Monday, January 11, 2010

Confessionals Have Been Replaced With Pagan Idols

On November 3, 2008, the online newsletter of the Jesuit California province announced the opening of an art gallery in the eastern alcove of St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco.

Said the newsletter, “St. Ignatius Church, a Jesuit parish in San Francisco, celebrated the opening of its new Manresa Gallery on September 18.
Formed by four interior alcoves, which previously housed confessional boxes,
the gallery is a permanent testament to St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Composition of Place… In keeping with Ignatius’ understanding that his Constitutions or governing rules for Jesuits would include old principles and new ones, the gallery’s philosophy is to include both traditional religious works and contemporary art in a series of changing exhibitions. Commissioned pieces will enhance the dialogue that take places on a larger scale within the ritual space of the church. Manresa Gallery is open on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. and by appointment.” The article was written by James R. Blaettler, S.J., Associate Pastor of St. Ignatius.

A few weeks ago, I decided to go to St. Ignatius to take a look for myself. While the museum was closed, I was able to look through the windows to get a glimpse of what’s inside. It was a surprising experience to find an art gallery inside a Catholic Church. It became even stranger when the art displayed was not Christian, but pagan.

Link (here) to Gibbons Cooney's full piece entitled. Church or Museum? in the California Catholic Daily

More at Creative Minority Report (here)
More at the Lair of the Catholic Caveman (here)

3 comments:

Maria said...

Father Hardon SJ on Saint Robert Southwell SJ :

"Being three years in prison, he finally insisted that he should be tried or freed. In other words, it was a request he made, 'either put me on trial or get me out of prison', so they said, "all right." They put him on trial and they found him guilty and he was condemned to death because of his priesthood. The opposition didn't even attempt to disguise his martyrdom on political grounds. He was hanged and drawn – that means cut into pieces and quartered into four pieces on February the 21st, 1595, which has, over the centuries remained his feast day, February 21st".

We forget that people were martyred for the Faith.

Maria said...

In Hard Sayings by George Tyrrell SJ, Fr. Tyrell notes: “Thus St. Ignatius , in his Book of the Exercises, bids me pray that if at any time, through my fault, the love of God should grow cold in my heart, at least the fear of Hell may check me on my downward path, and turn my steps upwards once more”.

Joseph Fromm said...

Maria,

Hierarchy of Truth, yes?

JMJ

Joe