Pope Francis: What is the cultural heritage of the Catholic spiritual leader?
propagandaWhen Pope Francis He died on Easter Monday In 88, the main headlines, as logical, focused in their role as a global spiritual leader. As the owner of the Library’s guardian and artistic groups in the Vatican, his cultural heritage – especially in the arts – was also important.
It was the first inch He visited Venice BiennialThe most famous contemporary art exhibition in the world. It also opened a contemporary art gallery inside Vatican LibraryHe made high -level data on cultural recovery and has repeatedly called the power of creativity to rid the human relationship.
Francisco sees artists, with their own words Architects for a better future.
His vision was marked by art in depth with the saint who adopted his name. Like San Francisco de Assis -which appears frequently in Renaissance paintingAnd the preaching of birds or the receipt of stigma, Pope Francis was attracted to nature, poverty and pastoral simplicity. The 2015 Encyclopedia of Climate Change, “Laudato Si”, was named from the San Francisco creature song, and cited it Fresco de Giotto In Asizi as a source of inspiration.
But despite its spiritual tendencies, Francisco did not maintain art in the summary field. In 2023, three shrapnel returned to Greece SculpturesFrankly, he said: “The seventh will come to mind: If you stole something, you must return it.” He continued: “If you can return things, as it is necessary to make a gesture, it is better to do this. (…) so that you do not get used to putting your hands in the pockets of others.”
The recovery was framed as a “donation” of the Orthodox Church in Greece and coincided with its efforts to deepen the ecumenical relations. During a visit to Partenon In 2021, Francisco said: “History makes his weight feel, and here, today, I feel the need to seek forgiveness for God and our brothers about the mistakes made by many Catholics.”
In addition, Francisco modified the strength of art – and the artists themselves – in the transformation of society. In Venice in 2024, he arrived Women’s prison on Geodikka Islandwhere Apostolic chair suite As part of every two years. Some open works were created with prisoners. In his speech, Francisco Coreta Kent was martyred, Ferida Kazi Y Louise Burgua As artists, “they had an important thing to teach us,” and praised the transformational force of creativity: “The world needs artists. It is clear from many people of all ages who repeat places and artistic events.”
Every two years of that year, entitled Foreigners everywhereFocus especially on marginalized sounds. The Pope’s visit, according to the organizers of every two years, was an “unusual gesture of rapprochement” and reflects “the construction of the culture of the meeting.”
In addition to every two years, personally authorized Artworks restoration projects He continued with the acquisition of contemporary works, a tradition that dates back to Paul VI. Vatican collections now include Chagal, Picasso, Dali and Matis works, as well as biblical interpretations of the most modern artists such as Azzurro and Richard Long.
In 2023, and The National Exhibition de Lundres It was organized by the first exhibition in the UK dedicated to the tongue of Francisco. The Pope sent a message, describing the saint as “the beloved of God,”. This sample is a mixed historical works Bottiseli And El Greco with recent interpretations of artists such as Anthony Jormley.
The exhibition director, Gabriel, said the final, San Francisco It attracts “equal to Christians and non -Christians, employees, revolutionaries, and animal lovers who work for the causes of human solidarity.”
Nevertheless, Francisco’s cultural mandate He was not exempted from criticism. In 2024, nearly 50 workers at the Vatican Museum made a collective claim against the administration, claiming bad working conditions and insecure practices. The request described the employees as “goods”, requesting greater transparency and protecting basic work.
The issue is still open, but it undermines the Vatican image as an ethical world heritage official. Whether it is loyal and strategic, his Vatican approach was presented to a new dialogue with the contemporary world, from GIUDECCA to rooms National exhibition London.
