It’s very true: I find these skeletons works of art. The Catholic Church’s contributions to Western art can never be underestimated. Now, I can see how some people who don’t travel widely from the US might be shocked at these photos. But you can see these kind of artifacts from Mexico clear to Italy (and probably beyond). They are part of Western culture and as a conservative who hopes (against all reality) that that culture continues, I admire their high artistry.
While piling fortunes in gold and jewels on skeletons to make shrines to worship at, hidden away in churches is obviously a hit with some Catholics.
To me it makes me think of post apocalyptic scifi/horror movies when they discover a totally mind blown cult living underground, that has gone totally crazy.
This can be justified as art?
Perhaps there are some lampshades you might be interested in. Not quite antiquities like this, but about 70 years old.
I don’t think “art” as you call it was what Jesus asked us to do. Yes, many of us may have that talent but if it takes us away from helping others then what good is it?
I think a balance in faith is needed and I also think that balance is something that the RCC nor some “protestant” types such as Word of Faith have.
And need I remind you what the Mexican culture has become? They are hardly representative of Christ. Art is wonderful, no doubt, and creativity is from God but it was never meant to be like this.
I'm well-travelled, have a fine arts degree and find the long-standing fascination with human remains in the Roman Catholic Church to be disturbing, whether it's a finger bone "relic" or these wildly exuberant, bejewelled corpses. Most of humanity finds human remains disturbing in any context, you do realize this, don't you?
Leave the dead alone. Don't parade their remains around in bits and pieces, don't put them in a display case to be ogled, don't tart them up with gold leaf, doodads and cut glass tchotchkes. It's distinctly pre-Christian, to put it charitably. Less charitably, it comes across as the work of a superstitious, backward people.
Are you familiar at all with other non-Christian cultures that have practiced making "art" out of human remains? It's invariably occultic, with some form of magic or power attributed to the various objects deemed worthy of such aesthetic effort.
I suggest removing items of value from these dead bodies, sell or display such items if you must, but put the remains back where they belong, in the grave, and do not desecrate these graves again.
Leave them be.