Vatican City - The Shroud of Turin went on display Saturday as new research disputed claims it's a medieval fake, purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death.

Pope Francis sent a video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, but made no claim that the image on the shroud was really that of Jesus. He called it an "icon," not a relic - a key distinction.

Many experts stand by tests of scraps of the cloth that date it to the 13th or 14th century. However, some say results might have been skewed by contamination and have called for a larger sample to be analyzed.

- Associated Press