杏MAP导航 to artists: Beauty is work of the Holy Spirit
By Joseph Tulloch
杏MAP导航 Francis on Monday welcomed to the Vatican members of the Ente dello Spettacolo Foundation, a Catholic organisation which promotes cinema in Italy.
Setting aside his prepared remarks, the Holy Father spoke off-the-cuff to participants about the significance of beauty, and its relationship with harmony, which he identified as 鈥渢he work of the Holy Spirit.鈥�
Neglecting beauty
The 杏MAP导航 began by expressing his appreciation for the work of those in the film industry, which he called 鈥渢he work of beauty.鈥�
Despite its importance, the 杏MAP导航 said, beauty is not always given sufficient attention within the Church. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been left to one side, or at least in the corner鈥�, he explained. 鈥淭heology books talk a lot about the verum, truth; they speak a lot about bonum [the good], but not so much about beauty.鈥�
"It almost seems like discussing beauty isn鈥檛 relevant to theological and pastoral reflection," he said, before adding, in a reference to a famous line from Dostoyesky, that it is "beauty that will save us."
Beauty as harmony
Beauty, the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渋s harmony, the work of the Holy Spirit.鈥�
鈥淲hen we see the work of the Holy Spirit, which is harmonising differences,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hen we understand what beauty is. Beauty is the work of the Holy Spirit that harmonises everything 鈥� contraries, opposites, everything.鈥�
He gave the example of the morning of Pentecost: 鈥淭here鈥檚 that big fuss, everyone鈥檚 talking, nobody knows what鈥檚 going on, a great disorder 鈥� It鈥檚 the Spirit that harmonises all of this.鈥�
Cinema, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, aims at harmony, and the greatest works of cinema are those which manage to convey 鈥渉armony, both in joy and in pain, human harmony.鈥�
The importance of cinema
杏MAP导航 Francis ended his address by thanking those present, and reflecting on the importance of the film industry.
鈥淭hank you for your work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 evangelical work. Poetic work too, because cinema is poetry; giving life is poetic. I thank you for your journey: keep going, keep going, in the footsteps of the greats. You Italians have a glorious history of this. Keep going.鈥�
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