Committee on Divine Worship
Built of
Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship
Issued by NCCB/USCC (Now USCCB),
Copyright © 2000, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Chapter
Three
The Work of Our Hands: Art and Artists Assisting the
Church at Prayer
§ 140 § When God's people gather for prayer, the
most intimate and all-embracing aspect of their life together occurs: the moment
when they touch, taste, smell, hear, see, and share those hidden realities that
would otherwise remain imperceptible. Together they adore the holiness of God
and give expression to the unceasing life God has given them. God nourishes them
as a community and makes them holy through the use of ordinary
perceptible signs of water, oil, bread, and wine, transformed by
extraordinary grace. The place where God gathers this people
powerfully draws them more deeply into communion and expresses in beauty God's
profound holiness. This is the place that prompts them to recognize the divine
image in which they have been created, now restored in
§ 141 § Throughout the history of the Church, a dynamic
tension has existed between the continuity of traditional artistic expression
and the need to articulate the faith in ways proper to each age and to diverse
cultures. In every age the Church has attempted to engage the best contemporary
artists and architects to design places of worship that have sheltered the
assembly and disclosed the presence of the living God. In the past, dialogue
between the Church and the artist has yielded a marriage of faith and art,
producing sublime places of prayer, buildings of awe-inspiring, transcendent
beauty, and humble places of worship that, in their simplicity, inspire a sense
of the sacred.
The Role of Religious
§ 142 § In the Christian community's place of prayer,
art evokes and glorifies "the transcendent mystery of God—the surpassing
invisible beauty of truth and love visible in
§ 143 § Art chosen for the place of worship is not
simply something pretty or well made, an addition to make the ordinary more
pleasant. Nor is the place of worship a museum to house artistic masterpieces or
artistic models. Rather, artworks truly belong in the church when they are
worthy of the place of worship and when they enhance the liturgical, devotional,
and contemplative prayer they are inspired to serve.
§ 144 § The central image of Christianity is the cross,
calling to mind the passion, resurrection, and Christ's final coming in glory.
Every work of Christian art or architecture shares in this image and embraces
the ambiguities of suffering and death, healing and resurrection, recognizing
that "by his wounds we are healed." Such art draws from the mystery of
redemption a unique power to provoke and invite the world more deeply into the
mysteries of our faith.
§ 145 § Likewise, Christian art is also a product of
"spontaneous spiritual joy" that challenges believers to complete the reign of
God for which they hope.160
Born from an ecstatic love of God, Christian beauty proclaims something new and
original, manifesting itself as an echo of God's own creative act.
Components of True and Worthy
§ 146 § Authentic art is integral to the Church at
prayer161
because these objects and actions are "signs and symbols of the supernatural
world"162
and expressions of the divine presence. While personal tastes will differ,
parish committees should utilize the criteria of quality and appropriateness in
evaluating art for worship. Quality is perceived only by contemplation,
by standing back from things and really trying to see them, trying to let them
speak to the beholder. Quality is evident in the honesty and genuineness
of the materials that are used, the nobility of the form embodied in them, the
love and care that goes into the creation of a work of art, and the personal
stamp of the artist whose special gift produces a harmonious whole, a well
crafted work.
§ 147 § Quality art draws the beholder to the
Creator, who stands behind the artist sharing his own creative power, for the
"divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing
wisdom."163
This is true of music, architecture, sculpture, painting, pottery making,
textiles, and furniture making, as well as other art forms that serve the
liturgical environment. The integrity and energy of a piece of art, produced
individually by the labor of an artist, is always to be preferred above objects
that are mass-produced. Similarly, in the construction of new church buildings,
there is no standard pattern for church art nor should art and architectural
styles from any particular time or culture be imposed arbitrarily upon another
community. Nonetheless, the patrimony of sacred art and architecture provides a
standard by which a parish can judge the worthiness of contemporary forms and
styles.
§ 148 § Appropriateness for liturgical action is
the other criterion for choosing a work of art for church. The quality of
appropriateness is demonstrated by the work's ability to bear the weight of
mystery, awe, reverence, and wonder that the liturgical action expresses and by
the way it serves and does not interrupt the ritual actions which have their own
structure, rhythm and movement. Since art is revelatory, a gift from God, a
truly beautiful object stretches "beyond what the senses perceive and, reaching
beneath reality's surface, strives to interpret its hidden mystery."
Nonetheless, there is always the chasm between "the work of [the artist's]
hands" and the "dazzling perfection" glimpsed in God's creative moment.164
§ 149 § Worthy art is an essential, integral element in
the sacred beauty of a church building. Through skilled use of proportion,
shape, color, and design, art unifies and helps to integrate the place of
worship with the actions of worship. Artistic creations in the place of worship
inspire contemplation and devotion. Sculpture, furnishings, art-glass, vesture,
paintings, bells, organs, and other musical instruments as well as windows,
doors, and every visible and tactile detail of architecture possess the
potential to express the wholeness, harmony, and radiance of profound beauty.
The Artist Within the
§ 150 § When artists are called upon to serve the
Christian community, there is an "ethic," a "spirituality of artistic service."166
Breadth of imagination enables artists to communicate deep meaning and powerful
religious sentiment with grace and sensitivity. This gift from God is combined
with refined educated talents that execute elegantly crafted objects for the
good of the community and the glory of God. Like the gift of prophecy, religious
imagination is a power through which the Holy Spirit can move and speak. As a
result, artists do not always confirm comfortable piety but, like the prophets
of old, they may confront God's People with their faults and sins and they
challenge the community's injustice and lack of love. "Even when they explore
the darkest depths of the soul or the most unsettling aspects of evil, artists
give voice in a way to the universal desire for redemption."167
§ 151 § Artists respond to the demands of art,
actualizing in aesthetic form their ideas, feelings, and intentions so that when
artists activate their imagination, their intentions and inner life are
expressed in their work. In working with a parish, artists will also express the
intentions, faith, and life of that community. A truly worthy and beautiful
artwork can transform the artist and the community for which it is intended. The
dialogue with God that an artwork mediates can persuade and invite; however, it
does not force its meanings upon individuals or communities.
§ 152 § Artists willing to accept commissions destined
for a place of worship must be respectful and supportive of the doctrines,
beliefs, and liturgical practices of the Church. They also should be
knowledgeable about the traditional iconography and symbolism of Christian art.
Artists who are genuinely in search of meaning in their work and in their lives
will find a homeland for their souls since, in the realm of Christianity, the
most vital personal and social questions are posed. Not only does the Bible
provide a rich inventory of themes and ideas, but also artists who have
envisioned these stories and images have offered unique perspectives on the
heart of revelation itself and "this partnership has been a source of mutual
spiritual enrichment."168
§ 153 § A commission for a church or for worship
affords artists an opportunity to join their creative gifts to those in a long
history of artists who have placed their talents at the service of God and who
have enriched the Church's treasury of sacred art and architecture. "All artists
who, in view of their talents, desire to serve God's glory in holy Church should
ever bear in mind that they are engaged in a kind of sacred imitation of God the
Creator, and are concerned with works destined for use in Catholic worship and
for the edification, devotion, and religious instruction of the faithful."169
§ 154 § The Church needs art and artists to communicate
Christ's message, and artists need the Church to inspire their investigations of
the material world, their own inner lives, and the fabric of the community.
Before an artist is selected, the parish will want to carefully consider and
evaluate the artist and his or her work with the assistance of those best
qualified to advise the community. Once a community has chosen artists to assist
them in worship, they should give the necessary direction and then trust those
they have selected. Artists deserve the independence appropriate to their gifts.
The Special Requirements of Liturgical
§ 155 § In order to create art that truly serves the
liturgy, the artist must have an understanding of and reverence for the liturgy.
There is both a distinction and a connection between devotional art and that
designed for public liturgy. Liturgical arts are integrally related to the
sacraments of the Church while devotional arts are designed to enrich the
spiritual life of the community and the personal piety of its members. As the
devotions of the Church are derived from the liturgy and lead to it,170
so devotional art must be in harmony with the liturgy, respect its nature, and
draw people to its celebration. "The primary norm is that sacred art be
functional, that is, the felicitous expression of what the liturgy is meant to
be, the worship of God and the language of the community at prayer."171
Parishes will want both liturgical and devotional art.
§ 156 § Prominent among Christian devotions is piety
directed to
§ 157 § The special and unique dignity of the Mother of
God has been expressed in the devotional art of the Church. Artists have painted
her image in wondrously meditative fashion as a "sign of sure hope and solace
for the pilgrim People of God."173
At the same time, veneration of
The Integration of
§ 158 § The role of the Church is to educate artists in
the appropriate relationships between their personal approach to art and the
needs of the liturgy. The role of artists is to explore the powerful personal
resonances that exist between sacred art, interior devotion, and the public life
of the community. An essential ingredient for a successful marriage between the
artistic needs of the Church and the creative talent of the artist is the
ability to collaborate. Artists must cultivate the capacity to work with the
leaders and people of the local community and within the frameworks established
by the universal Church if they are to have the opportunity to use their talents
to fashion beautiful objects that will enliven the worship of the community.
§ 159 § Artists who collaborate with architects and
liturgical consultants need to make an honest assessment of several key
elements, attending to the way the objects will be placed within the building,
how the works will be integrated with the architecture of the church and with
its local setting, and the ways the Christian community moves within its space.
§ 160 § Attention should also be given to the way
artistic objects influence acoustics and other functional elements within the
building and, at the same time, to the ways in which various elements,
especially lighting, may affect the objects. In addition, consideration must be
given to how easily an object can be cleaned and maintained.
Materials of the Artist
§ 161 § Artists bridge the worlds of the visible and
the mysterious invisible. They focus upon items with specific shapes, sizes,
weights, densities, colors, forms, and textures. At the same time, they utilize
materials that struggle to express ideas and concepts, visions, and imaginative
constructions. Even as they nourish the senses with beauty, they also disclose
the "transcendent value" and the "aura of mystery" in the Christian message.174
§ 162 § Artists choose materials with integrity because
they will endure from generation to generation, because they are noble enough
for holy actions, and because they express what is most respected and beautiful
in the lives and cultures of the community. Materials, colors, shapes, and
designs that are of short-lived popularity are unworthy. In addition to
eliminating unsuitable materials, artists and communities should be cautious and
discerning about promoting features closely identified with the values and
attitudes of any class, ethnic, or age group to the exclusion of others in the
community.
§ 163 § Similarly, artworks consisting of technological
and interactive media, such as video and other electronically fabricated images,
may also be appropriate for sacred purposes. Subject to the same criteria of
suitability as other sacred art, technologically produced works of art can point
toward sacred realities even though they do not possess the more enduring form,
color, texture, weight, and density found in more traditional sacred art.
Vessels and Vestments Suitable for the Liturgy
§ 164 § As in the case of styles of architecture, there
is no particular style for sacred furnishings for the liturgy.175
Sacred vessels may be in "a shape that is in keeping with the culture of each
region, provided each type of vessel is suited to the intended liturgical use
and is clearly distinguished from [utensils] for every day use."176
Materials used for sacred vessels such as the chalice and paten should be
worthy, solid, and durable, and should not break easily. Chalices and cups used
for the distribution of the Precious Blood should have bowls made of
nonabsorbent material. Vessels made from metal are gilded on the inside if the
metal ordinarily rusts. The vestments worn by ministers symbolize the ministers'
functions and add beauty to the celebration of the rites. "In addition to
traditional materials, natural fabrics proper to the [local area] may be used
for making vestments; . . . The beauty and nobility of a vestment arises from
its material and design rather than from lavish ornamentation."177
§ 165 § Conferences of bishops may make further
determinations regarding the appropriate style and material for sacred vessels
and vestments to be used in the celebration of the liturgy.178
Likewise, the diocesan bishop can make further determinations regarding the
suitability of the materials or the design for vessels and vestments, and, in
cases of doubt, he is the judge of what is appropriate in this regard.179
The Disposition of Works of Art No Longer Needed for
Sacred Use
§ 166 § Sacred art that is no longer useful or needed
or that is simply worn out and beyond restoration deserves to be treated with
respect. To insure the protection of worn or used sanctuary furnishings,
vessels, vesture, and other liturgical artifacts, many diocesan bishops have
issued directives about their proper disposition when they are no longer
suitable for worship. In addition, with the closing or merging of parishes,
vessels and vestments can be available for the use of other parishes and
missions. In disposing of such artifacts pastors should consult the diocesan
worship office or chancery to learn what directives or procedures are in effect.
§ 167 § In addition, bishops have exercised their
responsibility as stewards of the Church's artistic resources by encouraging
pastors and diocesan personnel to consult with experts and to create an
inventory of historic churches and of objects in any church that have artistic
or historical value. Such inventories are most helpful when they carefully
itemize and list each entry's value and note any changes to the objects since
they were acquired.180
Usually two copies are made so that one can be kept at the local parish and the
other in the diocesan curia, both as an historical record and for insurance
purposes. In some cases, copies are sent to the
§ 168 § Objects of great artistic or historical value
or those donated to the Church through a vow may not to be sold without special
permission of the Holy See.181
When such objects are not to be sold but disposed of in some other way, the
diocesan bishop should be contacted so that the concerns of donors and the
requirements of canon law are fulfilled.
§ 169 § Every community knows that if its house of
prayer is to radiate the beauty of divine presence, effort and sacrifice will be
required. Besides appropriate remuneration for the work of its artists, the
community must show its respect for these works by maintaining and preserving
them as the years pass. In doing so, they encourage those with artistic
aptitudes to continue to serve the community and in this way build up and
support a local community of artists worthy of liturgical work. A covenant is
established linking artists and congregations, an "alliance between art and the
life of religion" through which may be heard an artistic voice "that love
inspires and that inspires love."182.