by Br. Alexis Bugnolo
Yesterday I made a brief 45 minute visit to one of the most ancient sites of the Catholic Faith in Spain, the Cathedral of Toledo. Founded by the disciples of the Apostles in the first century after Christ, the Church of Toledo has had a continual succession of Bishops down to our day. And through it all the Church has received the patronage of Saints and Kings, so that it is today without a doubt one of the magnificent treasures of Catholic religious art along with being the resting place of countless Kings, queens, Bishops, clergy and not a few Saints.
I say a brief 45 minutes, because, if you even begin to pay attention to the art in this Church, it would take you days before you surveyed it all with due attention. But when you purchase a ticket they only give you 45 minutes at a time to view it.
Here are some videos and photos I took yesterday afternoon, to inspire you and convince you, if you are even in Spain, to head for the Cathedral of Toledo for a unique and unforgettable lesson in Catholic sacred art.
The style of this Cathedral is Spanish Gothic. And Indeed, I think you can say that the Gothic began here, seeing that Toledo was the capital of the Visogothic Kingdom.
The main doors, now opened only for visits of Popes and Kings.
The side door:
The same door, from a distance, showing its architectural context. This is the door to enter when visiting the Most Blessed Sacrament. While from the inside you cannot enter the whole of the Church, at least here you do not have to pay to enter.
The Choir, that is, the place where the Canons of the Cathedral recited the Divine Office together. Here the camera looks toward the Sanctuary, where the High Altar stands.
Here is the sanctuary:
Here is just one of the side altars dedicated to the Mother of God. The entire Cathedral is consecrated to Her, under Her title as Immaculate Conception.
Here is a fresco of the Last Judgement, from the Chapel of the Bishops. Notice that no clerics are to be found on the side of the damned. (I think the Bishops were not facing reality).
Here are 3 amazing illuminated manuscripts from the Cathedral Library:
In this house is a picture of an incredible artwork of the Madonna, made by a Dutch (originally protestant) man who, while living in Africa with his wife, got cancer. One day he went into the bush for reflection on his own. Then the Madonna appeared to him,
She promised him She would heal him if he, at Her instructions,
would make an artwork of Her. He promised to do so, She kept Her promise (he is now close to at least 80) and the original of the Artwork a friend and I saw for the first time in a foreign country. After a local friend got to know about it, she arranged
an invitation for him, his wife and us in the Rotary meeting.
Later, back in the Netherlands, we were invited as guests to their house for a few days and then we saw all the other originals of artworks he had made with the same technique as the Madonna. Then a picture is just a flat thing.
A.s.a.p. I will forward the photo to the editor and ask him to answer this question: how do you think this was made?
On purpose the name of the artist is left out: otherwise the question would not have to be asked anymore……..
You can share a link to the image.
by mistake something did not get in the above text;
after writing about his age: and he performed the original artwork a friend and I saw ………..
Recently someone told me that he has restored the Madonna and that he still is alive ………..
Interesting that it was founded so early. I wish I knew more about early church history. Those times are not spoken of much in Protestant churches.
The Protestant churches disparage Our Lady and say that She has no role whatsoever in our salvation because She was a mere biological vessel for Jesus, that She had other children with Joseph, and that Her apparitions are from the devil. The Protestants also do not believe in Catholic miracles. Their cross does not have the form of the body of Christ. I invite you to watch, 5 Miracles Which Prove The Catholic Church Is The One True Church!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfX69gvGNrw
James,
I neither believe nor disbelieve in events which I cannot examine myself, except for those which are recorded in the Word.
The empty cross is supposed to symbolize the resurection of Christ. In other words, He’s no longer on the cross, He’s at the right hand of God.
I myself would have difficulty praying to any other human being, no matter how blessed or exalted. I address my prayers to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit. Since I have a direct pipeline to the top, I cannot understand why I would want to interpose an additional person, be it human or angel, between me and my Saviour.
I have very mixed feelings about the Catholic church. In some ways, it is very attractive, in other ways offputting.
All in all, I would have to be sure it was the will of God before I considered converting. But I’m thinking about it.
Deborah,
Since the Reformation, those men who wanted to found their own churches because they wanted to violate Christ’s law against divorce, invented a narrative against the intercession of the saints, by restricting on their own authority the meaning of the word, “pray”, to adoration due to God alone. But if you look it up, in every language, “pray” means only to ask. And just as we can ask one another for help in this world, and just as the just are taken up to the Throne of God to intercede for us before the final coming of Christ (see Apocalypse, who is under the altar of God — the martyrs), so we can ask those who made it to victory to help us by interceding before that Throne, for us who still militant on earth.
Thank you, Brother, for clarification of that point. I will certainly take it under consideration.
I have had little opportunity to hear the Catholic side of the story. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me.