Tragically, a truly magnificent creation is gone for good
The Press front page photo (Apr 6) announcing the Basilica’s treasures recovery is very misleading: almost nothing of the real treasure, the building itself, now remains above the base. Even the forested ruin concept (Hilary Taylor, March 24) which Alice Flett and I were never in favour of: gone.
Of all the post-earthquake heritage demolition stories this has been the most shameful, with Bishop Martin’s abuse of the s38 requested by his predecessor for any heritage demolition needed to facilitate the planned restoration. Christchurch’s Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament: a building of international standing, praised by congregations and the greats for its spatial, acoustic and spiritual qualities. Designed by one of the nation’s greatest architects, built by 50 workers in a mere four years, containing 3400 cu m of Oamaru stone, 110 cu m of concrete, and 90 tonnes of steel, what’s gone is much more than the sum of its bodily parts: gone is a truly magnificent creation.
Ross Gray, Fendalton
Intangible sacredness
Alice Flett (Apr 9) has drawn attention to a view that objects retrieved from the Catholic cathedral - Mulcahy crucifix, Bancroft tabernacle doors, Summers’ Stations of the Cross, Trusttum window - are ‘‘secondhand’’, not fit for ‘‘recycling’’ in the new cathedral. This view has to be combated for the rubbish that it is.
Putting these major works of art back in the new cathedral is no more recycling than it is ‘‘recycling’’ for our cathedral choir to sing Palestrina’s ‘‘second-hand’’ music.
Major works of religious art like these acquire an intangible but real patina of sacredness, from the intense veneration by the faithful of the truths they communicate. They are the Catholic equivalent – and for the same reasons – of Orthodox icons. They are not interior decoration that fades and needs replacing because architectural fashion changes.
They are high quality, ageless, expressions of faith, valued and used as such by Catholic faithful whose prayers are inspired by them. Put them back.
Max Broadbent, Upper Riccarton
Church closure
Two days out from the planned closure of St Matthew’s Bryndwr this Sunday, there is nothing on the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch website regarding this news.
Following his appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington Paul Martin is now the Apostolic Administrator of the Christchurch Diocese and no longer our Bishop. An Apostolic Administrator is a temporary position, hence some actions a Bishop can take are not permitted. In Canon Law:
‘‘Can. 428 §1. When a see is vacant, nothing is to be altered.
‘‘§2. Those who temporarily care for the governance of the diocese are forbidden to do anything which can be prejudicial in some way to the diocese or episcopal rights. They, and consequently all others, are specifically prohibited, whether personally or through another, from removing or destroying any documents of the diocesan curia or from changing anything in them.’’
A similar situation occurred in Buffalo, USA in 2019 (www.buffalodiocese.org/documents/
Communique/ApostolicAdministratorSedeVacante1219%5B2%5D. pdf).
In this document a key paragraph reads, ‘‘Finally, Church law prohibits the administrator from taking actions which may prejudice the rights of the diocese or its bishop. This would include suppression of parishes and relegation of churches to profane use.’’
Canon Law does not permit St Matthew’s Church to be closed and relegated to profane use this Sunday.
M O’Connor, Spreydon