By Fr Soroj Mulllick, SDB –
For thousands of years, the Trinitarian God descends among his flock under the forms of the sacred species. Through them Christ is made substantially present. The Church takes care to make the flock aware of this reality: not only by teaching the most correct doctrine, but also by bringing it almost to touch the reality face to face. It is with a religious necessity, all sacred buildings made space for the saints and angels, virgins and martyrs. Directed to the future, already present in a mysterious way through images of the cupolas that we look up – a pictorial form of hidden ascent and descent.
As for understanding better the Eucharistic reality the Church assembly witnesses the engraved gold leafing (St. Peter’s Church, Rome), making the taught doctrine more visible. In this way, truth and beauty are accompanied by the same urgency. The cruciform construction of the churches made physical reference to the mystery of the incarnation; the cupola as the ‘cosmic space’ for appropriately crossing the longitudinal and transversal arms of the Christian basilica precisely where the heart of Christ beats “before the daystar” (Psalm 110:3), projecting the perfect and profound metaphor of the Trinity. In fact, what is compared to a mind is in realty a Person without faltering into polytheism.
The architectural work of the Churches and edifices when completed after much theological thoughts and plans, would be a concrete Gallery, where books, statutes and paintings are placed side by side, forming a single whole.
The Trinitarian God would be adored with men/women lifting their eyes with hands joined and heads bowed towards the mysterious presence of the Sacred, as it is often done by the Hindu brethren. There would be no thought if this were not the perfect image of the mind from which it is breathed.
Beside the Logos, (Word) there emerges the concept of Imago, a likeness of species with the subject from which it proceeds (Summa Theologiae I, 35, 2). What we see outside and inside a Church edifice, reminds us as if we were inside the ‘mind’ of the Father, with the vision of His Glory, almost by an osmosis of shapes and colors that ‘speak’; and reveal in what consists the blessedness of the sacred within the profane. Architectural structure, icons, statues, paintings and fresco form a single whole.
In the era of relativism and the decoupling of art from religion we need to re-establish a strong supernatural bond between Beauty and Truth. The comparison of the Khristo Mandir (Krishnagar, West Bengal) along with Bandel Basilica, and other Asian Christian Church-art seem to be the architectural figure, imperfect though, easily associated with the plural-God (Trinity), with the numerous iconic power of the Catholic identity, unitedly displaying the beauty and truth. It would therefore be useful to reinvent the contemporary Church art with ‘Trinitarian purposes’.
The sacred character of such truth and beauty would be preserved, in its proper ratio, through its strict connection to the Logos, truly turning it into “trinoliturgical” art, to render to the Truth the most appropriate divine Beauty.
Dialogical Art and Visual Catechesis
In this section we place before the reader, Khristo Mandir, an example of Catholic sacred art. The Christo Mandir, dedicated to the Risen Savior, in whose name the monument of skill and devotion has been built is a religious and catechetical building in the Diocese of Krishnagar, nearly 100 kms north of Kolkata. What has been achieved in the Khristo Mandir as a sacred art? The wish of all who projected and built this Holy Temple is that all who to visit this Mandir should be inspired through its art representations to live more meaning¬fully their daily assignments by having a model before their eyes and their hearts.
Rightly, Jesus’ life and teachings laid bare through statues, murals and paintings, are set to be the model. The engineers, constructors and the artists have effectively skilled out such devotion to the Saviour of humankind in this piece of art. Such sacred art gives love, truth and joy to all who through it come in touch and intimacy with the person of Jesus Christ. Art works on Biblical personalities, stories, symbols have found their public manifestations of harmony between the faith journey and the aesthetic sense of the artists.
Many masterpieces have been inspired by great biblical narratives, themes, images and parables. Most of the Church art creation is one such. In Khristo Mandir, at entry one sees straight on the mural, Jesus’ human reality – from birth till death and resurrection – shared with all through the immanent power of the Holy Spirit.
The same Power continues working in all with wonderful means and sac¬raments as depicted inside just above the main door. Like millions of holy men and women all are invited to be inspired by what is proposed by this sacred Khristo Mandir. For believers, the Risen Christ on the cupola with the cross and the flag of victory is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
The main Door is the symbol of entrance through which we are brought to that “face-to-face” vision of God – the Drawer of definitive happiness for what one sees inside. Thus the whole artistic multi-cultural setting, presents to our gaze the Alpha and the Omega, within which lies life’s trodden path of joy, courage and hope. In the era of relativism and the dissecting of art from religion, an urgent need is felt to re-establish a strong supernatural bond between Beauty and Truth. The erection of the Khristo Mandir is meant to renew the Church community’s closeness with the world of art.
Christianity has always recognized the value of arts and made wise use of it to express the Good News. Khristo Mandir, more aptly ‘Khristyo Kala Bhavan’, seems to be the unique architectural figure in India, imperfect though, easily associated with the plural-God (Trinity) in a multi-religious nation with significant presence of Christian socio-charitable witness.
It would, therefore, be useful to reinvent the contemporary Church-art with pluralistic “Trinitarian purposes” of harmony, unity, dialogue and peace. The sacred character of such truth and beauty is to be preserved in its proper ratio, through its strict connection to the “Logos”, truly turning it into “trinoliturgical” art, and a visual catechesis to render to the Truth the most appropriate divine Beauty. The art beauty is a means to rediscover a source of fresh and well-founded inspiration in religious experience and in Christian revelation (Tradition and Scriptures).
The art form does not reduce one’s existence to mere material realities; it is an invitation to relationship, dialogue and cooperation among people of varied faith and cultures, people who “are passionately dedicated to the search for new ‘epiphanies’ of beauty” (John Paul II). It is a search for perfect harmony between faith and art. In this present art-expression efforts have been made progressively to arrive at an authentic ‘renaissance’ of art in the context of a new humanism.
“Human history is movement and ascent, a continuing tension towards fullness, towards human happiness, towards a horizon that always transcends the present moment even as the two coincide” (Benedict XVI, 2009). Any art depiction is a strong prophetic cry against evil, against every form of injustice. The Church needs art in order to communicate the message of Jesus. Art has always made the invisible, the ineffable and the world of the spirit, more attractive. The message of transcendent values translated into colours, shapes and sounds nourish the intuition of those who see and listen with a sense of mystery.
The artists engaged in this creation, acting as mediators, speak to the heart of humanity; they touch individual and collective sensibilities, and broaden the horizons of knowledge and of human engagement. It becomes their responsibility to communicate the Truth through beauty and be “heralds and witnesses of hope for humanity!” The artists within their rich cultural heritage are inspired to create works of beauty, thus enriching the culture they live in, and render an “exceptional social service in favour of the common good” (JP II).
This article is an extract from book on Art and Faith Perceptions in the Shrines: An integration of Church-Art in Pluri-Cultural Context by Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB, a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].