Free Republic

A call came to my home one night in late June 2003: “Do you want to see The Passion?” Of course, I did. Everybody in Christendom did... Looking back now, it’s hard to believe how the political fuss pretty much overwhelmed any discussion of the artistic merits of the movie. No one could have fathomed in that moment that Gibson would be the first victim of the cancel impulse, as his stunning and very personal movie about Jesus arguably destroyed his career, even as it made him the wealthiest man in Hollywood. Few faith-based filmmakers have any idea what makes...

In the book “The Way of Beauty,” by David Clayton, he explains that sacred art has a definite purpose in a Christian’s world. He says, “For the Christian, the highest art is that which supports the highest purpose: the worship of God in the sacred liturgy” (4). What is sacred art? Some examples of this form of art take the shape of stained glass windows, tapestries, icons, sculptures, paintings, and architecture. To Christians, this art is not unfamiliar. It might make a lasting impact on us while we sit in pews on Sundays, but how can it affect people outside...

I spent last weekend learning about Sacred Art. Got this in an email from one of the wonderful people I met there.

One of the recommendations of Vatican II was that priests be formed in the arts: “During their philosophical and theological studies, clerics are to be taught about the history and development of sacred art, and about the sound principles governing the production of its works. In consequence they will be able to appreciate and preserve the Church’s venerable monuments, and be in a position to aid, by good advice, artists who are engaged in producing works of art” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 129). This is not a bad idea, considering that priests are the caretakers of the Church’s artistic patrimony. Each pastor...

Building a Church...lets buy back our Catholic heritage! A marble Angel of the Lord (1 of 2 angels)salvaged from the former Saint Aloysius Church in Philadelphia, being held hostage by King Richard's Religious Antiques.   Throughout the United States, there was a terrible practice of designing our Catholic Churches as “multi-purpose “buildings. Often such a designation included an area for the celebration of the Mass, parish social activities and clerical space for administrative duties of the parish. While the intent was to make the Catholic Church portray a more open and modern religious institution the effect backfired and destroyed our...

What Are Icons? A Practical Guideby Mike SullivanEditor’s Note: The following article was written to accompany CUF’s 2008 calendar, which features icons from Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, Illinois. To order a copy of the calendar, visit www.emmausroad.org.What are icons? In Eastern Christian heritage, icons are sacred images of Christ, Mary, and the saints, or of events in salvation history such as the Nativity or the Crucifixion. The very word “icon” comes from the Greek word for “image.”To people unfamiliar with icons, including many Western Christians, icons may initially seem weird, unappealing, or...