Monday, June 06, 2011

Beauty, Not Banality, in Church

Every time you visit Weakland's wrecking-job--the Cathedral--you should recall this.

By definition, theology "says God." And this "saying" the truth of God has a beauty of its own. [...] This was the conviction of Saint Augustine, who spoke of the "splendor of truth," and was repeatedly echoed by Thomas Aquinas, [...] attributing the prerogative to be "splendor and beauty" to the Word, who in the mystery of his transfiguration and ascension has effused and poured it out in his own glorious humanity, the inexhaustible end of the contemplation of the blessed. [...]

It is said that the dogmas are true. One must go farther, and say that the dogmas are beautiful. [...] One must continue and observe that the beauty of the mystery is not only that which appears through theological discourse, as intellectual aesthetics, through "the architectural organization of ideas," but also [...] that which pours forth from the "cathedrals of stone," or in the aesthetic of the visible, and, we would add, of poetry, of music. I. Biffi, L'Osservatore Romano

Gee. Maybe that means that the Broadway/Gospel stuff doesn't really cut it? That Rembert's abominable "crucifix" doesn't really make the grade?

Yup. That's what it means.

HT: NLM

4 comments:

Mr. Tastic said...

With each passing day as the Cathedral remains un-addressed, Listecki loses credibility.

Seriously, Listecki appears to be on cruise control.

Dad29 said...

Actually, I think he's VERY pre-occupied with the BK, the victims, and just finding enough scratch to run the A'diocese.

IOW, Abp. Dolan left him a really smelly package.

Grim said...

To the true and the beautiful!

Amy said...

Weakland pretty much designed the Cathedral to never be restored to its former glory without LOTS of $$$ available to do so.

But I agree...that "crucifix" is an abomination and if I ever come into money, it'll be my donation to replace the thing.