And a surprise news snippet on my favourite artist Caravaggio:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8426166.stm
I really dislike/find distasteful the exhibiting of human relics, be they religious or not. When I went on holiday to Rome, I really did not take to the forearm of St Francis Xavier over his altar in the Gesu (no probs with St Ignatius being under and altar in the same Church). Perhaps it's a matter of cultural temperament, but I honestly fail to see any benefit to anyone by this sort of exhibition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8426166.stm
I really dislike/find distasteful the exhibiting of human relics, be they religious or not. When I went on holiday to Rome, I really did not take to the forearm of St Francis Xavier over his altar in the Gesu (no probs with St Ignatius being under and altar in the same Church). Perhaps it's a matter of cultural temperament, but I honestly fail to see any benefit to anyone by this sort of exhibition.
I understand your feelings about relics. I visited Rome a couple of years ago and visited many tombs at St. Peter's and elsewhere. That was fine with me, but I can see how body parts can be disconcerting and even macabre. I would venture to say that if Francisco Javier were around to have a say in the matter, he'd like his whole body at rest in the same place, perhaps under an altar.
ReplyDeleteDavid