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triumphguy
Guest
I’m thinking of aging clergy having to totter up and down those stairs.The artistic style of the cathedral is already very simple. Other than the steps, what else is there to be “de-emphasized”?
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OraLabora
Guest
I had the same thought. At our abbey there are rather fewer steps. My spiritual director (late 70s) can no longer manage them. He still sings in the schola down in the middle of the choir but when the time comes for the priest-monks to gather around the altar, he has to go around the back way which has a wheelchair ramp, because he can no longer handle the stairs due to a degenerative muscle disease.
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YoungTradCath
Guest
Although I will say having that many steps is a bit ridiculous, I’m not sure how they’re going to manage to strip the art out… There isn’t hardly any to begin with. Take out the apse mural and the church will be wonderfully antiseptic.
As many religious churches I’ve seen in pictures and in real life, I’ve never seen one that didn’t have ANY art.
As many religious churches I’ve seen in pictures and in real life, I’ve never seen one that didn’t have ANY art.
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CutlerB
Guest
The artistic style of the cathedral is already very simple. Other than the steps, what else is there to be “de-emphasized”?
Well, that shows how bare it’s going to be!
They’ll probably even paint the columns white.
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ealfred
Guest
I always find art an important part of the spirituality when going inside a Church. It is a tradition and part of our Catholic Church and need to be kept that way. Unfortunately the new churches nowadays look like a protestant church (no offense), which do not reflect our Holy Church.
Striping a church from its art is even worse by taking something beautiful and amazing and turning it into a hall!
Striping a church from its art is even worse by taking something beautiful and amazing and turning it into a hall!
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TimothyH
Guest
The horrid chandelier over the sanctuary for one. It looks like some medieval device to which people were bound and then lowered over the fire to be burned.The artistic style of the cathedral is already very simple. Other than the steps, what else is there to be “de-emphasized”?
The grey rectangles on the square pillars can go, whatever they are, and the grey orbs too.
It is a wonderful space. The transom windows at the top are wonderful, reminiscent of many abbey churches, and any artificial lighting should to the extent possible, be placed there to shine indirectly, as if it were replicating the natural sunlight coming through those windows.
I’m not too sure about actual artwork. I agree with many on this thread that there doesn’t seem to be much. Antispetic, however, is in the eye of the beholder.
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Eric_Olsen
Guest
lowering the steps to “bring the altar to the people”.
I never understood this by church recovaotors. why is it important for the average lay person to have “access” to the altar? Who cars if it is high up? At least the people can see whats going on? As for removal of “art”. This tells me the priest wants to be the center of attention. Depending on the type of art, art is supposed to bring the gospel out to the people.
sounds to me this person just wants to “prostenatnize” another beautiful church.
I never understood this by church recovaotors. why is it important for the average lay person to have “access” to the altar? Who cars if it is high up? At least the people can see whats going on? As for removal of “art”. This tells me the priest wants to be the center of attention. Depending on the type of art, art is supposed to bring the gospel out to the people.
sounds to me this person just wants to “prostenatnize” another beautiful church.
In an article on the German Bishops’ Conference’s official news page, the Auxiliary Bishop of Hildesheim, Hans-Georg Koitz, states the following:
The article goes on to say:
Here’s an image of the cathedral’s interior: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/DomHildesheim.jpg
Here is the official website in English about the project: domsanierung.de/en
My heart aches when I read such stuff, I don’t know about you. :crying: Removing art to “emphasise the essential”? Really? I can see a horribly sterile whitewashed interior with some faint accentuation in the sanctuary, void of images and statues. How is that going to draw people to God? I’d feel cold and all alone there!
This “The soul shall be able to relax”-stuff combined with the reduction of art and “focus” sounds like some strange temple for meditation, not a cathedral, to me.
Reducing the steps to the altar will be strange, too. As you can see in the image, it’s nicely elevated which bears both symbolical and practical significance. Symbolically, I see the message that God is above us and we look up to Him and Christ in the Sacrifice of calvary in the Mass. Practically, well, everyone can see what’s going on, isn’t that what people always say when they want the Mass not celebrated ad orientem?
Is there anything like this going on around your place? I feel the beautiful architecture and art that the Church has is being disregarded and messed with more and more.
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YoungTradCath
Guest
Is it even architecturally literate to have a column without some sort of capital?
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mafh
Guest
I don’t see any railing at the top of the platform either, which could be dangerous if someone has balance problems.
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mafh
Guest
I don’t like the chandelier either. It obscures part of the mural and those pretty stained glass windows.
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CutlerB
Guest
That chandelier is an original from the 11th century. It is almost 1000 years old!
domsanierung.de/en/Hezilo-candlesticks
There’s more info on it.
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Saints_Alive
Guest
And as I read your posts, I am thinking of what St Mark said…
**‘To accept an affliction for God’s sake is a genuine act of holiness; for true love is tested by adversities.’
St. Mark the Ascetic **
Catholicism isn’t fun or easy.
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mafh
Guest
Cool! Ok, I like it better now.
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EphelDuath
Guest
I in no way dispute the truthfulness of the quotation, but one must consider the practicality of the matter. If an elderly priest wears out his legs, he risks injury, which is a significant impediment to his pastoral duties. It also raises a serious complication, were an injury to happen while celebrating Holy Mass.
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triumphguy
Guest
So if an eighty year old bishop falls down the stairs breaking his hip that’s God’s will?
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andrewstx
Guest
I am sure the rectangles and “orbs” are just loudspeakers.
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Holly3278
Guest
That is really sad. I wish they would leave these historic churches alone. They are beautiful places and we need more beautiful churches like that. Here are a few pictures of a church I know of. I love this church!
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/07/12/20090712-224806-pic-875027435_t607.jpg
http://media.courierpress.com/media/img/photos/2009/07/12/20090712-224806-pic-875027435_t607.jpg
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YoungTradCath
Guest
Well… Yes, I admit that there are too many steps going up to that altar for it to look right. However, I will say that it is probably vastly cheaper to install a railing than to rip out layers of stone/concrete/whatever they used to create that altar platform.So if an eighty year old bishop falls down the stairs breaking his hip that’s God’s will?
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Saints_Alive
Guest
Right.
What is the name of this elderly priest ? It seems I missed it in the article.
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Saints_Alive
Guest
Not sure what you mean. I see no mention of these elderly/disabled priests in the article. I see the reasons given in the article, but they do not include hypothetical scenarios such as those you present here.So if an eighty year old bishop falls down the stairs breaking his hip that’s God’s will?
As far as your specific question, I don’t see anything in my posts here that would indicate I said/implied such.
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