veneration of the Holy Shroud (Plaschaicja) can be traced to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where the mysteries of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ were solemnly celebrated every year in their historical settings.
There is no written evidence concerning the Holy Shroud during the first centuries and its history remained in obscurity until the fifth century. Painted replicas with the image of the lifeless body of Christ (as seen at left) were used in the Byzantine Liturgical services at least since the 7th century.
What is amazing about the Byzantine Rite veneration of the Holy Shroud is that; we have the figure of Jesus being laid out in His Shroud. This tradition pre-dates the carbon dating results. This gives the Shroud a history ( right back to the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem) prior to 1260 which according to carbon dating is the earliest year of its existence. Hello!