TPJCatholic:
otm,
This subject has little to do with beauty…it is about creating sacred places to worship and it is about teaching through the proper use of those sacred places.
In today’s Catholic world 70% of American Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. Why should they, we do not give them any reason to believe? We are not teaching them the truth and we are giving them less then sacred places to worship. We build Churches that look more Protestant, then Catholic, with antiseptic and vast volumes of spaces arranged in half-circles and with very little clue that our Risen Lord lives within the Tabernacle of those Churches. People talk inside Churches like they are part of some social club, and why not, that is how many new Churches feel. People chew gum and eat food, and why not, many new Churches could easily be movie theaters.
Rose’s argument lies in the notion that Catholic Churches house the Real Body and Blood of Our Risen Lord…and that every facet of those Churches should try to point to that truth. We can learn a lesson from our ancietn Jewish brethren on this point, they held the Presence of God in the Holy of Holies in the highest place–the Jews treated the Holy of Holies with devout and true reverance to God’s Presence. That is how it used to be in Catholic Churches and it is how it should be today. When a person walks into a Catholic Church they should sense a growing sacredness as they approach the altar, with the Tabernacle either directly behind the altar, or just off to the side for all to see in plain view. The Churches should be majestically adorned with plenty of statues and stained glass that tell faith stories and remind of us the communion we share with the Saints. Stations of the cross should be boldly proclaimed and placed in prominent view so that everyone is reminded of what our Lord did for us and there should be no lack of veneration (through art and statues) of Our Lady. The place should ooooze holiness, for it is literally a house of the Risen Lord. We need to reclaim the sense of sacredness and holiness that we are blessed with–Jesus Christ resides in Catholic tabernacles and we should do everything we can to literally shout that (through the structure and through teachings) to everyone who walks into a Catholic Church.
If we do not believe it enough to make it deeply sacred, then why should anyone else believe?
The structure’s primary focus should be on Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the Saints…not on local traditions and desires.
Your statistics, like most statistics, tell only a small story, and the analysis I have seen of what was actually asked and what the results mean differ vastly. We could argue all day about them, but the questions asked in the survey you are most likely referring to show more an issue of lack of understanding of a sophisticated theological concept than they do of a basic understanding. I will be among the first to say that people have been poorly catechised over the last 30 to 35 years (although that is changing), but will not in any way grant you your first point as a generalization.
For the rest, again, I found it to be a holy place; I don’t know if the word “ooze” would come to mind. But if I was to compare it to, say, one of our older local churches in Portland, I would say that I prefer the cathedral to an older church which seems to have innumerable statues and statuettes in and around the sanctuary; I counted 32 when I finally caught myself during Mass there one day - and quit counting. Some people just love that. I find that distracting to say the least.
Again, what denotes holiness to one person is not necessarily what denotes it to another. I am not so naieve as to think that because something is different, or new that it is necessarily good. Time will tell that, probably more time than you or I have left.
Having said that, I was both impressed with and moved by the interior of the cathedral, and I have been to Mass there a number of times. I have also been impressed with, and moved by the austerity of the simple church (there are chapels that are probably larger) of Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey, (Trappist) in Lafeyette, Oregon. so also the cathedral in Portland Oregon, which has a beautiful fresco on the wall behind the altar. And though I have only seen pictures of St Peter’s, it too is impressive, although it appears to be so hugh as to approach cavernous.
I would also point out that having the tabernacle behind the altar does not appear to be how most of the grand churches and cathedrals of old in Eurpoe were designed, so some of your response is really more about what you have been exposed to. Which goes to what I am saying: much of people’s response is caused by conditioning as opposed to necessarily something intrinsic, but it is passed off as intrinsic.
