A textile expert has been accused of damaging the Turin Shroud by undoing repair work carried out 500 years ago after the relic was damaged by fire.
Members of the International Committee for the Preservation of the Turin Shroud say the shroud has "clearly been damaged".
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The unnamed female expert defended her actions by saying the Vatican was informed of what she wanted to do and had agreed to remove 30 small patches.
According to historical documents, the small patches were carefully sewn onto the shroud by nuns in 1536 after a fire had blackened parts of it.
In response to the removal of the patches, Rome newspaper Il Messaggerosaid: "The shroud is no longer what it has been for the last 500 years. From a historical point of view it has clearly been seriously damaged".
The Turin Shroud is believed by Catholics all over the world to originate from the time of Christ and to show the outline of Jesus's crucified body. It is held in Turin Cathedral.
PA