This is the first instalment of My critique (2) of Sarzeaud, N., 2025, "Further evidence suggests Jesus was not wrapped in 'Shroud of Turin'," Scimex, 29 Aug 2025. I have split this post into two parts because of its length: this part (2) and the previous part (1). My words are in [bold square brackets] to distinguish them from those of the article's.
Continuing from part (1):"Sarzeaud says Oresme would have assessed the Shroud, as it had found its way to Lirey – a village in France’s Champagne region" and my "Sarzeaud does not mention that `the Shroud ... found its way to Lirey' from Constantinople in 1204 ..."
[Death in 1342 of Geoffroy I's first wife Jeanne de Toucy (c.1301–c.1342)[10Feb18; 11May24].
Early in 1343, Geoffroy appealed to King Philip VI (r. 1328-50) for rent revenues of 140 livres annually, so he could build and operate a chapel at Lirey with five chaplains (or canons), for a village of only ~50 houses[10Feb18; 11May24]! In June 1343, Philip granted Geoffroy's appeal for 140 livres of rent revenue for the construction and ongoing financing of the Lirey church and its clergy[10Feb18; 11May24]. A document dated 3 January 1349 in the Lirey church archives, confirmed a donation by Philip VI of land yielding 140 livres annually that will pay the salaries and expenses of the canons who will take charge of the Lirey church[10Feb18].
In March 1349 St. Etienne's (Stephen's) Cathedral, Besançon, was struck by lightning[10Feb18]. The resulting fire badly damaged the cathedral and destroyed its records[10Feb18]. It was discovered that the reliquary containing the Shroud was missing[10Feb18]. A de Vergy (presumably Jeanne[SD08, 413]) delivered the Shroud to the King Philip VI in Paris[15Feb16; 25Sep19; 04Apr22].
In April 1349 Geoffroy I wrote to the French Avignon Pope Clement VI (r. 1342-52), advising of his intention to build a church at Lirey, to be staffed by five canons and a Dean and requesting that the church be raised to the level of a collegiate[10Feb18], which would be responsible to the Pope, not the Archbishop of Troyes[08Nov22]. This is evidence that Geoffroy already had the Shroud, and that both King Philip VI and the French Pope Clement VI knew it, since this number of clergy and its proposed collegiated status, is far in excess of what tiny Lirey warranted[10Feb18]. The Pope granted Geoffroy's request, except for the church's collegiate status[10Feb18], because Geoffroy in December had been captured by the English at Calais and taken a prisoner to London[10Feb18].
In July 1351 Geoffroy returned to France from his captivity in England after his huge ransom of 12,000 ecus had been paid by the new King John II (1350-64)[13Apr18]. In the ~18 months of his captivity, Geoffroy wrote, The Book of Chivalry[10Feb18]. Published in 1356, the book contains hints that Geoffroy was married: "Deeds undertaken for Love of a Lady", even secretly: "... the most secret love is the most lasting and the truest ..."[10Feb18].
In 1351, Geoffroy I de Charny (c. 1306-56) married Jeanne de Vergy (c. 1337–1428)[13Apr18; FS25b; FS25c]. Geoffroy was born in c. 1306[FS25a; GDW], and Jeanne was born in c. 1337[FS25b; FS25c].
Construction of the Lirey church was completed on 20 June 1353 and John II retrospectively granted Geoffroy I permission to build a collegiate church in Lirey[13Apr18]!
n January 1354 Geoffroy resubmitted his petition of five years previously (see above) to the new Avignon Pope Innocent VI (r. 1352-62), for approval that the now built Lirey church be raised to the status of a collegiate church[13Apr18]. Its clergy had increased to six canons, one of whom was the Dean, together with three assistant clerics[13Apr18] - still for a tiny a village of only ~50 houses [13Apr18]!
The above, including the Othon de la Roche - Jeanne de Vergy ancestor-descendant relationship; the Lirey church's dispreportionatly large clergy and collegiate status for such a tiny village; the marriage of the ~45 year-old Geoffroy I of Paris with the ~14 year-old Jeanne from Besançon; proves beyond reasonable doubt that the Constantinople -> Athens -> Burgundy -> Besançon -> Paris -> Lirey journey of the Shroud is true!] (As such, the controversial relic was known as the Shroud of Lirey in medieval times.) [Is this true? Or is Sarzeaud, the anti-Christian, trying to denigrate the Shroud? The twelfth century historian William of Tyre (c. 1130–86), called the Shroud the "shroud of Christ"[26Feb20]. In his 1389 Memorandum, d'Arcis calls it the "Shroud of Christ"[13Apr18; 03Jul18]. And even Oresme called the Shroud "the Shroud of the Lord Jesus Christ" in his 1370 footnote (see part (1)).]
To be continued in the second instalment of this post.
Notes:
1. This post is copyright. I grant permission to extract or quote from any part of it (but not the whole post), provided the extract or quote includes a reference citing my name, its title, its date, and a hyperlink back to this page. [return]
Bibliography
CD81.Crispino, D.C., 1981, "Why Did Geoffroy de Charny Change His Mind?," Shroud Spectrum International, No. 1, December, 28-34.
CD88. Crispino, D.C., 1988, "To Know the Truth: A Sixteenth Century Document with Excursus," Shroud Spectrum International, No. 28/29, September/December, 25-40
FS25a. "Brief Life History of Geoffroi [I de Charny]," FamilySearch, 2025.
FS25b. "Brief Life History of Jeanne de [Vergy]," FamilySearch, 2025.
FS25c. "Brief Life History of Geoffoi II [de Charny]," FamilySearch, 2025.
GDW. "Geoffroi de Charny," Wikipedia, 10 October 2025.
OM10. Oxley, M., 2010, "The Challenge of the Shroud: History, Science and the Shroud of Turin," AuthorHouse: Milton Keynes UK.
SD08. Scavone, D., 2008, "Besançon and Other Hypotheses for the Missing Years: The Shroud from 1200 To 1400," in Fanti, G., ed., 2009, "The Shroud of Turin: Perspectives on a Multifaceted Enigma," Proceedings of the 2008 Columbus Ohio International Conference, August 14-17, 2008, Progetto Libreria: Padua, Italy, 408-433 .
Posted 12 November 2025. Updated 12 November 2025.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment