“Ecce homo” defaced during restoration attempt

This is a sad story about a piece of liturgical art in Spain. I hope they can figure out how to restore it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19349921

Kimberly Hope Belcher

Kimberly Belcher received her Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies at Notre Dame in 2009. After teaching at St John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, she returned to Notre Dame as a faculty member in 2013. Her research interests include sacramental theology (historical and contemporary), trinitarian theology, and ritual studies. Her interest in the church tradition is challenged, deepened, and inspired by her three children.


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3 responses to ““Ecce homo” defaced during restoration attempt”

  1. Michael Skaggs

    In all fairness, it wasn’t quite “defaced” as though a vandal ruined it on purpose. The poor woman just doesn’t haven’t the greatest touch.

  2. John Quinn

    Is this (the picture on the right) the equivalent of the new ‘corrected’ missal?

    Will Fr. Z., and our friends at Chant cafe & NLM be overwhelmed by this new, restored, original, literal & beautiful image?

    Is the image (on the left), the equivalent of Marty Haugen & David Haas?

    I am looking forward to Mr. Jeffrey Tucker’s next very long essay praising the superiority of this restoration.

    Surely this restoration represents Christ in his extraordinary form.

    God willing, this image, along with altar rails, latin and birettas and the abolition of the vernacular and guitars should be made available to all.

    Surely the former image, along with communion wine, women readers
    and increased scripture at Mass, should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

    Does anyone disagree?

  3. Jordan Zarembo

    Undoubtedly there are significant pastoral questions when a parishioner, for whatever reason, desires to create (or in this case, retouch) religious artwork. In particular, how should both the clergy and lay leaders of the parish incorporate the visual artistic creativity of certain members of the community into liturgy without patronizing the artists? Not many persons, I suspect, would disagree that self-expression through art can be rehabilitative and emotionally restorative. To what degree should therapeutic visual artistic self-expression be incorporated into the parish community?

    I cannot provide an easy answer. Yet I suspect that not a few persons desire to express their devotion through visual art. I can say that a dismissal of a person’s aspirations based on his or her “talent” is not only insulting but also a reductionist view of the intersection of devotion and artistic expression. It is certainly untrue that only persons who paint “well” (i.e. according to certain cultural standards of artistic merit) are spiritually insightful.

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