Modern Catholic churches are ugly says Vatican Museum chief

VATICAN MUSEUM DIRECTOR Antonio Paolucci today criticised contemporary-style churches for lacking “form” and harked back to the Baroque era when he said that shrines embodied religious faith.  [The buildings should evoke a sense that it is a house of worship, not some ghastly grotesque building with irregular shapes!]

Award-winning architect Richard Meier’s Church of God the Merciful Father in Rome (pictured) “could just as well be a museum in Texas or an auditorium in Melbourne”, he wrote in the Vatican’s official Osservatore Romano daily.

Paolucci, who is also the head of cultural heritage for the Vatican, said what was lacking in these structures was the “church form”.

“The beautiful, functional, symbolically efficient building that can serve as a model still does not exist, or at least I have not found it,” he said.

Paolucci said that religious faith in Russia survived through 70 years of Communist atheism thanks to the many churches that were preserved.  [The beautiful Russian Orthodox churches survived the communist regime!  Now it is different!  The beautiful churches cannot survive the hysteria of priests, religious and bishops of the Catholic Church barking mad the so-called Spirit of Vatican II!]

The Vatican official said he spoke about the matter with Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno and the cardinal vicar of Rome Agostino Vallini this week at the presentation of a book illustrating 45 new churches built in the Italian capital since 2000.

Paolucci is not the first Vatican voice to criticise contemporary churches.

Vatican culture chief Gianfranco Ravasi has said many modern churches are “inhospitable” and even compared them to “pretentious and vulgar houses” that were as alienating as a concert hall.


***

I once talked to a priest who saw a new massive church built.  He belonged to a religious order.  I told him how beautiful the church was, trying to be polite and all, but in my opinion the church is massively ugly.

The elderly priest said "Brother!  This church is ugly!  It is too ugly to be called a Catholic Church! Too ugly to be called an auditorium!  And to beautiful to be called a gymnasium!  You know why?!  Most gyms don't have a resurrected Christ and marble stage!"

Taj Mahoney fever!!!!

This is the former cathedral of Los Angeles, Sta. Vibiana.

And this is the new cathedral, Our Lady of the Angels, aka Taj Mahoney

Which looks like a house of worship for you, huh?

Don't be fooled!

It is not just the exterior that is suspect!  Most eco-friendly and feminist nuns like to "design" their chapels and altars with lots of plants and jars.

NEW AGE ALERT!

If I find the photos I'll share them with you soon.

Here is one example!

Shared by a friend.  Our Lady of Grace in Caloocan City.  I heard that a nun, a member of the Oblates of Notre Dame "designed" this.

Is this another expression of Maria Makiling or what?!  See that jar lying on its side?  Made me laugh.  Hahahaha!!!