2013-02-07 16:38:15

“Peter’s Journey,”: Exhibition opened


February 7, 2013: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, formally opened “Peter’s Journey,” an exhibition at Castel Sant’Angelo featuring paintings and sculptures from the fourth century to the present.

“When it is a question of communicating the loftiest truths, it is necessary that they make a mark, with the best possible repertoire of means, materials, gestures and words that we have at our disposal,” Cardinal Bertone said. “The Church has always encouraged love for art.”

“The human and spiritual adventure of Simon Peter reminds us that faith is not the result of a rational process, nor merely some heritage that has been passed down to us, even though it was won with blood,” he continued. “Faith is a gift of God which, if it is lived to the full, does not leave man at the mercy of mediocrity.”

“Christian faith is not a cold and arrogant possession of truths to be grasped,” he added. “Rather, it is being won over by the revelation that God is the love on which we may depend, in spite of such reasons as effort, anxiety and concern which can sometimes overwhelm us.”

In a press conference to launch the exhibition earlier, Archbishop Reni Fisichella had outlined the context and motivation behind the exhibition, to some extent echoing the reasons behind the year of faith outlined by Pope Benedict in Porta Fidei in 2011. Fisichella had noted that the life of the first Pope is a remarkable journey of faith, one for today's humanity, which seeks, finds and having found follows. The exhibition, as outlined in the press release, presents faith as an enchanted response to an encounter, to the provocation of God, who always makes the first move, through bewilderment, disorientation and the shattering of certainties to the warmth of brotherhood and fellowship and the transformation of the person, who, in him or herself, becomes an artistic masterpiece.

The exhibition has gathered together works from many different museums and collections in several different countries, some seen for the first time. They range from the 5th through until the beginning of the 20th century. George de la Tour's 'The Liberation of Peter' from Berlin (pictured) is included alongside works by Lorenzo Veneziano, Gerrit van Honthorst, Guido Reni and Marco Basaiti, which narrate different episodes in the life of St Peter. The exhibition is open until May.








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