Pope Benedict calls on society to reconnect beauty to truth and goodness


Pope Benedict calls on society to reconnect beauty to truth and goodness A world can be immersed in images and yet empty of beauty, Pope Benedict said today in a message sent to the Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Literature as it explores the relationship between aesthetics and ethics.

When Christians create works that "render glory unto the Father," the Pope continues, they speak of the "goodness and profound truth" that they are portraying, as well as the integrity and sanctity of the artist or author. To this end, Benedict XVI encourages believers to learn how to "communicate with the language of images and symbols ... in order effectively to reach our contemporaries."

The Holy Father also mentions how at the Synod on the Bible the bishops noted that knowing how to "read and scrutinize the beauty of works of art inspired by the faith" can lead Christians to discover a "unique path that brings us close to God and His Word."

Finally, Pope Benedict cites John Paul II's Letter to Artists, "which invites us, to reflect upon ... the fruitful dialogue between Holy Scripture and various forms of art, whence countless masterpieces have emerged." His message closes by appealing to academics and artists "to arouse wonder at and desire for beauty, to form people's sensitivity and to nourish a passion for everything that is a genuine expression of human genius and a reflection of divine beauty."

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Comments

  1. owenswain11/29/08, 8:52 PM

    As an artist, I am giving full thought to our Holy Father's words.

    ReplyDelete

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