First, some good news: This October, Msgr. Walter Amaducci, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Care in the Diocese of Cesena in Emilia-Romagne, was received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIV. During their cordial meeting, Msgr. Amaducci presented the Pope with a copy of his book on the Holy Face of Manoppello. Msgr. Amaducci, who was once a skeptic of the relic veil known as “Il Volto Santo,” has now become its ardent defender, recognizing in the remarkable history, its importance for this millennium–dedicated to the Face of Christ by Pope St. John Paul II.

During his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the gracious Msgr. Amaducci also advised the Holy Father to seek further information about the relic from Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle, who has been personally involved in spreading the good news of the Holy Veil of Manoppello for many years.

On his first visit to see the Holy Face of Manoppello, on May 20, 2017, Cardinal Tagle, shared his experience:  (Translation from the original Italian interview, which may be seen here.) — “I saw the Holy Face under the changing of the light, not only a Face of tenderness, but of welcoming.  I saw a Face smiling at me, almost saying, “Welcome Luis Antonio!”  It is a Face that speaks, it is alive, yes, it is the message, the Word is the Face.  It is also a Face turned towards me, but I did not feel fear; fear in front of a judge, or of a face which condemns.  A Face of Truth, and the Truth is love; love wins out over fear.  I thought this afternoon perhaps this is the Last Judgement–it is not a judgement full of fear and dread, but in front of pure love–I do not want to hide myself. There is no reason to hide myself, but, there is only the reason to open my heart in front of a Face open to love, open to welcoming, open to pardoning my mistakes.  It is an experience of liberation, and religious experience for me.”  

At the closing of Cardinal Tagle’s homily the next day, May 21, 2017, he said: “We see the Face of Jesus because He reveals His Face to us, the Face of the loving God. His is the Face of God turned towards us and not centered on Himself. His is the Face of the One who fulfilled the commandment of love. As we see and hear His Face may our faces be transformed into His Holy Face. Through the testimony of our faces, may the suffering people of the world know that Jesus sees them, listens to them, cares for them and loves them.”

A Blessed Encounter with the Holy Face of Jesus

Cardinal Tagle has also said, “What we have seen and heard we must share with others.”

And so, I would like to share with tremendous gratitude in my heart, that I have just returned from a Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage, which brought me back to Rome, Assisi, Loreto and especially to Manoppello after far too many years–thanks to Mountain Butorac, a.k.a. “The Catholic Traveler.”

Earlier this year Mountain had led my husband and I on an exceptional pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and so now we have a great deal of confidence in the gifts and talents that God has given him to make even the most daunting pilgrimage journey happen–with as few bumps along the way as possible–and many joyful and holy surprises as well.

And speaking of joy and holy surprises… we saw the Pope!

My last visit to the Basilica Shrine of “Il Volto Santo” was in the Jubilee Year of Mercy, in 2016–which we had traveled to on our own over nine years ago: (Pilgrimage — A Journey Toward the Face of God, Part 1 – Manoppello.) Much had happened in the following nine years which prevented our return; some good and some bad; including the loss of my eyesight for over a year, and after several surgeries–a gradual recovery–thanks be to God!

For this pilgrimage journey, our small group of fellow pilgrims were a continual source of unexpected blessing, help, and inspirations at each step along the way. Mountain shouldered the stress whenever “the best laid plans of mice and men” went a little astray, but with the end result always turning out even better than originally planned: such as the day that the Sistine Chapel was going to be closed to the public when we had been scheduled to visit. The reason was the historic meeting of King Charles with Pope Leo XIV. The King the the Pope would be praying together for the first time in 500 hundred years, under the backdrop of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement.” Only a few hours before that grand event, after strolling peacefully alone through the Vatican Museum, we were surprised when our group had been allowed to enter the Sistine Chapel with no one else present–except some very diligent cleaning ladies preparing for the Pope and King, and a handful of very Vatican official-looking men in suits. (No photos in the Sistine Chapel, of course.)

Miracles do happen! And there were many more to come… a surprise blessing with the relics of St. Carlo Acutis in Assisi, Mass in the dark silence of the Holy House of Loreto, the sight of the oldest Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano…and for myself; the tremendous grace to see, through grateful tears once again, the great gift the human Face of my Risen Lord on the Holy Veil of Manoppello, and with renewed Hope in the power of the Resurrection of Christ.

Pope St. John Paul has said: “Contemplation of Christ’s Face cannot stop at the image of the Crucified One. He is the Risen One!” The Holy Face of Manoppello is the Face of the Risen Christ; it is believed to be the “Cloth that Covered His Head” in the tomb.

Continuing his catechesis on the Jubilee theme of Jesus Christ, Our Hope, Pope Leo XIV asks us “to consider how the Resurrection of Jesus fulfills the desires of every human heart. Our lives are marked by conflicting situations that reveal limitations and our desire to overcome them. We seek worldly recognition and whether we receive it or not, we still feel empty. This reveals that we are not truly satisfied with achievements and passing certainties of the world. This is because we are created in the image and likeness of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we recognize an inexhaustible longing in our hearts for something more. It is only the Resurrected Jesus who can give the only true and lasting peace that sustains and fills us. In a world struggling with fatigue and despair, let us be signs of hope, peace, and joy in the Risen Lord!” (Pope Leo XIV, October 15, 2025 Audience)