A film on 'art and faith'
for the Year of Faith
Translated from
Oct. 25, 2012
At 6 pm on Thursday, the Holy Father attended the screening of a the documentary film "Arte e Fede - Via Pulchritudinis" (Art and Faith: The way of Beauty) at the Aula Paolo VI, with the participants of the 13th General Assembly of the Bishops' Synod.
The film was a co-production of the Vatican Governatorate and the Vatican Museums with the Polish TV channel TBA, with the Polish Ambassador to the Holy See, Przemysław Jan Häuser, as its nominal producer.
At the end of the screening, the Holy Father delivered remarks in Italian and Polish. Here is a translation:
Venerated Brothers,
Distinguished Authorities,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the end of this screening, I am happy to extend to all of you my heartfelt greeting.
He continued in Polish:
I greet above all the Polish delegation, especially government authorities, the ambassador to the Holy See and all those who contributed to the realization of this film.
Back to Italian:
I greet Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State, and Cardinal Bertello who, as president of the Governatorate, presented this initiative. I thank him and congratulate him and the direction of the Vatican Museums. I extend my appreciation to the administrators of the company that produced the film and supported its production.
The Vatican Museums are not a stranger to initiatives that illustrate the link between art and faith, starting with the patrimony conserved in the Pontifical Galleries. Various expositions have been organized on this theme, including some that were audiovisual.
Still, the film we have just seen is a contribution of special note, above all because it comes at the start of the Year of Faith. In effect, it constitutes a specific and expert contribution of the Vatican Museums to the Year of Faith, which justified the great commitment shown at various levels.
As the final part of the film specifically highlights, for many persons, a visit to the Vatican Museums represents their best contact, sometimes their only contact, with the Holy See when they visit Rome, and therefore, a propitious occasion to get to know the Christian message.
One can say that the artistic patrimony of Vatican City constitutes a kind of great parable through which the Pope speaks to men and women in every part of the world, and therefore of multiple cultural and religious origins - persons who for the most part have probably never read any papal address or homily.
One thinks of what Jesus told his disciples: To you, the mysteries of the Kingdom of God are explained,, whereas to those who are 'outside', everything is announced in parables (cfr Mk 4,10.12). The language of art is a parabolic language, endowed with special universal openness: the via Pulchritudinis - way of beauty - is a way that can lead the mind and heart toward the Eternal, to elevate them to the height of God.
I very much appreciated that the film makes repeated reference to the commitment of the Roman Pontiffs to conserve and set great value on the artistic patrimony of the Vatican, and even, in the contemporary era, towards a renewed dialog between the Church and artists.
The Collection of Modern Religious Art in the Vatican Museums is a living demonstration of the fruitfulness of such a dialog. But it has not been limited to that. All of the huge organism of the Vatican Museums - it truly is a living reality - also possesses this dimension that we might call 'evangelization'.
Everything that is seen there - that is to say, all the works exposed - also presupposes a great deal of work that may not be apparent, but is indispensable, so that they may be best conserved and enjoyed.
He resumed in Polish:
I am particularly happy to render homage to the great sensibility towards the dialog between art and faith of my beloved predecessor, Blessed John Paul II. The role that Poland had in this production attests to his merit in this field.
He resumed in Italian:
Art and faith - a binomial that has accompanied the Church and the Holy See for 2,000 years, a binomial that even today we must value greatly in the commitment to bring the Gospel to the men and women of our time, announcing God who is Beauty and infinite Love.
Once again, I thank all who, in various ways, have cooperated to realize this documentary film, and I wish that it will inspire in many persons the desire to know better the faith that has inspired such and so many works of art. A good evening to all!