Not that I want to get into a religous discussion but you'll generally find the Catholic church has long had a policy of advicating that which agreed with it's messages and denying or even destroying that which didn't much like any organisation, most organisations don't resort to burning people who advocate a difference of opinion but still
The Church has a deal of trouble with many of it's artefacts this being one among many that are hoaxes. Although if your the church you would welcome anything as well hoaxed as this whether you knew it was a fake or real, means to an end, understandable.
Same with everything Christian be it apocrypha, gnostic texts etc, etc, all genuine text but not necessarily conducive to the message: it's good practice to only include that which agrees with the churches message, otherwise people get confused and the message becomes diluted. Whether it's the right message though is anyones guess? But a shroud or a knuckle bone of Jesus never hurts when stirring the religous ferver pot :)
During the middle ages you could pick up religous relics all over christendom, it's hardly surprising some genuine ones got mixed up with fakes. The Aramaic scrolls of the new testament, pukka, the left toe nail of St John the divine and the holy hand grenade of antioch, ahhh probably not
In conclusion in holy terms what is real fake and genuine and the true words of Christ is strictly decided by the Church, and apparently God tells them they are right

To be honest though, I find all of it pretty interesting whether it agrees with the catholic message or it's fake or genuine.
BTW I really do have a knuckle bone of Christ if your interested and part of the holy cross, I'll sell you both for oooh a score? Interested?
