• About
  • Contact
Friday, July 11, 2025
Catholic Sabah
  • News
    • All
    • Asia
    • Focus
    • Local
    • Nation
    • Vatican
    • World
    教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

    教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

    Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

    Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

    Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

    Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

    Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

    Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

    Religious dimensions of peacemaking for a war-torn world

    Religious dimensions of peacemaking for a war-torn world

    Catholic University in Erbil looks ahead to 10-year anniversary

    Catholic University in Erbil looks ahead to 10-year anniversary

    First Nations Australian students in Rome enriched by cultural exchange

    First Nations Australian students in Rome enriched by cultural exchange

    Upacara peringatan ke-10 gempa bumi di Sabah

    Upacara peringatan ke-10 gempa bumi di Sabah

    Bishop: Poverty should not hinder access to sacraments

    Bishop: Poverty should not hinder access to sacraments

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Im on my Way
    • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
    • Making A Difference
    • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
    • Reflection: Straight Talking
    Pax: The Monastery’s missionary witness

    Pax: The Monastery’s missionary witness

    The power of words

    What to do when there’s nothing you can do

    What Catholic Sabah stands for

    Part 1: Porn a silent addiction?

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Myth and history

    Myth and history

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Are conclaves really secret?

  • Feature
    How to spend your holidays according to the Popes

    How to spend your holidays according to the Popes

    Sisters of Mary uplift Tanzania’s disadvantaged youth

    Sisters of Mary uplift Tanzania’s disadvantaged youth

    Losing a loved one to suicide

    It is better for you that I go away

    ‘We Can’t Just Stand By and Watch’

    ‘We Can’t Just Stand By and Watch’

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

  • Statements
    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Perutusan daripada Presiden Persidangan Uskup-Uskup Katolik Malaysia sempena Hari Malaysia

    Pastoral Letter on Earthquake in Myanmar and Regional Solidarity Appeal

    Chancery Notice

    Chancery Notice

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting  during Chinese New Year 2025

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting during Chinese New Year 2025

  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Asia
    • Focus
    • Local
    • Nation
    • Vatican
    • World
    教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

    教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

    Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

    Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

    Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

    Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

    Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

    Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

    Religious dimensions of peacemaking for a war-torn world

    Religious dimensions of peacemaking for a war-torn world

    Catholic University in Erbil looks ahead to 10-year anniversary

    Catholic University in Erbil looks ahead to 10-year anniversary

    First Nations Australian students in Rome enriched by cultural exchange

    First Nations Australian students in Rome enriched by cultural exchange

    Upacara peringatan ke-10 gempa bumi di Sabah

    Upacara peringatan ke-10 gempa bumi di Sabah

    Bishop: Poverty should not hinder access to sacraments

    Bishop: Poverty should not hinder access to sacraments

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Im on my Way
    • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
    • Making A Difference
    • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
    • Reflection: Straight Talking
    Pax: The Monastery’s missionary witness

    Pax: The Monastery’s missionary witness

    The power of words

    What to do when there’s nothing you can do

    What Catholic Sabah stands for

    Part 1: Porn a silent addiction?

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Myth and history

    Myth and history

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Are conclaves really secret?

  • Feature
    How to spend your holidays according to the Popes

    How to spend your holidays according to the Popes

    Sisters of Mary uplift Tanzania’s disadvantaged youth

    Sisters of Mary uplift Tanzania’s disadvantaged youth

    Losing a loved one to suicide

    It is better for you that I go away

    ‘We Can’t Just Stand By and Watch’

    ‘We Can’t Just Stand By and Watch’

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

  • Statements
    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Perutusan daripada Presiden Persidangan Uskup-Uskup Katolik Malaysia sempena Hari Malaysia

    Pastoral Letter on Earthquake in Myanmar and Regional Solidarity Appeal

    Chancery Notice

    Chancery Notice

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting  during Chinese New Year 2025

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting during Chinese New Year 2025

  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Catholic Sabah
No Result
View All Result
Home News Vatican

Pope to artists: True beauty inspires the desire for, renders glory to God

June 24, 2023
in Vatican
Pope to artists: True beauty inspires the desire for, renders glory to God

Pope Francis’ encounter with artists

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Jun 24 2023

Pope Francis reminds world-renowned artists in the Sistine Chapel that true beauty inspires the desire for God, and renders glory to Him, as he receives them for the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Art by Pope St. Paul VI.

“In true beauty, we begin to experience the desire for God.”

Pope Francis made this observation as he addressed artists in the Sistine Chapel for the 50th Anniversary of the Inauguration of the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Art on Friday, as he told artists they are “sharers in God’s dream.”

During the exceptional encounter, the Pope expressed his hope and prayer that their works “prove worthy of the women and men of this earth, and render glory to God who is the Father of all and whom all seek, also through the testimony of works of art.” 

The Holy Father thanked them for accepting his invitation, and expressed his joy to be among them. He recalled the Church’s long-standing “natural” and “special” relationship, or rather “friendship” over the centuries.

Spirit propels forward

Artists, he said, remind us that the dimension in which we move, is always that of the Spirit.  “Your art,” he said, “is like a sail swelling with the wind of the Spirit and propelling us forward.  The Church’s friendship with the arts is thus something quite natural.”

The Holy Father recalled that Romano Guardini once wrote that: “The situation of the artist is not unlike that of a child and even that of a visionary,” noting his intrigue over these two comparisons.   For Guardini, “a work of art opens a space into which we can step, in which we can breathe, move about and encounter objects and persons as they open up before us.” 

He reaffirmed that in the encounter with art, boundaries become more fluid, and the limits of our experience and understanding broaden.  With everything seeming more open and accessible, he said, “we experience the spontaneity of the child filled with imagination and the intuition of the visionary who grasps reality.”

‘Behold I am doing something new’

“For the artist is a child – by this I mean no offence,” he argued, who gives free rein to originality, novelty and creativity, and thus brings into the world something new and unprecedented.”   

“With your talents, you bring to light something exceptional; you enrich the world with something new.”

Pope Francis said he thinks back to those words found in the Prophet Isaiah, where God says: “Behold, I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:19).  In the Book of Revelation, he also recalled, God says the same thing: “See, I am making all things new” (21:15).    

“The creativity of the artist” he said, “can thus be said to share in God’s own passion for creation.  You are sharers in God’s dream!” 

The Holy Father said it is not enough to see, there is the need to be able to dream.

Ability to dream

Recalling Guardini’s visionary-like description of artists, the Pope confirmed they are a bit like prophets, noting their ability to see things both in depth and from afar, “like sentinels who strain their eyes, peering into the horizon and discerning deeper realities.”  

In doing so, Pope Francis urged, “you are called to reject the allure of that artificial, skin-deep beauty so popular today and often complicit with economic mechanisms that generate inequality: a fake, cosmetic beauty, a greasepaint that conceals rather than reveals.” 

The Pope said that In Italian, the word for “makeup” is also the word for “trick,” “since a touch of deception is always present.”  

“You want to distance yourselves from that kind of beauty; instead, your art strives to act as a conscience critical of society, unmasking truisms.”

Like the biblical prophets, he said artists often confront that which is “uncomfortable,” often criticizing “today’s false myths and new idols, its empty talk, the ploys of consumerism, the schemes of power.”

The human dimension of humanity

The Pope called on them to discern genuine religiosity, “too often presented in trite or demeaning ways.” 

“As visionaries, men and women of discernment, critical consciences, I consider you allies in so many things that are dear to me, like the defence of human life, social justice, concern for the poor, care for our common home, universal human fraternity.”

The Pope said the “humanness of humanity” is dear to him, because “that is also the great passion of God.” 

Art is drawn closer to faith, he continued to observe, since both tend to be troubling. 

“Neither art nor faith can leave things simply as they are,” he said, observing, “they change, transform and convert them.  Art can never serve as an anesthetic; it brings peace, yet far from deadening consciences, it keeps them alert. Often, as artists, you attempt to plumb the depths of the human condition, its dark abysses.”

The Pope called for being a light in the darkness. 

Desire for God

“In true beauty, we begin to experience the desire for God.”

Many today, he said, hope that art can return more and more to the cultivation of beauty.  Certainly, as I have said, there is also a kind of beauty that is futile, artificial, superficial, even dishonest.

The Pope said the important criterion for discerning the difference is harmony. 

“True beauty is in fact a reflection of harmony.  If I may say so,” he said, “harmony is the operative virtue of beauty, its deepest spirit, where the Spirit of God, the great harmonizer of the world, is at work.” 

Beauty is work of the Spirit

Harmony, he noted, exists when elements different from each other nonetheless form a unity.  This is not easy; only the Spirit can make this possible, as He did at Pentecost.

“Beauty is that work of the Spirit which creates harmony,” the Pope highlighted, exhorting the artists to let their “artistic genius pursue this course!”

Be interpreters of the poor’s silent plea

Before leaving, the Pope said he had one more thing to say, very close to his heart: “I would like to ask you not to forget the poor, those especially close to the heart of Christ, those affected by all of today’s many forms of poverty.”  

The poor too, he noted, need art and beauty.  “Some are living lives of great hardship, and so have even greater need of this.  Usually, they have no voice to make themselves heard. 

“You can choose to become the interpreters of their silent plea.”

Leaving expressing esteem

The Pope thanked the artists, and said, “once more I affirm my esteem for you. 

“I hope and pray that your works will prove worthy of the women and men of this earth, and render glory to God who is the Father of all and whom all seek, also through the testimony of works of art.”

The Holy Father concluded, asking them to “please, each in your own way, pray for me.” – Vatican News

Previous Post

June 24 2023

Next Post

Pope Francis: “Edna, I accompany you on your journey!”

Related Posts

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證
Chinese

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

July 11, 2025
Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan
Bahasa Melayu

Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

July 11, 2025
Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi
Bahasa Melayu

Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

July 11, 2025
Next Post
Pope Francis: “Edna, I accompany you on your journey!”

Pope Francis: "Edna, I accompany you on your journey!"

Recent News

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

July 11, 2025
Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

July 11, 2025
Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

July 11, 2025
Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

July 11, 2025
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minor reshuffle and new appointment of priests

Minor reshuffle and new appointment of priests

July 15, 2024
Enggan punya anak, antara sebab perpisahan suami-isteri

Enggan punya anak, antara sebab perpisahan suami-isteri

May 20, 2025
Minor transfer of priests

Minor transfer of priests

November 11, 2023
Tender Notice St Catherine of Laboure Church, Putatan

Tender Notice St Catherine of Laboure Church, Putatan

April 29, 2025
The Church wants to be more the ‘inn’ of the Good Samaritan for the sick

The Church wants to be more the ‘inn’ of the Good Samaritan for the sick

Parishioners are invited to help form prophetic and servant priests

Parishioners are invited to help form prophetic and servant priests

Archdiocesan Notice on SSPX

Archdiocesan Notice on SSPX

April 28 2020

April 28 2020

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

July 11, 2025
Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

July 11, 2025
Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

July 11, 2025
Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

July 11, 2025
Catholic Sabah

Catholic Sabah is a media organization based in Sabah Malaysia. We bring you the latest Catholic news right to your doorstep!

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Asia
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Borneo: Ordinary Person, Extraordinary Faith
  • Chinese
  • Feature
  • Focus
  • Im on my Way
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
  • Local
  • Making A Difference
  • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
  • Nation
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Readings
  • Reflection: Straight Talking
  • Statements
  • Vatican
  • World

Recent Additions

教會團體禧年慶: 聆聽聖神的叮嚀, 為基督作見證

Kasih Tuhan menyatukan perbezaan

Bangunan MADIKA kini giat beroperasi

Pope Leo: Hope is source of joy no matter our age

Religious dimensions of peacemaking for a war-torn world

Catholic University in Erbil looks ahead to 10-year anniversary

  • About
  • Contact

© 2024 Catholic Sabah - Powered by KK Top Web.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Feature
  • Statements
  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate

© 2024 Catholic Sabah - Powered by KK Top Web.