Take Down 'Divine Mercy' to Put Up Modern Art?

[seabird3579]

I was wondering what the general Catholic community thought about a local parish priest (pastor) who decided to take down a very large picture of Jesus (the Divine Mercy) inside his church and put up “modern art” instead. He proceeded to take the picture down telling everyone in the bulletin it is still considered “private revelation” and left the space blank for quite awhile before replacing it with modern art…

Isn’t this a lot like “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot?”

 

[thistle]

seabird3579:

I was wondering what the general Catholic community thought about a local parish priest (pastor) who decided to take down a very large picture of Jesus (the Divine Mercy) inside his church and put up “modern art” instead. He proceeded to take the picture down telling everyone in the bulletin it is still considered “private revelation” and left the space blank for quite awhile before replacing it with modern art…

Isn’t this a lot like “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot?”

I think that would be a real shame. I pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy every day.
It may be a private revalation but it is approved and Sister Faustina became Saint Faustina. How can any modern art match that??

 

[kayla]

How very sad…I love the “Divine Mercy” picture and have a small one at home. Was he under pressure to remove it?

 

[FCEGM]

seabird3579:

I was wondering what the general Catholic community thought about a local parish priest (pastor) who decided to take down a very large picture of Jesus (the Divine Mercy) inside his church and put up “modern art” instead. He proceeded to take the picture down telling everyone in the bulletin it is still considered “private revelation” and left the space blank for quite awhile before replacing it with modern art…

Isn’t this a lot like “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot?”

Indeed!

You might ask your pastor why, since the 1st Sunday after Easter is officially proclaimed by the Church to be “Divine Mercy Sunday”, he deems it appropriate to replace this approved image for something less than that.

 

[John-the-Seeker]

seabird3579:

I was wondering what the general Catholic community thought about a local parish priest (pastor) who decided to take down a very large picture of Jesus (the Divine Mercy) inside his church and put up “modern art” instead. He proceeded to take the picture down telling everyone in the bulletin it is still considered “private revelation” and left the space blank for quite awhile before replacing it with modern art…

Isn’t this a lot like “paving paradise and putting up a parking lot?”

I am always amazed that there is so much “fear” of ‘private revelation’. Is our God not strong enough to protect His people from Eternal Damnation through false proclomations? Is not our Faith a collection of ‘private revelations’ through many individuals over a long period of time that support one another’s revelations and the Truth of our Faith? As has already been pointed out in another post, this ‘private revelation’ has the approval of the church and has cannonized the ‘private person’. Pope John Paul II called the approval of these revelations as the most important event of his papacy and his death coincided with the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.
I find it ironic that the widely accepted and approved Divine Mercy picture was replaced by another ‘private revelation’ given only to a ‘private artist’. But let us pray for the enlightenment of Truth and the Wisdom to make wise choices for our shepherds. They are criticized too often and prayed for too little.

 

[BayCityRickL]

Well, everything depends.

Like it or not, devotions do change. In my parish years ago, there used to be a weekly novena called “Stabat Mater”

That was discontinued, I suppose, due to poor turnout. The novena booklets wear out, and I don’t know if they are replaceable. I never saw that devotion anywhere else that I lived.

Our current pastor favors the Weekly Rosary. And, there are about a dozen cars at church for that.

Popularity is one thing, maybe it’s the only thing. I would guess that there are other activities where Opus Dei is present.

 

[seabird3579]

In this day and age when the world is so materialistic, going quietly to church and sitting before the Blessed Sacrament is a great refuge and a chance to recollect. The Divine Mercy Jesus is very inspiring to many people. Why ‘take away’ what inspires and renews people. I have nothing against modern art. A place could have been found for it, too, but it should not have *replaced * the Divine Mercy Jesus.

John Paul II was very fond of the Divine Mercy devotion and I think that gives it a special place above many other private revelations.

 

[FCEGM]

BayCityRickL:

Well, everything depends.

Like it or not, devotions do change. In my parish years ago, there used to be a weekly novena called “Stabat Mater” . . .

But the pastor in question can hardly claim that this devotion is passe since the Feast Day on the first Sunday after Easter was only proclaimed to be such in May of 2000.

 

[Augustine]

seabird3579:

He proceeded to take the picture down telling everyone in the bulletin it is still considered “private revelation” and left the space blank for quite awhile before replacing it with modern art…

I pray that he stops before removing the representations of Our Lady of Guadalupe, yet another private revelation…