"The Cathedral of Turin and the Shroud" is a welcome pubblication. It augurs well for what we hope is a sign of renewed interest in our historic Cathedral and in the complex and rich life of the Church in Turin. May the loving care lavished on the material structure of the Cathedral promote the growth and renewal of the "living temple" which is God's Church in our beloved city, a Church which needs the presence of signs and symbols to strengthen its hope for the future. Enshrined in the Cathedral of Turin is one such "sig n" of the faith of Christians throughout the world: the Holy Shroud. The drawing force of the Shroud's impressive image of Christ is such as to become, for the person who accepts it in simple faith, an occasion for fruitful reflexion. What does one experience in front of the Shroud? First and foremost, a deeply, felt longing for Christ's presence. It is no longer just a desire for signs and symbols, but for the Saviour himself whom the Father, out of...