Intolerance of Religion

In response to attacks on churches and sacred art, we are called to model charity, reason and civility

IN RECENT MONTHS, there have been reports about the destruction of church property almost daily. In July, for example, the medieval Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France, was set ablaze by an arsonist. In Florida, a man rammed a car into the front of a Catholic church and poured gasoline on the floor. Vandals have destroyed statues of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints. On one statue of Mary, the word “idol” was scrawled with spray paint. Numerous statues of St. Junípero Serra have been destroyed, both on public and church property.

These are not isolated incidents. Christian iconography is, unfortunately, caught up in the cultural debate about statues erected in honor of historical figures, such as presidents, military leaders, and explorers, including Christopher Columbus. To be sure, history has produced more than its share of scoundrels, but vandalism leaves no room for reasoned discussion and no regard for historical accuracy. The question of which statues should stand on public land should be decided not by an angry mob but by civil dialogue.

But churches do not belong to the public, and the statues that adorn them are treasured by their parishioners. Furthermore, these are statues of saints: holy men and women, witnesses to Jesus, models of conversion, benefactors of the poor, and makers of peace. Often they were champions of justice and human rights — such as St. Junípero Serra — even if a historically accurate picture of their lives is lost on the madding crowd.

Though many sacred images reflect the Church’s European heritage, Christian iconography is amazingly diverse. It often reflects the primitive art of the early Church, and indeed, all the countries and cultures where the faith has taken root. The very diversity of Christian art calls each of us to a deep admiration of the universal faith shared by those whose language, race and culture differ from one’s own. While there is some justification to the protests currently roiling through our country, a number of them arise from a culture of intolerance that seems to be belligerently ignorant of this reality.

The deliberate destruction of Christian art often constitutes a blatant attempt to chill, if not silence, expressions of religious faith.

These attacks on Christian art, and the churches that house them, are costly. Sacred art is expensive to replace and protect, but such attacks are costly in a more profound sense as well. Christian art expresses the truth and beauty of the faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of Christian art as a “vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God.” It then adds, “Genuine sacred art draws us to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God” (2502).

From this perspective, the deliberate destruction of Christian art and attacks on churches often constitute a blatant attempt to chill, if not silence, expressions of religious faith and to diminish the influence of religion on the broader society. Such destruction is thus an affront to our most fundamental freedoms: religious liberty, freedom of expression and even freedom of assembly.

How, then, should we respond? Of course, we must do all we can to protect our churches and our artistic heritage — taking measures to secure property and calling on local authorities for assistance.

Beyond such practical and necessary measures, another kind of response is called for. Our first impulse might be to react with anger; but anger never brings hope and healing, but only further division. Rather, as followers of Christ, we are called to defeat hatred with love, evil with goodness, and division with peacemaking. Indeed, our parishes and our K of C councils must model what our society so desperately needs today: the ability to discuss difficult topics and decide sensitive matters on the basis of fact, mutual respect and an authentic spirit of tolerance.

As Knights of Columbus, our principles of charity, unity and fraternity help us in this regard. Most of all, as followers of Jesus and members of his Body, the Church, we must strive to be living images of Christ in the world today.