Source: huffingtonpost.com

In this pool photo taken Sunday, June 21, 2015, and made available Monday, June 22, Pope Francis prays in front of the Holy Shroud, the 14 foot-long linen revered by some as the burial cloth of Jesus, on display at the Cathedral of Turin, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2015. Francis visited the long linen with the faded image of a bearded man, during his two-day pilgrimage to Turin. (L’ Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

The Shroud of Turin has captivated thousands of Christians over centuries, some of whom believe it covered Jesus Christ during his burial — and on Sunday, Pope Francis joined a throng of pilgrims to see the 14-foot strip of cloth in the Italian city of Turin.

The pope prayed silently before the shroud for several minutes inside Turin’s cathedral. According to CNS, Francis crossed himself and placed his hand on the case before walking away.

During an outdoor Mass at Turin’s Piazza Vittorio later on in the day, Francis said the shroud was an “icon of [Jesus’] love.”

In this pool photo taken Sunday, June 21, 2015, and made available Monday, June 22, Pope Francis prays in front of the Holy Shroud, the 14 foot-long linen revered by some as the burial cloth of Jesus, on display at the Cathedral of Turin, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2015. Francis visited the long linen with the faded image of a bearded man, during his two-day pilgrimage to Turin. (L’ Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

“The shroud attracts towards the face and the martyred body of Jesus and at the same time pushes us towards the face of those who suffer or are unjustly persecuted,” Francis told the crowd of 100,000 people assembled in the square, according to CNN.

The shroud is being displayed inside a protective climate-controlled case inside Turin’s cathedral from April 19 to June 24, for the first time since 2010. More than 1 million tourists have reserved free tickets to see it.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the shroud in 2010 and Pope John Paul II paid his respects in 1998.

Those who believe the shroud to be authentic point to the apparent image of a man imprinted on the cloth, whose wounds seem to reflect those described in the narrative of the crucifixion. However, skeptics believe the shroud is medieval forgery. Carbon-14 testing from 1988 dates the shroud to the years 1260 and 1390.

Pope Francis’ visit is a “wonderful” sign.

“It raises public awareness of the fact that the church does consider this a very powerful icon as they call it now, reminding us of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. It just calls attention and hopefully raises more questions.”