Pope pays homage to Turin Shroud

The Pope has paid homage to the Turin Shroud after launching a crackdown on a powerful Catholic order which has been tainted by sex abuse allegations.

The Vatican has never said whether it believes the 14ft-long, sepia-coloured burial shroud to be authentic or not, but more than two million people are expected to travel to Turin to see the linen cloth while it is on public display - the first showing for a decade.

The Pope said the enigmatic image imprinted in the cloth of a man's face and body "reminds us always" of Christ's suffering.