Not Recommended For Children

THE historical reasons are flimsy but St Mary of the Cross (Mackillop) is patroness of the Brisbane archdiocese. And this is how she’s honoured in St Stephen’s Chapel in the city’s cathedral precinct. Conventional post-conciliar neo-iconoclasm, the work is already smashed for two reasons. First, to extirpate any remnants of Catholic orthodoxy in the gazers. They are demoralised into identifying with Mary Mackillop horizontally as a creature becoming in the world, not vertically as a saint who transcended it. Second, the desire to throw out this hideous object is neutered by the feeling that it already has been. That’s precisely why modern ecclesiastical art and design have lasted longer than they should have: they survive because of the very apathy they canonise. More than the last word in tyre-swan craft, tree-trunk Mary also exemplifies the aesthetic despotism of the age. Don’t look for beauty; face the misery. The difference between ‘forward-looking’ liberals in the Church and so-called traditionalists is that the latter – accused of looking back – are actually doing the apostolic thing of looking all around. Like the little ones instinctively do.

7 Responses to Not Recommended For Children

Gab says:

9 August, 2022 at 6:00 am

They are demoralised into identifying with Mary Mackillop horizontally as a creature becoming in the world, not vertically as a saint who transcended it.

Precisely, CL.

Still admire your wordsmithing.
Entropy says:

9 August, 2022 at 7:29 am

Still a graven image anyway.
cuckoo says:

9 August, 2022 at 8:43 am

It looks like that image of Jesus which was ‘retouched’ by the Italian cleaning lady.
Franx says:

9 August, 2022 at 9:30 am

Graven image, yes; and that is what has been pointed out as being wrong with it, for the work remains nothing but a graven image insofar as it does not speak of an otherness nor inspire participation in anything beyond itself.
Bruce of Newcastle says:

9 August, 2022 at 9:56 am

Apposite are these two stories today.

Vatican Taps Ex-Greenpeace Leader to Oversee Move to Zero Emissions (8 Aug)

Christian Today Laments ‘End of the Anglican Communion’ (8 Aug)

The provocative article written by contributing editor Rev. David Baker underscores the growing disunion among different Anglican provinces stemming primarily from different approaches to sexual morality, ranging from strict adherence to biblical teaching to a revisionist, secular-friendly stance toward sex and gender.

The Lambeth Conference 2022, which concluded Sunday, was the latest in a series of such meetings, which take place once a decade.

I’ve attended Anglican churches in the past. What was a ‘broad church’ is now one where seemingly half aren’t Christian at all, but are some strange pagan druidic sex cult. It would be a relief if they split, so that at least the other half can get on with being faithful believers of the Bible and Jesus Christ.
C.L. says:

9 August, 2022 at 10:00 am

In the 1980s, St Stephen’s needed renovation because it was allegedly dilapidated – whereupon it was entirely gutted and re-designed specifically for the “new liturgy.”

Featuring “trapeze Jesus” and a decor that is late contemporary airport/early Christopher Skase, the high altar was deliberately removed forever, the tabernacle was shooed out the back like a beer fridge (more accurately, it was wilfully degraded to resemble a foot locker) and the ambo and altar were made to rhyme so as to create an equality between the ‘table of the meal’ and the ‘table of the Word.’ Old St Stephen’s was also renovated – as a stylistic tribute to Calvinism.
C.L. says:

9 August, 2022 at 1:42 pm

It would be a relief if they split, so that at least the other half can get on with being faithful believers of the Bible and Jesus Christ.

Easier said than done, though, alas, largely because of property and financial considerations. Heretics prefer to take over the host rather than go their own way.