La Sagrada Familia: The Expiatory Church - Essay Example

La Sagrada Familia: The Expiatory Church Spiritual matters are an interest to many people; this means that their perspectives, to a large extent, are affected by their views on spirituality. Although spiritual experiences are possible to articulate, conveying them is limited by our limitation of symbolic language (Barrie et al, 4). Barrie et al tries to underscore what could be looked at as spiritual in architecture. They outline several ways that architecture express, integrate and accommodate spirituality. Some of the ways include a place built in a way to symbolize religious beliefs as well as enable communal rituals, a place deemed by contemporary culture to possess accessible knowledge that is applicable in the present and also a place with an important cultural meaning that was established by historical or archeological indication and by a community. These observations were confirmed by my experience visiting La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. The suggestion by my sister to go to Spain for Easter last year received an instant yes. My love for architecture had led me to anticipate Spain since I knew it is rich in Architecture and artistic expressions. Our first destination would be La Sagrada Familia. Archbishop John Quinn, the chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy said that those who are “called to worship must be concerned about the vital role art… play in that central action of the community of faith, the household of the Lord” (Bishops Committee on Liturgy, 2). His words are proven true by the nature of the church; it is an expiatory church. This means that since its onset 130 years ago, it has been built by donations from the people. As Gaudi desired, ‘it is made by the people and is mirrored in them’ (La Sagrada Website). I knew visiting the expiatory church would not only satisfy my admiration for architecture but it would also help me reconnect with God at Easter, a time that we celebrate the love and sacrifice of Christ through commemorating his suffering, death and resurrection. Since Pope Benedict XVI had consecrated it as a minor basilica on November 2010, I was sure that many people would be visiting. We bought the ticket package which included an audio guide online and printed them to avoid the long queues. With only 13 Euros we were ready to explore the exteriors, the interiors, the towers and the museum for as long as the energy within us could last. The metro dropped us at La Sagrada Familia some minutes to 9: 00 AM. What met my eyes was way out of my imaginations. Although I had seen other magnificent buildings, the sight of this one greeted me with so much awe that I could not wait to understand how its idea has been carried from one architect to another for over a hundred years. According to the La Sagrada Familia Website, this work began on 19th March 1882. It was projects of a diocesan architect Francisco de Paula Del Villar. It was not until the end of 1883 that Gaudi, whose work and devotion is attributed to this wonder in Bacelona, was commission to do the work. He carried on the work until his death in 1926. The artists that have continued the work, anticipated to end in 2030, have continued the work after Gaudi’s original idea. “Architecture aims at eternity” these were the words of Sir Christopher Wren. On a light note, La Sagrada Familia seems to have taken eternity to complete. But on a more serious and spiritual sense, this church linked me to my hope for eternity. The most intriguing thing about the church is the combination of the mediaeval rough, unpolished look, which proves its existence for several hundred years, and the new 21st century softness on the recently constructed parts of the building. At the entrance, the giant catenry arches that welcomes you as they stretch their weird arms gives you the desire to see more. The view at the entrance is intriguing; the way the columns are mirrored in such a way that they look like trees and branches. The detail reminds me of the way water falls from leaves and trees on a rainy day. When standing at an angle, the pillars looks like trees in the forest, this is because Gaudi has used the 5 standard type of a design. The most interesting thing about the pillars is that they are built from top down. Although the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy agrees that God cannot be contained in our images or art forms, they can be paths to approach God and ways of touching him (Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, 6). Despite the fact that architects use art to celebrate the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, they are influenced by cultural circumstances. However, I must say that Gaudi represented the bible in stone in this piece of work. Inside, there was much room for the involuntary rotation one makes – I made many of those! We got out of the elevator of what I could compare with a 20-storrey building to be greeted by a breathtaking sight of the building. Deep emotions were stirred deep in my spirit that I forgot my fear for heights. Liturgy offers the experience of mystery; this demands it to be celebrated in an environment which invites contemplation; to see beyond the thing a nous of the holy. According to the Bishops’ Committee on the liturgy, “one should be able to sense something special and nothing trivial in everything that is heard and seen…” (Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, 5). Gaudi work agrees with this view; he gave meaning to every little scene in the cathedral. At the advice of the guide, we started with the Nativity façade which has four towers. This façade was the first to be built and it symbolizes the birth of Jesus. La Sagrada Familia is one of the most expensive project. Visitors are able to see the origins of the temple and how it was devised. I must admit that pictures do not do justice to the mystery and the beauty exemplified here. Getting into the lift that takes people the tower of Passion Façade, I was able to experience the breathtaking, yet spiritually connecting view through the unfinished works of construction. We decided to start with the nativity façade, this, in a way, helped me connect with the onset of my Christian faith. To depict this Gaudi puts a lot of detail of people and animals celebrating the birth of Christ. He uses animals like tortoises, chameleons and crocodiles. There is a nave that links the Nativity and Passion façade. On visiting the Passion façade, the contrast of the two facades doubly inspires. It is like reading one of the gospels which narrates the birth, life and finally the death of Jesus Christ. It is here, inspired by Gaudi’s great work of art that I fully connected to the season of Easter. The disturbing thing about the church is that on location, you are not sure how much admiration you accord to the three things you admire; the architect, the architecture or the inspirer of the work. I guess I admired all but reconnected more to my faith and God himself. I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I have not done anything much to display my faith in what I do. John Gedall says that architecture and religion were isomorphic; architecture equaled religious imagination in many ways. Just like religion establishes a notion about the relationship between human beings and the divine, so was architecture (Gedall, 117). Gedall quotes Massimo Cacciari who says that architecture erects the temple and sculpture places the image of god within. For me, it was more than a touristic venture; I was able to reconnect with my faith. However at many stops I would ask myself which one took more weight. Sagrada Familia tells the story of the Christian Faith. I marveled at how this great architectural work could be so well thought to depict the life of Jesus and the history of my Christian faith. Amidst my marvels of this expiatory church, I asked myself whether coming to church here would change my attention form the architect to God. Church is defined as “The building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive sacraments and celebrate the Eucharist” (Right of Dedicatin of a Church and Altar, Ch 2). It also means the living temple; the people of God. This building is seen by God’s people as the house of God and a place where they gather for prayers. Consequently, the church must express God’s presence and should be appropriate for celebrating the sacrifice of Christ. It should also reflect the community that worships in it. The design of the building is of critical significance. As the U.S. Catholic Bishops – Committee on the Liturgy (USCCB) rightly notes, the church should be a place to encounter God. The committee further explains that, the churches’ “suitability for worship is determined by their ability through the actectural design of spce and the application of the artistic gifts to embody God’s initiative and the community’s faithful response” (USCCB, 8). Both the external and internal structure of the church should express the dignity and beauty of God’s holy people and should also be reflective of the rites they celebrate. Architecture and art should be seen as the joint work of the local community of and the Holy Spirit, it prepares people to enter wholly into a communion with God. It also serves to evangelize; make know the sacrifice and of Christ for humanity. Gaudi does this in his design of La Sagrada Familia. The landscaping coupled with its art work and lighting proclaims the gospel to a city even before anyone enters the building. I have seen the crucifix of Christ uncountable times; it is embodied in my memory, but the sight of the Crucified Christ at Sagrada Familia is breathtaking. It receives illumination from a huge sky light positioned hundreds of feet above it. The crucifix is at the center of the catholic faith. As Michael Rose argues, the crucifix and the Liturgy, the altar and the church are inseparable. This is because mass is fundamentally rooted in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. As the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy writes, the liturgical celebration involve a person’s different human faculties; “body, mind, senses, imagination, emotions and memory” (Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, 4). Therefore, this calls not only for contemporary liturgical renewal but also architecture that will provoke and satisfy a holistic experience. A contemporary church architect, Mario Botta, is of the view that an architect should reflect deeply on the geography and history of a structure as well as the social role before designing it. As opposed to Gaudi, Botta’s architectural work does not embrace traditional symbols or iconography. He appreciates that people have a deed and personal need to connect with the sacred. His perspective is that, although symbols and icons evoke awe and devotion, they do not underwrite this spiritual need. However like Gaudi, he uses “geometry, material and form to evoke the sacred” (Moffit, 6). Michael Rose describes the experience of a traditional minded Roman catholic in a modern church in a sarcastic way. He says, the pilgrim “cannot find the front door, which is not different from the front door. When he does, he is likely to wind up in a lobby that gives no clue to the purpose of the building. In the worship space, the baptismal font resembles a hot tub, the tabernacle resembles a bird feeder and worst of all, there is no crucifix” (Bernstein Fred, 3) The experience I had at La Sagrada Familia contrasted with my lifelong experience in a modern catholic church makes me identify with Michael Rose’s sarcasm to some extent. I had been in other buildings in Barcelona, but this piece of work is ruthlessly unique. It has a wooing demand for a personal connection. Contemporary church renewal requires a community to recognize the sacred. A great way that this can be fostered is by the use of art. Incorporating art that depicts spiritual significance todays sacred places can gain relevance in a the 21st century world whose secularization has continually increase. The architectural design of the sacred place should answer to an individual’s yearning to connect personally with the sacred. The Council fathers appreciate the fact that the church does not claim to own a particular style of art. It has accepted styles from different periods permitting circumstances of peoples and their different talents. Consequently, over the centuries it has built a repertoire of art which requires care to preserve. It is a challenge to build a church in a multi-ethnic social setting. Sticking to Gaudi’s designs and ideas helps correct the distortions which come with urbanization. The liturgy makes demands of quality and appropriateness. Quality here alludes to the evidence of love and care while designing something. It also suggests the special gift of the artist to produce a well-crafted, harmoniously whole piece of work. Appropriateness, as the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy proposes, must be exemplified in the ability of the art to invoke a mystery, reverence and awe as well as it must aid ritual action. (Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, 11). The church teaches that Christ of the altar, therefore its design should show his strength, dignity, beauty and simplicity. (USCCB, 15). According to the USCCB, the Baptistry should reflect should mirror the journey of a Christian, through the waters of baptism to the altar. To bring out this relationship, the baptismal font and the altar could be place on the same architectural axis or by use of natural and artificial lighting. We also visited the school, which was built by Gaudi in 1800s but it was burnt down during the Spanish civil war. It was later restored. It is situated on one corner of the church and is attended by children of the popes and children of the builders of the church. Other than filling one with awe, La Sagrada Familia nourished the spiritual and creative needs of a person. As I awed at the sight I concluded in my mind that this work not only inspires Christians or Catholics but anyone with eyes can get inspired. The museum, which as we were told will someday be the crypt, is underground and runs from that nativity façade to the passion façade. By the time we wound our visit, I was left totally inspired spiritually. I could not help to wonder whose will it was to keep La Sagrada Familia going, is it the faith of man or the will of God himself. Gaudi thought it belonged to both, he said that, “the church is a work in God’s hands and the people’s will.” Art plays a major role in integrating spiritual concepts that we hold dear. La Sagrada Familia does not only put in perspective the identity a catholic believer but it also brings together the community (the church is a community of believers). La Sagrada Familia encourages commitment in the believers through giving and it also embodies the three core Christian values; charity, faith and hope. References Barrie Tom, Bermudez, Geva Anat and Teal Randall, Architecture, Culture & Spirituality (ACS): Creating a Forum for scholarship and discussion of Spirituality and meaning in the built environment, n.d, available on http://www.acsforum.org/ACS_proposal.pdf Gendall John, The Religious Imagination in Modern and Contemporary Architecture: A Reader, 2011, The Journal of Design History, Volume 25, Issue 1. Moffit Debra, The Contemporary face of the Sacred Space, Faith and Form, The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture, Vol XL, No. 2 2007 Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, 1977, National Conference of Catholic Bishops. http://web.sbu.edu/theology/bychkov/art_catholic1.pdf U.S. Catholic Bishops – Committee on the Liturgy, Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship, 2000, United States Conference of the Catholic Bishops Bernstein Fred, Religion Journal; Critic Takes Catholicism to Task for Architecture, 2002, The New York times, 7th September 2002. Read More