Posted on 01/08/2009 11:46:31 AM PST by NYer
A large sculpture of Christ on the cross has been removed from outside a church in West Sussex after its vicar said it was "scaring young children".
The Reverend Ewen Souter said the 10ft crucifix was "a horrifying depiction of pain and suffering" which was also "putting people off".
The sculpture, located at the side of St John's Church in Broadbridge Heath, has now been given to Horsham Museum. It will be replaced with a new stainless steel cross. In a survey carried out by the church, every comment about the sculpture was negative.
'Sense of hope'
Mr Souter said: "Children have commented on how scary they find it and how off-putting they find it as a symbol outside the church.
"As a key exterior symbol for us it was putting people off rather than having a sense of hope and life and the power of the resurrection."
He said rather than undermining the work of the cross, the church wanted to portray "an accurate biblical picture of the crucifixion as a moment of hopefulness for the world, and not one of despair".
The sculpture was designed in the 1960s by former Royal Society of British Sculptors president, Edward Bainbridge Copnall, and made out of coal dust and resin.
It was removed from the church just before Christmas and will be mounted on a large wall in the grounds of Horsham Museum.
Jeremy Knight, curator, said the powerful image portrayed by the figure was that of Christ in pain.
"That today isn't an image which a lot of churches want to follow. They'd much rather see an empty cross where Christ has risen," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
In my previous misspent career as an industrial accident/arson investigator, I have seen some bodies that had been dead for some time, and this is deader than any I have ever seen. Without a doubt, Holbein spent some time in a morgue or charnel house doing sketches for this one.
the building and the priest. the new one is not as great as the old one, and we live miles away from another parish.
but thanks to someone we found another church w/in 40 miles that may be worth the trek.
***We went to xmas mass...***
The soul of the church is not in the building, but in the religion.
In the future, it would be deeply appreciated by all Christians if you would type CHRISTMAS, instead of Xmas.
A lot of artistic expression is cultural.
Some years ago, I knew of a high school girl who was mildly Wiccan, who was hauled before the school principal and berated for wearing “Satanic” symbols, along with a rant that Wicca, along with Hinduism and Buddhism, among others, were “devil” religions and prohibited at that school. Christian symbols were fine, however.
So she arranged with a talented young man friend who was an artist to make a t-shirt design of a horribly graphic and grotesque crucifixion, well before Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. The artist was very talented, and the end result was a horrifying.depiction of agony and brutality.
Several students decided to wear the t-shirt, appalling and disturbing as it was, and some of the more sensitive students became ill or distraught after seeing it. However, it was fine and dandy as far as the administration was concerned.
What was not expected was the effect on several of the Hispanic students, who told their parents. After seeing it themselves, the parents contacted the artist in the hope that he could make a greater than life size sculpture crucifix of such a profoundly wonderful artwork, for display in their church.
***but thanks to someone we found another church w/in 40 miles that may be worth the trek.***
I’m thrilled to hear that.
Hi,
Reminds me of the old joke about the non-Christian child that was doing miserably in school.
His parents finally got him into a Catholic school. His marks generally improved, but sky rocketed to straight A’s in math.
The parents asked why he was doing so well in math. His reply, “have you seen what they did to the guy on the PLUS SIGN?”
Enjoy,
Rohn
The X is the Greek letter Chi, for cristoV (Christ - the Anointed One)
Of course, the positive aspect is that the deader the dead Christ, the more wonderful the Risen Christ.
I'm not Hispanic, almost 100% British except for one stray German WAY back, but I can see it.
What I can't see is even truly "sensitive" students actually getting ill from a mere depiction, but maybe I'm case-hardened.
FYI, this is NOT a Catholic Church - it is an Anglican Church in England.
I’ll be the first to admit that there has been bafoonery in decision-making within the Catholic Church in past decades, but THIS is not one of them.
Just for clarification....
Indeed,Dear Sister!
I wonder if these same people who complain it scares the children allow them to watch holywood movies with all the blood in gore?
Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said... "the essence of the demonic is the wanting to escape the cross and Crucifixion of Our Blessed Lord"
One of the most humbling statues of Christ is in the center of Church at Auriesville Shrine of Martyrs .
I know you have been there and seen it as well.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/58/Interior_of_Martyrs_Shrine_Coliseum.jpg/800px-
Have you been there?
My mother's testimony was recorded by the church for the canonization process of Kateri Tekakwitha that is still underway
You’re welcome. Unfortunately, I have not been there. I was compelled to look this up when you mentioned it, as I LOVE seeing dramatic works of art in churches. I once heard a story of a statue of Christ (a Pietà) that was so realistic, it had to be moved to the basement of the church, as everyone who saw it could not keep from openly weeping. I was visiting St. Mary of The Woods College, in Terre Haute, IN when I heard that, but I don’t remember if the statue was ever there or not. Too many years ago, I’m afraid. Still, the place was quite beautiful. http://www.spsmw.org/cgi-bin/site.pl
I agree. Ugh.
How do you separate religion from worship? You can not. The building is an expression of worship. If a person's worship is cheap, so is that person's religion. If the wise men came to worship the Christ child with precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, I see no reason why we who are less wise should not do the same.
In the future, it would be deeply appreciated by all Christians if you would type CHRISTMAS, instead of Xmas.
The X in Xmas is the letter in the Roman alphabet that corresponds to the Greek letter Chi. In Greek, Christ is Xristos. There is a very long practice in Christianity of using X for Christ or Xristos. This is a noble practice. This practice most certainly does not take Christ out Christmas. The X of Xmas most certainly puts Christ into Christmas.
I would ask that you not presume to speak for all Christians. As a Christian, I very much appreciate this practice of using Xmas.<.p<>
Welcome home.
The Grunewald Resurrected Christ is actually not spectral, or at any rate, not the way ours is. Ours looks like the Ghost of Christmas past; for one thing, it’s nearly faceless, which is always creepy, it’s monochromatic, and it’s draped in a shroud-like robe. The fact that it’s lit from underneath is the final touch. Tales of the Crypt.
I suppose I shouldn’t complain, because it could probably have been worse. We have another one in a different church under this parish that is the 1970s “Rocket Jesus,” that is, the streamlined being with his arms up in Superman pose. Also no face, or at any rate, just the suggestion of one.
I have nothing against images of the Risen Christ, btw, and it is certainly possible to make beautiful ones. But Beauty and the 1960s-70s were clearly not on speaking terms.
These people would blow a clot if they walked into our chapel and saw our, absolutely lifelike to a tee, Scourged Christ.
He comes to the Main during Lent.
If you like, many people here can direct you to a Holy Parish.
When I moved to Detroit, I felt like you did. I almost ended up at Trinity Lutheran.
Then Our Lord directed me to my parish. It’s lovely.
I urge you to look around, at other parishes. I cannot go to the Catholic church in my town - its soul is self-conscious, smug, New Age, human-centric. We went back for an Ash Wednesday service for the first time in several years and got a crawling sense of evil.
But the next closest two parishes have good, traditional priests and cultures. We have been very happy in one of them for about ten years now. Look around, and don’t give up the Church to the soul-less! We need you.
If you loved the Latin rite, google for the nearest Latin rite mass. It may be so far away you can only go once a month, but give it a try.
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