Images have always been a part of human culture, from the cave paintings of primitive humans, to ancient mosaics, Renaissance paintings, to Warhol’s Campbell Soup Can paintings. Images can hold various meanings for a society, or have one meaning that unites a society.There are images that symbolize how different factions see the Catholic Church. I discovered two of them surfing the blogosphere. One is a picture I saw on the Deacon’s Bench, of Cardinal Raymond Burke, ordaining a deacon, attired in Pre-Vatican II vestments. For me it is an image of a regal, clerical Church far removed from the lives of ordinary people. The other image I saw was from Whispers in the Loggia, is of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM CAP, Archbishop of Boston. He was participating in a Liturgy of Repentance in Ireland, with the Archbishop of Dublin. Part of the ceremony was both prelates washing the feet of some of the survivors of clergy abuse. For me, this shows the Church as both Penitent and Servant. It is this image I will remember and cherish; it is this Church I want to belong to.
I'm looking at this in a different way. To me, both pictures depict the same Church, just different aspects of it. The regal, clerical Church and the Capuchin Friar are both a part of the same Church, and they are indivisible. Saying anything about the Pre-Vatican II Church is a slippery slope, and usually only sows division among the faithful. I believe our church has plenty of room to show all of her sides.
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