Financial Patrons giving themselved recognition

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dominikus28

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I was wondering, would it be a sin to build a Cathedral (just a hypothetical example) as a layperson and then engrave your name into it or put your face on the stained glass window, etc?
There are examples of this in the world: The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, was built by the president Félix Houphouët-Boigny and he put his face in place of one of the three wise men in a stained glass window.
Another example, is the Wawel cathedral in Poland, where on one of the walls there is a plaque which says something like “Let everyone remember that King Sigismund built this” and so on. Is this acceptable or is it allowed by the church? It seems a bit immodest, but then again, maybe if you do contribute that much, you deserve to have your name there or something?
I’s just like a clarification of the morality of this
 
No it is not specifically sinful but you are right in that it would be “rather immodest” to want the recognition, especially in the light of Christ’s teachings on such things. Bascially the person who seeks such recognition is getting their reward here instead of building treasure in heaven.

Of course often times people might be recognized without their request or desire - perhaps after their death. In such a case their mosdesty remains intact.

Peace
James
 
It seems that even Pope Urban VIII carved his name (the coat of arms at the top) of the Trevi Fountain. So he acted immodestly?
 
Virtually all the stained glass windows in our church have a glass panel at the bottom that shows the name of the family that donated it, or in some cases an “In Memory Of . . .” statement. Many of our liturgical vessels are engraved at the bottom with the names of donors or more “In Memory Of . . .” statements, as are a number of our vestments with sewn-in inscriptions. All of this is immodest / prideful?
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
Virtually all the stained glass windows in our church have a glass panel at the bottom that shows the name of the family that donated it, or in some cases an “In Memory Of . . .” statement. Many of our liturgical vessels are engraved at the bottom with the names of donors or more “In Memory Of . . .” statements, as are a number of our vestments with sewn-in inscriptions. All of this is immodest / prideful?
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In the case of “in memory of…” no this is not “immodest” so long as the person themselves did not request it. A family making a donation in memory of someone is a nice gesture.

In the case of a person donating a stained glass window with the stipulation that their name be on it, yes it is immodest.
Ask yourself, why would I want my name on that window? Why do I want my name o that vessel or vestment? What purpose does it serve other than to attract attention to myself in a way similar to those Jesus spoke of when He said:
"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt 6:1-4)

Likewise Christ told us not to call attention to ourselves in prayer

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”(Mt 6:5)

Such passages call us to humility to quietly going about God’s work so that we are not tempted by the praise of men that can easily “puff one up” with our own importance.

Peace
James
 
I have heard that Michelangelo’s name is carved into the Blessed Virgin’s sash in the Pieta, which stands in Saint Peter’s. The story I read said that after he carved it he overheard a coupe of viewers arguing about who was the artist; so he went back and carved his name into it. 😃
 
dominikus28 said:
It seems that even Pope Urban VIII carved his name (the coat of arms at the top) of the Trevi Fountain. So he acted immodestly?
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You mean the fountain that is there now? The one that Urban-8 proposed, but whose construction did not even begin until more than a century after his death?

At any rate, the terminus of an aqueduct is a civil works project, not a religious project. I see no problem with government leaders taking credit for plumbing projects that they initiate (even if the government leader is also a Pope).
 
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