Union of 2009...ending East-West Schism of 1054!

Now that the Pope has allowed the former Anglican sects to come back to union with the Roman Church, it is time to extend the dialogue to the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church and end the wounds of the Great Schism. Of course there has been a development of East-West dialogue since the Second Vatican Council; however the process really needs to be escalated. Pope John-Paul II called the Eastern and Western traditions of both entities, “the lungs of the Church.”
Pope Benedict XVI since the inception of his papacy has make reunion with the Orthodox sects of the Church one of the primary goals of his pontificate. The mission to restore unity between East and West is reflected in our own Latin liturgy, in the Eucharistic Prayer, when the priest prays,”…from East to West a perfect offering may be made to the glory of Your Name.” The prayer reminds us that the Church’s mission and ministry are indeed global in scope, including all directions of the cosmological winds.
The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Churches are a cultural and ritual example of how the Catholic liturgy of the East developed differently from the rituals of the West (Latin Church). Nonetheless, both branches on the genealogical tree of theology are established in authentic Apostolic Succession. The Eastern Orthodox Church in addition to valid sacraments is part of the great artistic and ritual heritage the West shares with Constantinople. Greater understanding of the theological points that unite us rather than divide us is crucial to our reconciliation with the East.
We share valid Sacraments, rooted with the primitive Church and indeed Jesus and the Apostles at the Last Supper. Disunity between our Churches was more of a political and social series of antagonisms rather than inconsistencies of theology of belief. A component of the disagreement is the Role of the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome. The Eastern Orthodox Church developed a different appreciation of the Pope and his Office. They maintained the Bishop of Rome should be accorded a “Primacy of Honor, “as the Successor to Saint Peter, however the Patriarch of Constantinople was the temporal and moral head of the Orthodox Church.
We have seen since Pope Paul VI’s common visit with the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 1960’s to the Upper Room, site of the Last Supper real movement towards restored dialogue between both East and West. During the Pauline visit to Jerusalem, the reciprocal excommunications between Pope and Patriarch were lifted. Both men prayed the Lord’s Prayer in Greek and Latin. Pope and Patriarch offered each other the Kiss of Peace and enjoyed warm embraces.
Subsequent Popes since that crucial reunion in Jerusalem have all met and embraced with the Patriarch of Constantinople. Benedict XVI even joined the Patriarch in a common profession of faith at Saint Peter’s Basilica, where they both recited the creed in Greek.
Symbolum Nicaeno-Constantinopolitanum
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων και ἀοράτων.
Και εἰς ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρί•δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο• τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς γραφάς, καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ πατρός καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς• οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, (καὶ) τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, τὸ σὺν πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. εἰς μίαν, ἁγίαν, καθολικὴν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν• ὁμολογοῦμεν ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν• προσδοκοῦμεν ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.

Such joint cooperation between Churches is unprecedented since the unfortunate schism that has endured for centuries. However, with the current trend towards Catholic unity, the responsibility of mutual understanding is incumbent upon all members of both Eastern Orthodox and Western (Latin) Catholics. The most important factor that needs consideration is the wish of Christ in His priestly prayer, “That they may be one!” The roots of unity are very apparent between us and our ritual expressions through the Sacraments. Both East and West celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice on one single freestanding altar. Both Churches recognize the validity of each others’ Holy Orders. Even in extreme cases Orthodox Priests are able to provide the Anointing of the Sick, Absolve Sins and provide Viaticum to Latin Catholics that are dying.
We both recognize the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We embrace a common male clergy and share appreciation of the Blessed Mother and the Saints. With all of the points in common, the process of reunification should prove inevitable.
Most importantly there is a genuine consideration that calls both branches together, joined by faith, theology and ancient rituals. Theological matters such as the filioque question are things that are not insurmountable obstacles to reunion, but rather opportunities to appreciate the Eastern Orthodox’s understanding of the same Triune God.
If indeed anyone were to say that reunion between East and West is that simple does not really have a keen appreciation of the historical, social and political factors that contributed to the split in the first place. What is important however is the desire towards mutual resolution of these points of contention with a prayerful understanding of the developing Mystery of the Body of Christ.
John-Paul II made reference to the Eastern Orthodox branches of the Church as essential to permit the continued breath of the Holy Spirit. With the unity of the Holy Spirit in mind, the time to once again to join East and West has come, and put historical disputes into the realm of ancient but common histories.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation...

The Prodigal Son, by Auguste Rodin c.1884
My commentary on the filing of Chapter 11 protection by the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington ruffled a few feathers. Please be assured that I do not under any circumstances believe there is no money left in the bank accounts, assets and properties of the Church. I believe the Catholic Church is conducting its secular affairs on the counsel of a good law firm, that specializes in Chapter 11 protection, and relying on another fine collection of solicitors for legal counsel on dealing with the liabilities of the clergy sex abuse that just won’t go away.
The scandal just won’t go away because the matter still lacks a comprehensive understanding on the part of both victims and accused. In addition to the issue of financial retribution, I have never heard anyone in either camp mention the notions of forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal. I’m giving away my age, when I make reference to the Baltimore Catechism, which is remarkably “chic,” in understanding our 21st century views of theology. One of the conditions necessary for absolution of a mortal sin, was the resolution of the penitent to avoid committing the sin again! Then the form of absolution over the penitent was completed only after the penitent proclaimed such intent. The same proclamation by the American Catholic Bishops should be shouted here! While many dioceses have implemented the program, For the Sake of God’s Children it is not a pragmatic solution towards institutional acceptance of the gravity of the matter, an admission of guilt and a resolution of intent not to let this happen again.
Unfortunately, the response by the USCCB is now focused on judicial protection that will limit the amount of legal settlements and ensure a fiscal future. The only sentiments being voiced by victims and their counsel are rooted in retribution and retaliation. Both approaches will drag on in a futile attempt of restitution and resolution until forgiveness and Reconciliation are prominently the main considerations. Through this entire downward spiral of the scandal, many individuals, parishes, and dioceses are gravely affected. I have never heard any parties suggest that the Catholic Church, in union with all of its faithful begin to rely on our Sacrament of Reconciliation as an essential component to this ongoing sage. There are of course many reactionary steps that have been taken to ensure the actions never happen again. Mandatory criminal background checks and fingerprinting of everyone involved in the education and development of children is an appropriate beginning.
Both parties need a practical approach to the issue. Parents need to teach their children what behavior is unacceptable when meeting strangers. Priests and clergy need education on avoiding compromising situations. Perhaps all of us would be helped by a reminder of inappropriate actions and gestures that are hurtful to our human family. The restoration of trust and the fervor of our Sacramental and Gospel beliefs are the motivators towards forgiveness and reconciliation. There are multiple examples of dual culpability that have led to this unfortunate saga in our Catholic Church. Persistent references to the Catholic Church’s shortcomings since the Last Supper don’t help. Each and every individual shares responsibility, clergy and laity to restore unity in our Catholic Church and grow in faith and love in Jesus Christ.
We believe as Catholics that our humanity is flawed through original sin and the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) restore our theological relationship with God. Well, we also believe that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ, which relies on a constant conversion of all people towards consummate completion in a New Eternal Life.
Part of the process of radical conversion involves unilateral forgiveness before we participate in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. It is truly time to put the precepts and beliefs of our Catholic faith into action.

…Innocent until proven guilty…fundamental precept of American Law!

The recent petition of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington for Chapter 11 protection illustrates the real need for resolution in all of the cases throughout the Catholic Church of alleged sexual abuse by priests over the past decades. Remarkably most of the Catholic priests that have been suspended or removed from active ministry have never been charged with any criminal actions. What has seemingly happened is they have not only been denied their American constitutional rights of due process, they have also been denied any vehicle of explanation or defense of any of these alleged charges. Before anyone misunderstand this article, the author believes there are no circumstances that justify any form of sexual abuse on any level. However, the domino effect of these allegations has now caused our Catholic Dioceses to resort to litigation more in keeping with civil law, rather than principles that are inherent to the Gospel message.
Catholic faithful are quite exhausted with the prolonged banter of legalism that has preoccupied much of the past thirty years over this issue. The Catholic Church should propose to civil authorities that when a man is suspected of these sexual abuses, they should be charged by the civil authorities and allow the course of due process to take its course. While criminal charges against these clergy convey the real sense of gravity and urgency attached to this problematic issue of sexual abuse, they also indicate the transparency of the Catholic hierarchy to resolve the problem with the best appreciation of the American rule of law.
While, there is no suggestion there is a particular attempt to demonize only Catholic clergy with these abhorrent charges, the Church needs to work in conjunction with both canonical and civil law. The petition of the various dioceses in the United States of resorting to bankruptcy protection only exacerbates the divisive effects placed on both clergy and faithful Catholics. The secular holdings of the Catholic Church should not be used as the judicial pawn of bishops and barristers. These parishes, schools, hospitals et cetera are held in trust for the Catholic faithful and the development of the Catholic sacramental and evangelical mission to the world. When the Catholic hierarchy resorts to the extremism of bankruptcy protection, it suggests quite honestly that there is still a conspiracy of collusion that continues among the American Catholic hierarchy. It does not solve the issue, it doesn’t promote reconciliation and it only perpetuates the allegations of an institutional cover-up by the Catholic Church.
Allegations against clergy should be investigated by both Church and Civil authorities to the fullest extent possible under our process of juris prudence. Catholic authorities need to ask very fundamental questions regarding the process of discernment used in regards to calling men to Holy Orders. More importantly, the American Catholic Church needs to take a strong view of the total lifestyle of priestly ministry and resolve to make drastic changes in the manner in which priests’ minister on all levels. These men have devoted their lives through many years of educational studies and preparations in order to lead the Catholic parish community in Word and Sacrament. The Catholic Church should at the very least provide a multilevel of balances to assure the priest’s entrusted with sacramental ministry are well rounded, happy and challenged by their ministry.
The use of the assets of the Church to as settlement in lieu of criminal prosecution needs to end immediately. Since the issue of trustees has plagued the Catholic Church in America since the 19th century, the faithful need to proactively engage in dialogues that protect the Church’s assets and provide for the appropriate management of Church assets by the Catholic hierarchy. Bishops traditionally are both the civil and canonical heads of dioceses in the United States. It appears this role is no longer a viable mode of operations regarding the Catholic secular assets. It is time for those educated and proficient in parish plant management work with the clergy to guide and determine the everyday running of the Catholic complexes.
The petition of bankruptcy protection by any Catholic entity should always be the last resort for a Catholic bishop. It protects the tangible assets of the Catholic Church against potential seizure of Church property by one charging clergy with sexual abuse. The charges against Catholic clergy need to be substantiated with empirical proof that goes beyond just allegations. Seemingly the civil authorities need to present objective and clear criminal charges, which will either exonerate or convict the members of the clergy that have been charged with these heinous offenses against young people. The American precept of innocence until proven guilty needs to be extended to all of the Catholic clergy that have been accused of misconduct. Anything less undermines both civil and church laws designed to objectively extricate the entire sequence of events.
Of course always and everywhere the concept of truth needs to guide the entire process of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. When the Catholic hierarchy resolves to pursue the truth only then will the spirit of reconciliation prevail over this terrible period in American Catholic Church history. Catholics need to demand total transparency from our American Bishops along with an assurance of changes that will enhance the Catholic mission and preserve the integrity of the Catholic priesthood in theology and its clergy.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. The message is really this simple,:"Will we ever know how to love Him!"
Hopefully everyone will enjoy the song, a throwback to 1973 when we were all caughtup in Jesus Christ Superstar. The songs from this musical were even sometimes played at our Catholic parishes in the spirit of the 1960s and Vatican II.

Priestly renewal, parish sanctification, global Catholic sanctification!

Recently I had the opportunity to become familiar with a newly founded priestly community, The Apostles of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim, which is located in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The community of diocesan priests was given approbation by Cardinal George and operates on principles of Catholic theology and sacraments focused around prayer and Holy Eucharist. What is remarkable about the community is the hinging of the daily routine of priestly ministry around the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Unusually enough, most priests in parochial parish assignments do not have the chance or a limited opportunity to celebrate these rituals communally with other priests. For the most part, due to the increasingly acute priest shortage in the United States, more and more priests are commonly living alone in their priestly assignments. The fraternity and prayerful celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Holy Eucharist very often mandated in our seminal formation at seminaries is abandoned once the ordained priest “hits the parish!”
The community of the Apostles of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim offers an opportunity for a revitalized spirit of priestly service and renewal with a different structure for living for parish priests. In addition to living in common, praying in common and taking time for spiritual renewal, this community provides the chance for inclusion of physical labor on a daily basis as well. Frankly, as a graduate of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, I remember very well the labor of the weekly work crew, where we were dispatched to rid the pastoral lawns of intrusive onion grass, with a butter knife. Honestly, I really disliked the forced work crews which were considered as part of our priestly formation. At the time, I remember thinking that we were just cheap seminarian labor as opposed to the more esoteric ideals of ministry, formation and spiritual satisfaction. However in the decades since my formational experiences, I admit a yearning for communal activities such as Morning and Evening Prayer, a celebration of daily Eucharist and the competitive fraternity of other students engaged in the same race and finish line.
What strikes me as especially important with this priestly community is the central focus on prayer and Eucharist combined with physical service. As one engaged in the secular world, married and the father of one daughter such integration of Catholic spirituality and meditative reflection is something longed for on a daily basis. Perhaps, the rhythm and motion of a parish community that is centered around a neighborhood is the biggest demise of community prayer in the Catholic Church. Even more so, the lack of a communal vitality of sanctification among all aspects of clergy, religious and laity contributes to our noncommittal to the Catholic spiritual life. In light of the reflective and pastoral directives of Benedict XVI maybe all of Christendom needs to pause and take a meditative approach to our global ministry and Catholic mission with more communal prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Eucharistic celebration.
One of the issues I constantly have regarding parish life in my diocese is that the celebration of daily Eucharist is not something one is able to conveniently participate in because of family, work and travelling conditions. Gladly, I would welcome the chance to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours in community with my fellow parishioners however because of obligations of family and work it is not always possible. The constraints of time are the most pressing points that keep most Catholic parishioners away from daily Mass and prayer. Honestly as well, most of our clergy are not aware of the great pressures of daily society which is exerted on most laity. The daily commute, activities of getting children ready and off to school, obligations of work et cetera all compromise the modern Catholics ability to commit themselves to parish prayer on a daily basis. Additionally, there seems to be a considerate lack of understanding by the clergy regarding the preciousness of parishioner’s time due to all sorts of obligations and commitments. In a lot of cases, our parish priests walk across the parking lot as a commute to celebrate daily Mass. However, the working Catholic community at large is not as lucky nor a fortunate in having such a convenience.
Perhaps the most critically important factor that the Apostles of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim offer for their parish ministry is one of secular and temporal balance. Time to work, time to pray, and time to communicate with each other. If our parish priests could more consistently structure our parish schedules around these three points, perhaps daily celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Holy Eucharist would become more popular.
When the opportunity to spend appropriate time in prayer, study and Eucharistic celebration is part of the life of a parochial community it seems our uniquely Catholic existence comes more completely into focus. Pastoral teams should more astutely determine the spiritual needs of a parish community based on not the conveniences of the parish priests, but the true pastoral and sacramental needs of the people.
In all, meditative and sacramental time is scarce for the average Catholic layperson in our harried 21st century Catholic Church. The development and foundation of a group like The Apostles of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim uniquely presents priestly ministry as a combination of prayer, Sacrament and community in an increasingly secularized and constrained Catholic parish world.
Learn more about the priestly community at http//:apostlesofjesuschrist.org . Pray for their success as well as the success of our entire Catholic global community.

The Holy Spirit guides the Catholic Church in very mysterious ways. The Council of Jerusalem provided Catholics with the nonobservance of Jewish dietary laws, The Council of Ephesus clearly gave us the definitive appreciation of Mary, as the Mother of God, Trent contributed transubstantiation, Vatican I bore the theological proclamation of papal infallibility (in matters of faith and morals) and Vatican II provided us with the image of a Pilgrim Church in movement towards our eschatological union with the Heavenly Father. Maybe it is time to see what Vatican III can do to add to the Church’s theological and sociological progression as a divinely instituted Church in the 21st century.

In the 40 plus years since the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council the world has changed greatly since the promulgation of Gaudium et Spes. The Church in the Modern World of the 1960’s had never experienced a lunar landing, the creation of the personal computer, the fall of European Communism, the election of a non-Italian Pope and the instant connectivity of the Internet. Since the Fathers of Vatican II our scientific world has cloned human cells, manipulated DNA, lived in space , visited Mars (via Martian Rover) and has even mapped the human genome. Now it is time for the Catholic church to revisit the notion of an ecumenical council that factors the vastly different world into our religious experiences since the turbulent 1960’s.
In the past few weeks, the Holy See has quite honestly stunned the Catholic world as well as the secular world with its openness towards an environmentally sensitive Church, the restoration of the Tridentine Mass and the declaration that the fullness of faith exists within the Catholic Church. Such openness towards Catholic doctrinal clarity really puts Lumen Gentium and other council documents in the need of 21st century revisionism. That of course does not mean that there are any large problems or issues with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, but perhaps an ecumenical council could clarify, tweak and otherwise update the declarations of Vatican II.
The election of John-Paul II (a native of Poland) and the subsequent election of Benedict XVI (a German) are two significant events that show the truly global nature of the Catholic Church’s mission and message. For over 40 years now the Catholic Church has worshipped in the local vernacular of specific countries and peoples, displacing Latin as the universal Mother tongue of the Church, the College of Cardinals is truly a body of international representation, a second non-Italian born Pope, scientific discoveries and Third, Fourth and maybe even Fifth world development are reasons enough to convene a new ecumenical council, just to review the progress of the Catholic People of God over the last 40 or so years.
My suggestion for such a gathering is not to advocate any doctrinal modifications or changes, but rather an opportunity to genuinely understand the direction the Catholic Church needs to pursue in the new millennium. By no means am I suggesting a theological debate on the need for ecclesial modernization or doctrinal adaptation. My suggestion is such a gathering of the world’s Catholic hierarchy for the purpose of clearly defining and proclaiming to the modern world our uniquely Catholic identity.
In the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s and onward it was always a very fashionable event to present an “operating statement” whenever someone had any faint representation of an original idea. Perhaps it is time for a Universal Catholic Declaration of Purpose that everyone will know and understand in order to clearly illustrate our Catholic identity. It really isn’t such a preposterous idea, all of the Church’s declarations from Nicaea to Vatican II are really just updates and clarifications of what we have always believed…with modifications of language and historical perspective. It would be nice however to have all of the beliefs and definitions once again compiled in a Vatican III edition.
Whenever there are updates upon updates of anything in life there is an opportunity towards the development of confusion. Institutional confusion in the Catholic Church has really been common since the Dark Ages, but every once in a while there has been a good old fashioned council to reaffirm the obvious. The call to Vatican III is precisely that…lets get everyone together to talk about all of the hot issues from global warming, papal infallibility, the validity of non-Catholic orders, the role of women, the role of clergy and so on. When all of the discussions are over and all of the ripped copes have been mended we can get back to the job of being faithful Catholics anticipating a restoration of the New Jerusalem, the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the life of the world to come and so on. In the interim perhaps we can just agree to disagree or agree or whatever and live out our apostolic faith as the Apostles would have liked. Simply, one, holy, catholic and apostolic! Can that be too much to ask of a divinely instituted organization?

New building...professional input!

There are a couple of things that really seem to be popular in the world of liturgical art and architecture. The first thing is to make parishioners and clergy aware of the fact that they both have a responsibility to procure the highest quality of available materials available for use in their sacred liturgical space. Quite frequently, renovation of parish facilities and the decision to make such renovations is made without the input or use of parishioner’s individual expertise. It is really a sorry state of affairs when a community of faith cannot rely on its own individual members and resources to discuss, plan and implement architectural and artistic enhancements in a parish without distractions towards external influences. What I mean by this is quite simple, the parish community with should investigate all of the potential resources available within a local parish or diocese or region to fulfill their artistic needs and expectations. There is no need to go to Italy or Spain or anywhere else to see exceptional examples of artistic works in various mediums. There are quite a few local artists and craftsmen available in our own faith communities. Frequently, there is a misrepresentation made by architects that quality artisans are not easily available in the United States. This is just plainly false. Just about every type of artistic and architectural craftsmen and artisans can be found in our own country. While I am not anti-foreign trade, it just seems that often parishioners and priests alike are misled to believe that if something is commissioned from a European source, it must be better, original and more superlative in every way than the American counterpart. That quite honestly is an example of unsurpassed artistic snobbery and ignorance of what is available throughout the United States.

There are a lot of things that need to be considered when a parish community decides to commission a new statue, or an altar or some other liturgical accessory. One thing that especially and foremost needs to be considered is this…we are an American church, not a Spanish one, or an Italian one and so on. As a faithful community, our worship space, or rather our churches should reflect our American identity. It seems that one of the biggest problems that are faced by American artists and craftsmen is the feigned and often unsupported notion that non-domestic artists must be better trained; more experienced and yes…the ugly word…CHEAPER than their American counterparts. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that foreign labor is less expensive than individually crafted American labor. Well, this is just an underrated untruth with the intent to deceive. In other words, it is a lie.

Quite often American architects and liturgical design studios use the opportunity to travel abroad to visit liturgical guilds and artisans studios as an excuse to use the trip as a professional perk or a fact-finding junket. There is never really an intention to utilize an American artist…these architectural professionals just “pick the brains” of the American artists, solicit drawings and bids from them, and just use the foreign “artistic-factories” because they mass produce drawings and sculpture designed to fit in anywhere with just a few modifications. These modifications, then make, the work an “original” designed and conceived for your church or parish. The only true original feature that results from the studio in Italy or Spain is the packing crate with an original address where the work needs to be shipped.

As a Church, we need to educate everyone about the true value of procuring quality examples of liturgical art that are not only of the highest quality, but truly unique and original to each situation in which they are injected. That is not to say there cannot be a good and acceptable reproduction of an artistic work in a local parish church…but if there is an “original” example of an artistic representation of a saint or patron, why not commission the original work? Really, there is only one…Pieta…and it is in the Vatican. Why not, if your parish wants a Pieta, search for an artist that can provide a new and original interpretation of the image for your parish.

Also, it seems that as always price is the major consideration in all of the artistic endeavors we encounter on a parish level. Our concept is that expensive is best, regardless of the quality of materials or integrity of the artist. Well…that is really not a realistic expectation and appreciation of the purpose of sacred and liturgical art. The monetary factor involved in the commissioning of a piece of statuary or liturgical renovations should be commensurate with the budget your parish community has to allocate to the work of art or the project. Don’t be misled as a parish into purchasing a piece of art for the Church environment that is disproportionately valued in its cost…if the quality is poor. Artists and craftsmen are more than willing to work within a projected budget and will be very thankful for a parish’s honesty regarding their financial resources (or lack there of)!

Finally, I guess the most important thing to consider is that an artistic project or liturgical renovation is intended as a parish’s intention to glorify God, and enhance the prayer experience for a local parish community. We need to always remember that it is about deepening our understanding and appreciation of our ever developing relationship with God that is important here. We are a faithful people that are trying to enhance and develop our communal act of liturgical worship and praise. If we can go about including artistic expressions that keep this point in mind, we are at least at some point towards a deeper theological appreciation through our liturgical art closer to the Deity.