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Frankly I am not one who enjoys the Renaissance art works from which many of these art forms are taken...although I can appreciate the style of the artist as has been seen in other works not depicting a religious figure or person, but they sometimes are actually disfigured and odd looking.

I agree. That's why Rembrandt was one of the greatest painters in history, and was more a post-Renaissance painter who painted as a reaction to the florid Renaissance rather than to join it.

The difference between the Renaissance artwork and those of the later and post Renaissance is that the earlier, Italian artwork encouraged men to bow down to the artwork itself, while the artwork of the Reformation denied that belief and merely portrayed religious figures with a new type of realism.

This photo was found on a website under the heading, "Best Places to Pray in St. Peter's."

You don't find anyone falling to their knees and praying to this painting of Christ by Rembrandt...

Come to think of it there is quite a bit of nudity and seductive poses in much of the art work and figures in catholic cathedrals and churches... which if one thinks about the celibacy requirements for Priests, and those with homosexual issues this isn't exactly the best art work to be hanging around. Just a thought as we all know men are visually stimlated

You probably mean that somewhat in jest, but there is a lot of truth to that observation. There's something untoward about the following photos...

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Evil to s/he who evil thinks.

When an anti-Catholic bigot does not understand, in the slightest, the meaning of a religious act, or the reason behind the smallest part of it, then it is clear to see the hostile bias in their twisted interpretations.

Not to mention the lies.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be thou our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world, seeking the ruin of souls.

These photos seem to reflect men offering the sacraments....there are some other churches where their Pastors also do likewise....but I've also seen people hold out their hands and the Priest or pope lays it in their hands as was done at the Vatican ceremony I viewed. I suspect it's a matter of choice or preference for what ever reason might be. But if I recall there is or once was something about the catholics not being allowed to touch the communion elements. That seems to have changed now.

I watched the Thursday before Easter service at the Vatican for the first time on line. I wish it could have been in English so I would have known just what the pope was saying....hopefully the people there did know, as I really got nothing from what was being said...like he was speaking into the air. However, perhaps it was to be so as I did pay closer attention to the actions and the the various movements of the participants.

The processions etc. reminded me of an Opera Performance... music, lots of flowing garments and such...people taking their positions here and there...the stage for this was surely set in rather a glitz and glamor sort of way. smoke filled objects waving back and forth....and allot of kneeling. But when it came to the communion it was very interesting to view in light of all I have learned about it from the catholic perspective. Took along while to finally bless the bread and wine so the people could partake of it...loads of ritual along the way. But what was amazing was when the distribution was over....now that was hard to understand....

....The pope actually takes his robe and nestles the cup, he drank from, under this robe and walks a long procession to another area, with allot of his people walking with him. They actually put an umbrella over the cup and the pope...I couldn't get over he had this hidden underneath his robe the whole way and changed robes as well... strange indeed. I would have thought the focus to be on the people and more of some sort of blessing on them etc.... but likely some reason for this march to place this cup where they did at this other alter prepared for it...

Then he put the cup in a little gold painted box at an alter filled with candles all around...and actually locked it up! And of course lots of kneeling around this cup in the box. Hummm rather mind boggling to understand why so much focus there..I'd prefer to hear about Christ rather than all this elaborate undertaking...but then some people I suppose need the theater parts. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey...good enough for me but he will surely come in a different manner when He comes as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I await that day!

I'll have to look further about why the hype about the cup when the beauty of the whole thing was the people taking the communion and remembering, hopefully, the great price Christ paid for us....that was after all the purpose of this celebration I would think. Hard though to focus on that when there was all the production going on. Reminds me of Protestant churches where you walk in and the stage is set for the show...lights cameras action.

....I fear we have not only lost the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ but it is getting buried in all the fanfare......