Pope Francis welcomed more than 200 artists from around the world to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, in an event that marked a renewed engagement of the Roman Catholic Church with contemporary art.
The pope praised the artists for their creativity and their ability to communicate beauty, truth and goodness through their work. He also encouraged them to use their talents to address the social and environmental challenges of our time.
“Artists are called to be witnesses of hope, capable of generating new energies for a more human and caring society,” he said. “Art can contribute to the healing of a wounded world, by opening paths of dialogue, reconciliation and fraternity.”
The event was part of a broader initiative called “Courtyard of the Gentiles,” which aims to foster dialogue between the church and the secular world, especially in the fields of culture, science and art. The initiative was launched in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, who also invited artists to the Sistine Chapel in 2009.
Among the guests were some artists who have attracted controversy in the past, such as Maurizio Cattelan, whose sculpture of a crucified frog was condemned by some Catholics as blasphemous, and Andres Serrano, whose photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine sparked protests in the 1980s.
However, the pope did not shy away from engaging with these artists, and even joked with Cattelan about his recent work “Comedian,” which consisted of a banana taped to a wall. “You are courageous,” he told him.
The pope also expressed his admiration for Serrano’s photograph of a homeless man sleeping on a bench, which he said was “a cry that pierces our conscience.” He said he hoped that art could help people “to see with new eyes the face of those who suffer.”
