The provided excerpts are from a novel titled The Shroud Codex by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D., which weaves a narrative around a Catholic priest, Father Paul Bartholomew, who develops stigmata and other wounds matching the image on the Shroud of Turin after a near-death experience. The plot follows Dr. Stephen Castle, an atheist psychiatrist hired by the Vatican to analyze Father Bartholomew, who believes he was given a mission from God to prove the Shroud's authenticity. The story introduces other characters, including a skeptical chemist who attempts to debunk the Shroud, Father Bartholomew's recently discovered half-sister, and a television reporter who sensationalizes the priest's alleged miracles, culminating in a dramatic, seemingly supernatural event in which Father Bartholomew and his sister disappear in the presence of the Shroud. The text also includes a list of other non-fiction books written by the author, suggesting a background in political and historical commentary.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.