BOMBSHELL: RITA FERRONE OF PRAYTELL AGREES WITH ME ABOUT NOTRE DAME’S LITURGICAL ACCESSORIES…

 

From Praytell:

Notre-Dame’s renovation

A great deal can be said in praise of the renovation of Notre-Dame in Paris after the devastating fire that took place five years ago. The light is wonderful. The renewal of the devotional spaces is admirable, and the overall design has been strengthened. 

The liturgical furniture itself, however, was disappointing. These elements (font, altar, ambo, chair) are the ones that ought to be most deeply rooted, as celebration of the liturgy is the primary reason for the church’s existence. Instead, they appear as “strange visitors” unrelated to the rest of the building. 

There are ways in which modern art can harmonize with a medieval building, but these were not pursued. A severely abstract program seems to have been chosen instead. The artist-designer also seems to have had little real appreciation of the liturgical function of these items, as questions of accessibility and Christian symbolism also arise. 

My analysis appears in the January issue of Commonweal magazine. You can read the whole thing here.