July 2024 – The Fra Angelico Institute for Sacred Art

By this time the majority of the 2.3 billion Christians that live on the face of the earth have probably heard of the outrageous and blasphemous opening act of the 2024 Olympics.

One part of the three plus hours of the show presented LGBTQ+ people depicting what appeared to be the Last Supper Jesus celebrated with His Apostles on the night before His torture and crucifixion.

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Below you see a woman, representing Jesus, sitting at the center of a long table.

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Is the center figure a priestess? The woman makes a heart shape with her hands. Is that supposed to be a veiled reflection of the love of Christ for His Apostles, or the Sacred Heart of Jesus? She has what appears to be either a headdress, halo, or possibly a Eucharistic host above her head.

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The Da Vinci painting of the Last Supper shows the moment immediately after Jesus pronounces the words (as found in the Holy Gospels) of consecration and transubstantiation of the bread and wine into His Body and Blood. That moment, re-presented in every Holy Mass, is the source and summit of the Catholic, Orthodox, and the Eastern Rite Churches. It is the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion – all Roman Catholics, the 26 cultural Rites in union with Rome, and the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches believe it to be true.

The “blue man,” at the front center was intended to represent Dionysus. Or was he intended to represent the resurrected Jesus Christ?

In Greek mythology, Dionysus is the Greek god of wine. Dionysian consumption of wine brings a person to spiritual and physical ecstasy. Dionysus is known as a dying-and-rising god (resurrection). He also acts as the divine communicant between the living and the dead, and is known as a god of epiphany. Is this another veiled reference? The feast of Epiphany in the Roman Catholic Church is the celebration of the divine manifestation of the child Jesus to the world represented by the three wise men (Magi).

The blue man ascends (resurrection) in front of the female at the center of the table. A female Jesus, at the Last Supper before His death, then changes into the blue man. He was on a platter, presumably dead, then rises up, resurrected. He gives us the peace sign. He is also specifically transformed into a man. A reference to a transvestite? How could the IOC not see the intentional mockery?

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The color blue in Christian sacred art represents divinity, transcendence, and the guidance of a soul to divine life. Dionysus is the god of wine, health, and love. The blue man is surrounded by flowers. Red, in Christian iconography has many meanings, but is especially associated with wine, health, and love (wine -the consecrated body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ transubstantiated by a priest during Holy Mass; health – when consumed the transubstantiated wine provides the communicant with the divine life of Christ, love – the redemptive love of Jesus Christ given to His creation).

Some commentators said that the performance represented the “kitsch” that the city of Paris has embraced since the beginning of the 20th century. I disagree. The performance not only represented kitsch, it represented the contempt, willingness to insult all Christians, and specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Rites in union with Rome. It also represented the stupidity of the IOC and all public and private individuals associated with it.

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director for the ceremony, said that he didn’t see a problem with the act because it was not meant to offend but unify people.

Hah!

For Mr. Jolly, his assistants, and many of the world’s correspondents to say that there is no relation of that Olympic act to the Christian faith is bogus. They are either grossly (and happily?) ignorant of the basic tenets of Christianity or they just don’t care that it was a direct act of contemptuous ridicule of the Christian religion and the Lord our God, Jesus Christ.

I saw a reporter interview Olympic attendees and asked them about the Dionysian performance. The eight people interviewed said they saw nothing wrong with it. They gave either woke answers or were completely oblivious to the symbolic meaning. I wonder if they would say that if the act portrayed a holy moment within the faith of Jews or Muslims. I’m sure Jews and Muslims would be in the streets protesting the blasphemy and rightly so. No faith should be mocked.

Christians of all faiths must be willing to speak out and protest such contemptuous insults to God and faith. What are we, and our clerics, waiting for?

Our Lord promised a winnowing. It will surely come. May God have mercy on our souls.

Copyright © 2011- 2024 by Deacon Paul O. Iacono – All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint essays in their entirety and/or my personal paintings must be obtained from me by using the comment box and making a comment/request on the post. I will respond to you through answering in the comment box. Students, and those interested, may quote small sections of my essays as long as the proper credit and notation is given. Thanks.

The alleged sexual abuse scandal and charges leveled against sacred artist and former Jesuit priest Marko Rupnik have caused outrage and the call to remove his art from numerous churches, cathedrals, and pilgrimage shrines throughout the United States and Europe.

Last week I was interviewed by a national reporter, Gina Christian, for the print and digital editions of Our Sunday Visitor. She had read my post entitled The Canon of a Catholic Sacred Artist (June 2018) and was interested in obtaining some additional background information for an article on sacred art and the Rupnik scandal. Her questions concerned the former Jesuit Marko Rupnik sexual abuse allegations, the removal of sacred art from Catholic churches and cathedrals, and the comportment of a Catholic sacred artist in the world today.

Some background on Marko Rupnik’s case: Rupnik was removed from the Jesuit Order by the Superior General of that Order, Fr. Arturo Sosa, in June 2023. The alleged sexual abuse charges did not involve children but they did involve adult consecrated nuns over a series of years. These charges did initially cause him to be excommunicated but it was lifted by Pope Francis after Fr. Rupnik had repented of his sins. Marko Rupnik remains a diocesan priest.

The case against Fr. Rupnik was reopened in February 2024 when Gloria Branciani and Mirjam Kovac went public with their stories. Their allegations caused outrage throughout the Catholic world and a call to have Church authorities remove Rupnik’s art from churches, cathedrals, and pilgrimage shrines. The Vatican’s new investigation of the alleged crimes is currently ongoing.

Ms. Christian’s questions (boldface) and my comments (listed within quotation marks) are below:

–Is it possible for a piece of sacred art to be true, good and beautiful if the creative process has been marked by sin and scandal? Why or why not?

“Caravaggio, a late 16^th and early 17^th century artist, was a known brawler, swordsman, prone to violent physical outbursts, enjoyed the company of prostitutes, and murdered a man over the love of a woman. He also produced significant sacred art.”

“Yet, Caravaggio had at least three major paintings installed and then removed by the Church. This is a fine line to tread. In one case it was because our Blessed Mother was modeled on a known prostitute. In The Madonna of the Palafrenieri (image found below), Caravaggio used the prostitute as the model for Our Lady, dressed her in the manner of a buxom 17^th century woman, and portrayed the naked baby Jesus much larger and older than a one-year-old learning how to walk. At that time Church authorities were not pleased and removed it, however, years later it was reinstalled and today can be seen in the Galleria Borghese.”

“That painting may be understood by someone familiar with symbolism in art, but what about the average person? Does the art cause confusion? Does the viewer come away from the artwork edified or bewildered? Does the artwork assist in the spiritual development of the viewer?”

–Does Rupnik’s art have merit as sacred art? Do you feel the art should be removed, given the abuse allegations and the concerns expressed by survivors?

“As far as the Rupnik case is concerned, it would be improper for me to specifically respond because the case is ongoing. Some personal opinions on Rupnik’s art: if a work of sacred art displayed in a public place of worship and veneration reminds the viewer of a specific artist’s sin, portrayed, or implied within the sacred image itself, then the Church should remove the artwork. The Church of the past understood the need for this to occur, why doesn’t the Church of today?”

“I am surprised that so many major shrines and churches have selected his style to portray the truths of the Church. There are many highly skilled sacred artists working today that could have been selected to edify their visitors and pilgrims. Examples of well-known contemporary religious artists and architects, are Leonard Porter, Marek Czarnecki, Fr. Silouan Justiniano, Gwyneth Thompson-Briggs, Ellen Ryan, Bernadette Cartensen, Vladimir Grygorenko, Raul Berzosa, architect James C. McCrery, sculptors Cody Swanson, Jonathan Pageau, and so many others in all categories. All the personnel of shrines and churches had to do is contact the Catholic Art Institute in America to receive recommendations and assist in their process of making decisions for American, or even European, placements.”

“Rupnik’s artistic style appears to be a simplified version of the beautiful and culture specific sacred art produced for over one thousand years by artists within the Coptic Church. It is also reminiscent of the sacred images created by Martin Erspamer, O.S.B. of St. Meinrad’s Archabbey. The Coptic Church’s style of sacred art can edify and be spiritually fruitful. The question is whether or not it is appropriate for such large scale Roman Catholic venues.”

“Why isn’t Rupnik’s work appropriate? In my opinion, for over sixty years much of the sacred art selected or commissioned by Church authorities has reflected influences and the desire to present images that are in union with the secular world.”

“We see individuals within the Church making artistic decisions based on the desire to be relevant, or to simply select an artist that other sites have chosen. Sadly, many times individuals or committees choose art that does not inspire or transcend the banality of our world. Some of the modern, supposedly inspirational, sacred art and architecture of the contemporary Church rings hollow. Its representations, construction, and colors can confuse and even repel the average parishioner or pilgrim. It does not inspire – it depresses the soul.”

“Every artist is creative, has a specific perspective, and presents their style and use of materials. In my opinion, all art outwardly portrays the condition of an artist’s soul and perspective of the world.”

–In general, what qualities and practices should govern the process of creating sacred art? How should sacred artists approach not only their work, but their lives and relationships? How would you sum up the theology of creating sacred art?

“I believe, and recommend, that a Catholic artist, in the creation of Roman Catholic sacred art, should strive within their spiritual and artistic life to apply the following principles:

The Catholic sacred artist must create their art within the boundaries of and maintain loyalty to Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

The Catholic sacred artist should continually strive to be in the state of grace and live a life accompanied by prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments.

The purpose of Catholic sacred art displayed in a shrine, church, plaza, places of pilgrimage, or home is to uplift the individual to understand the majesty, supreme authority, truth, beauty, charity, and goodness of God, His angels, and saints.

Catholic sacred art should never cause confusion, bewilderment, or diminish the faith of a viewer. Sacred art should always strive to be beautiful in its entire presentation, respect, and conform to its setting.

The Catholic sacred artist must be disciplined. Their art should never cause scandal or refer the viewer to associate the artist’s personal life to the artwork itself. To do so is a profoundly irresponsible action.

Catholic sacred art should be about the principles exemplified by the dogma/doctrines of the Church and the truth found in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures; it should never deviate into the artist’s personal view of dogma or Scripture.

The sacred artist should educate, edify, and challenge the viewer’s mind and soul to love and come closer to God, His angels, and saints.”

In conclusion, some people might find Fr. Rupnik’s art beautiful; others might find it profoundly upsetting. The Catholic Church’s investigation of the Rupnik scandal must be exhaustively and thoroughly completed. It must not drag on. It has been reported (by Associated Press) that more women have come forward with allegations against Fr. Marko Rupnik. A clear and authoritative decision must be quickly made by the Church and if found to be true, both punishment of the perpetrator and compensation to the women, must be made. The women involved deserve no less.