By email, I have recived news that on the feast of the Immaculate Conception (this Saturday 8 December) at 2pm, a group will gather to pray the Rosary in reparation, in front of the offensive painting. This is intended as peaceful witness to pray "as much of the Rosary as we can before being asked to leave."
I can't imagine why the authorities should ask people to leave. This kind of "art" is intended to provoke a reaction from ordinary viewers. Surly nobody is going to exercise any authority would want to rule out reparative prayer as a reaction? I would suggest that people have their mobiles and cameras ready in case anything like this happens.
If you want to join in, assemble in the Sunley Room (in the main building) shortly before 2pm. Remember that you need to deposit bags/umbrellas in the cloakroom.
If you can, please complain in writing to the Director, Nicholas Penny, at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN or information@ng-london.org.uk
The email also carried this prayer of Wiseman which is said as part of the Prayer for England on the third Saturday of the month. Always worth reposting:
O most loving Lord Jesus, Who, hanging on the Cross, didst commend us all in the person of Thy disciple John, to Thy most sweet Mother, that we might find in her our refuge, our solace, and our hope; look graciously upon our beloved country, and on those who are bereaved of so powerful a patronage; that, acknowledging once more the dignity of this holy Virgin, they may honour and venerate her with all affection of devotion, and own her as Queen and Mother. May her sweet name be lisped by the little ones, and linger on the lips of the aged and the dying; and may it be invoked by the afflicted, and hymned by the joyful; that this Star of the Sea being their protection and their guide, all may come to the harbour of eternal salvation. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen
8 comments:
The artist is dead and no doubt has had some explaining to do to his maker. The art work could never be taken as a realistic depiction of a 1st. c. virgin let alone one of outstanding virtue. It really doesn't deserve the oxygen of publicity, it's second rate and will soon be forgotten.
I'll accept the National Gallery's even-handedness when it displays an equally obscene depiction of, say, Mohammed and Aisha. As Voltaire said, you know who's in charge by who you're not allowed to offend.
Why is sin always seen as interesting, especially blasphemy and sacrilege, which are both really boring? Wait until the propagandists take over free England and all we have is state art...then the artists will really have something to abhor about instead of Our Pure and Holy Lady. And, what I can never understand is an attack against the Church or Christianity aimed at Christ's Mother? Really, really low and poor taste.
Thank God for those who will stand in front of this atrocious piece of garbage and pray the Rosary in reparation. As the other commenter correctly states - it would be so un-p.c. to do something like this with Mohammed or any other religion for that matter. It's just too disgusting for words! I hope they all get to the 15th decade and I will be joining in spiritually to. May Our Lady convert those who have promoted this travesty.
I am Orthodox and utterly appalled by the display of such a vile and blasphemous portrayal of the Mother of God in the National Gallery.
I will be spending time in prayer at home, in solidarity with all of those able to travel to pray in person on the 8th. Please keep us updated on events.
I’m sorry, Father, but I think that this is a really ill-conceived initiative, and I don’t think it is a good idea to promote it.
The National Gallery has quite legitimately put on a show of the work of an artist who, among other things, was interested in translating traditional iconographies and themes into a modern idiom, often taking Old Masters in the Gallery’s own collection at his starting point. So the ‘Annunciation’ and the ‘Passage of the Angel to the Virgin’ have to be seen in this context, and it is wrong to imply that the Gallery is deliberately displaying offensive images ‘in homage to’ Richard Hamilton. I don’t feel particularly comfortable about these works, but I think that it would be hard to demonstrate malice on the part of the artist – rather, perhaps, that he was ignorant and misguided, running with an idea with inappropriate results. Whether or not the National Gallery should exercise censorship in such cases is at least worthy of debate. But frankly, there are far worse things around, and in any case the ‘Annunciation’ has been in the Tate since 2005.
What good will this initiative do? Why draw attention to the pictures? After all, they are hardly great art! What on earth will other visitors think we are doing? They might think we’re praying in front of them! If one considers that reparation is necessary, wouldn’t it be better to miss a meal?
We are living in grave times, and it is absolutely crucial that the Church’s voice should be heard, and that it should be presented as a reasoned voice. That means we have to engage with the culture, not simply condemn it. While I would absolutely uphold our right to pray in public, this must surely be balanced with a consideration of the effect that a particular prayer in a particular place may have on the onlooker. Are we genuinely evangelising, or are we merely making ourselves feel better? The last thing we want is to add to the already widespread perception that we are a bunch of nutters!
While the indulgences may be outdated, perhaps the intention of the following might also be appropriate:
+++
The indulgence of seven years and seven quarantines, on all Sundays, to all the faithful who, being moved by a spirit of true religion to make some reparation for the injuries done to the honour of Mary, Mother of God, and to the saints, by heretics, and to defend and propagate the worship (cultus) and veneration of their sacred images and pictures, shall to this end say at morn the Salve Regina, &c., with the ℣℣. Dignare me, &c. and Benedictus Deus in sanctis suis, and at even the Sub tuum praesidium, &c. with the same versicles.
Salve regina, mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae; ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eja ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte; Et Jesum benedictum fructum ventris tui nobis post hoc exsilium ostende, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata.
R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.
V. Benedictus Deus in sanctis suis.
R. Amen.
Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix ; nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris, et a periculis cunctis libera nos semper Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.
The ℣℣. Dignare me, &c. as before.
+++
Hail, Queen, Mother of mercy, our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope, hail! Exiles, children of Eve, we cry to thee; to thee we sigh, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, gracious Advocate, turn thou upon us the eyes of thy tender mercy; and after this our exile ended, show unto us Jesus, the blessed Fruit of thy womb, O gentle, O tender, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Make me worthy to praise thee, Holy Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thine enemies.
V. Blessed be God in His saints.
R. Amen.
Beneath thy shelter we take refuge, Holy Mother of God; despise not thou our prayers in our necessities, and deliver us always from all dangers, O Virgin glorious and blessed.
+ The Raccolta: Collection of Indulgenced Prayers by Ambrose St. John, of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Birmingham, Authorized translation, 1857 edition, p. 164-166.
I went to this. I would estimate there were about thirty souls, mostly younger than me. I arrived towards the end of the first set of mysteries. The mysteries were interspersed with the Litany and other Marian prayers. There was only one security person there when I joined, but she scurried off when we began singing the Salve Regina, and when I looked around at the end, there were about 10 security people there, but no one interfered. At the end we said prayers for the Holy Souls, including the painter, and for the Gallery directors. Some people had strewn rose petals at the doorway. One or two people stared and I heard someone calling out when the organiser was winding up, but did not clearly hear what was said.
My teenage daughter, non practising, who had said she would wait in the cafe for me, had come up the stairs while we were singing, and stood quietly watching. She hasn't said anything since, about it, but she was very thoughtful, and I am glad I had the chance to witness publicly for my faith, though I take the points made by others about this...I think it was their gutting for me.
Post a Comment