As we embark on the Jubilee Year different events on a global scale have been put in place and the last few days 15-18 February have been designated as a time to recognise artists. As Pope Francis is currently unwell and in hospital Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education delivered his homily on Sunday 16 February.
Pope Francis writes:
‘As artists and representatives of the world of culture, you are called to be witnesses to the revolutionary vision of the Beatitudes. Your mission is not only to create beauty, but to reveal the truth, goodness and beauty hidden within the folds of history, to give voice to the voiceless, to transform pain into hope.
We live in a time of complex financial and social crises, but ours is above all a spiritual crisis, a crisis of meaning. Let us ask ourselves questions about time and about purpose. Are we pilgrims or wanderers? Does our journey have a destination, or are we directionless? Artists have the task of helping humanity not to lose its way and to keep a hopeful outlook.
Be aware, however, that hope is not easy, superficial or abstract. No! True hope is interwoven within the drama of human existence. Hope is not a convenient refuge, but a fire that burns and irradiates light, like the word of God. That is why authentic art always expresses an encounter with mystery, with the beauty that surpasses us, with the pain that challenges us, with the truth that calls us. Art is not a luxury, but something that the spirit needs. It is not a flight from reality, but a charge, a call to action, an appeal and a cry. Educating about true beauty is educating about hope.
In the Gospel we have heard today, Jesus proclaims as blessed those who are poor, afflicted, meek and persecuted. It is a change of mentality, a revolution of perspective. Artists are called to take part in this revolution. The world needs prophetic artists, courageous intellectuals and creators of culture.
Let the Gospel of the Beatitudes guide you, and may your art be a herald of a new world. Let us see your poetry! Never cease searching, questioning and taking risks. True art is never easy; it offers the peace of restlessness. And do not forget that hope is not an illusion; beauty is not a utopia. Yours is not a random gift but a calling. Respond, then, with generosity, passion and love.[1]
We are excited to be holding our own Diocesan Art Exhibition this year which encourages us all to contemplate on the title of the Jubilee Papal Bull, “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5).
Find out more about our exhibition by clicking here.
For more information about this Jubilee initiative and many more visit me at the Jubilee marquee at the Jubilee Launch on Sunday 2 March or go to www.mn.catholic.org.au/JubileeYear2025
[1] Jubilee Of Artists And The World Of Culture Homily Of His Holiness Pope Francis
Read By Cardinal José Tolentino De Mendonça (16 February 2025)
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