Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Struggle for Beauty in the Church

From Regina:
The laity under 60 (and some over 60) are interested in an architecture rich in meaning, symbolism and history.  They would like to reconnect with the great Catholic tradition and want churches to look like churches.   The younger clergy even more so, and they tend to be somewhat knowledgeable about art and architecture, so their tastes are often more refined....The pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI offered a positive appraisal of traditional piety, devotion and liturgy.  As people embraced those things, including Eucharistic adoration, they saw the congruence with the arts.  John Paul II’s Letter to Artists and Benedict XVI’s Spirit of the Liturgy (among others) are great examples of Papal documents which inspire new art and architecture which respects the tradition. Another factor is a natural tiredness for a dated architecture by the younger generations, and a desire for something with more depth, solemnity or mystery (which was generally missing). (Read more.)
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