Pope: beauty and art foster
brotherhood, openness
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| Pope Francis inaugurating the Ethnological Museum at the Vatican Museums on October 18, 2019 |
Pope Francis on Friday inaugurated the “Anima Mundi”
Ethnological Museum and the Amazonia Exhibition at the Vatican Museums.
By Robin Gomes
“Beauty unites us. It invites us to live human
brotherhood, countering the culture of resentment, racism and nationalism
which is always lurking.” Pope Francis made the point Friday evening
while inaugurating the “Anima Mundi” Ethnological Museum and the Amazonia
Exhibition at the Vatican Museums.
“May this Ethnological Museum preserve its specific identity
over time and remind everyone of the value of harmony and peace between peoples
and nations,” he wished, hoping that its art collection will “make the voice of
God resound in those who visit this collection”.
The inauguration of the museum and the exhibition were timed
for the October 6-27 Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region, currently taking place in
the Vatican.
Home for all
Commenting on the words “Anima Mundi”, the Latin for “The
Soul of the World”, the Pope said the Vatican Museums are called to be a living
"house", with doors open to the peoples of the whole world, where
everyone feels represented and where the gaze of the Church leaves no one out.
The Pope said that those who enter the “Anima Mundi”
Ethnological Museum should feel there is room for them, their people, tradition
and culture. The European, the Indian, the Chinese, the native of the
Amazonian or Congolese forest, of Alaska, of the Australian deserts or of the
islands of the Pacific, he said, are all represented in the shadow of the dome
of St Peter's, close to the heart of the Church and the Pope. This is because
art is not something uprooted but is born from the heart of peoples. It is a
message from the heart of peoples to the heart of peoples.
The Pope said that at the Ethological Museum, a person’s art
is accorded the same passion and care as the masterpieces of the Renaissance,
the Greek or Roman art which attract millions of people every year. Here,
there is a special space for dialogue, for openness to the other and for
encounter.
Spirit of openness
The Pope underscored transparency as an important value,
especially in ecclesial institutions. Since works of art are the
expression of the spirit of the people, he said, we must always look to each
culture, to the other, with an openness of spirit and benevolence.
In this regard, he recalled that a few months ago, some
Chinese artworks from the “Anima Mundi” Ethnological Museum were sent to
Beijing, and before that, other artworks had been sent to some Islamic
countries. Through arts, the Pope said, initiatives can be carried out,
and barriers and distances can be overcome.
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