Archbishop defends giant spider’s perch atop Notre-Dame
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa has received several dozen complaints from people who were upset that Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica on Sussex Drive was used last week for a theatrical performance involving a giant robotic spider.
But Archbishop Terrence Prendergast has defended using the basilica as part of La Machine, a street theatre show that was part of celebrations for Canada’s 150th birthday.
About 750,000 people watched over four days as the giant spider and a horse-dragon roamed streets in downtown Ottawa and LeBreton Flats.
The “once in a lifetime event” offered an opportunity for “the archdiocese, the Catholic community and Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica to co-operate with the city and the organizers to foster a positive relationship with the community at large as well as with many tourists, especially with young families,” said a statement published on the archdiocese website.
The statement was from Prendergast, said Mylene Courchesne, the receptionist at the archdiocese. She said the office received about 20 phone calls, half a dozen letters and seven or eight emails from Catholics who thought it was unseemly to have a giant spider climbing on the cathedral. Some said it was “disrespectful to the house of God ... using the spider as a prop.”
A couple of callers were under the mistaken impression the spider would remain there permanently, she said.
The theatre performance began July 27, when thousands of spectators watched as the spider perched on the top of the cathedral “woke up” and descended from the building, accompanied by music and fake snow.
The rector of the cathedral was asked last year if the property could be used because it’s across the street from Maman, the giant spider sculpture in front of the National Gallery of Canada, said the statement. La Machine’s producers thought it would be interesting to pretend the mechanical spider was approaching Maman.
Prendergast posted on Twitter “beautiful pictures” of the robotic spider at the cathedral during the event, and also tweeted a reference to “our Lady” defeating the dragon and reigning supreme once again after the spider descended.
Prendergast could not be reached for comment. But in an interview with the Catholic News Service, Prendergast said he regretted that some Catholics were upset about the artistic event.
“Nothing demeaning was intended in the spider being near the church,” he told the news service.
“I guess we thought people would see this as a sign the church is involved in Ottawa’s celebrations. Many people, both Catholic and others, English and francophone, remarked how pleased they were that Notre Dame was involved in our celebration of Canada 150.”