Pope Benedict XVI in English - Weekly General Audience
My dear brothers and sisters, I have been speaking in recent weeks about medieval
theology, and would now like to turn my attention to how the Christian faith of the
Middle Ages inspired some of the greatest works of art of all time: the cathedrals
of Europe. Romanesque cathedrals are distinctive for their size and for introducing
to churches beautiful sculpture, including the image of Christ as the Universal Judge
and the Gate of Heaven. By entering through Him, as it were, the faithful enter a
space and even a time different from everyday life, somewhere they can anticipate
eternal life through their participation in the liturgy. Gradually, Gothic architecture
replaced the Romanesque, adding height and luminosity to the previous style. The Gothic
cathedral translates the aspirations of the soul into architectural lines, and is
a synthesis between faith, art and beauty which still raises our hearts and minds
to God today. When faith encounters art, in particular in the liturgy, a profound
synthesis is created, making visible the Invisible, and the two great architectural
styles of the Middle Ages demonstrate how beauty is a powerful means to draw us closer
to the Mystery of God. May the Lord help us to rediscover that “way of beauty”, surely
one of the best ways to know and to love Almighty God. * * * I am pleased to greet
all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s audience, especially the board
members of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations. Upon you all I cordially
invoke God’s abundant blessings!