Latest news with #Augustinians
The Star
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Italian master Caravaggio's faith shines in new Rome exhibition
The Roman basilica of the Augustinians - Pope Leo XIV's religious order - preserves an iconic painting of the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio, the blockbuster artist who revolutionised the use of light and darkness in Western art. A new exhibit of works by the Baroque painter is now on view in Rome until July 6, allowing for an updated look at his connection with spirituality. From the Pilgrims' Madonna at the Basilica of St Augustine to the Martyrdom of St Ursula that closes the Caravaggio 2025 exhibit, art historians and clergy are highlighting the connections between religious belief and Caravaggio's "chiaroscuro." "It's the light that directs us toward what for him are the key points of the story,' exhibit curator Francesca Cappelletti said about the artist's spotlight on the main characters that emerge from encroaching darkness. "Our life experience makes sense only if invested by a spiritual light.' In the Augustinian Madonna, dating from the early 1600s, what hits the viewer at eye level are the dirty soles of a ragged pilgrim couple's feet as they kneel by the apparition of the Virgin Mary. She leans casually against a door frame as she holds a toddler-size Jesus. It's a far cry from the usual otherworldly, genteel depictions of most Madonnas. That makes it even more poignant within Augustinian spirituality, because it illustrates the encounter between man's nature and God's mercy, said the Rev Pasquale Cormio, the basilica's rector. "We see God's wish to show himself to humankind as someone who walks alongside the poor,' Cormio said. "It's certain that this Virgin Mary is close to a perhaps tired, perhaps wounded, certainly dirty humanity that is burdened by daily life.' A general view of the Basilica of St Augustine in Rome where Caravaggio's 'Pilgrims' Madonna' is located. Photo: AP The name of the Pilgrims' Madonna references not only the two figures before Mary, but also the fact that on this spot, the Augustinians have welcomed pilgrims en route to the nearby Vatican since the end of the 13th century. It was to commemorate a pilgrimage to Loreto - a shrine in central Italy where tradition says Mary's house was miraculously airlifted - that the painting's well-connected patrons commissioned it, said Alessandro Zuccari. A member of Italy's prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, he wrote the chapter on spirituality in the Caravaggio exhibit catalogue. In fact, despite his adventurous life and bluntly realistic art, Caravaggio worked for prestigious, pious patrons, including a cardinal, and is documented to have participated in Catholic rites including Eucharistic adoration, Zuccari added. That hardly fits the reputation for a transgressive "accursed artist' that Caravaggio - whose full name was Michelangelo Merisi - accrued over the centuries. "We don't know what Caravaggio thought, because he left no writings,' Zuccari said. "I'm convinced, as are other experts, that Caravaggio has his own spirituality.' Out of about 70 paintings by Caravaggio, more than 50 represent saints or Biblical scenes - even those destined for private collections, not churches, he added. Some of the best-known are among the two dozen paintings on view at Palazzo Barberini, covering the time from Caravaggio's arrival in Rome around 1595 to his death in 1610. They include works on loan from Dublin to Kansas City. A view of Caravaggio's 'Portrait of Francesco Barberini' at the Vatican's 'Codex' exhibit of art and manuscripts. Photo: AP There's Caravaggio's first religious painting, St Francis of Assisi, who's depicted in an angel's arms while one of his early companions, Brother Leo, is barely visible in the surrounding darkness. It's an early example of those "oscuri gagliardi' - a bold darkness, as a 17th century art critic quoted in an exhibit panel put it. "Gagliardo' is a slang word Romans still use today to mean everything from panini to people with a special flair and power. Two other religious paintings with the same innovative use of light and darkness take a gruesome turn. In J udith Beheading Holofernes, the Jewish hero frowns in seeming disgust at the blood spurting from his neck. In David with the Head of Goliath , the dripping severed head is a self-portrait. In what's probably the artist's last painting before dying at age 39, and the last exhibited in the new show, Caravaggio also portrayed himself. He's the man peeking, stunned and openmouthed, from the darkness at the soldier who's just shot an arrow into St Ursula's chest. More of Caravaggio's religious paintings are in chapels downtown Rome. The Conversion of Saul, an early version of which is in the exhibit, and the Crucifixion of Peter are in Santa Maria del Popolo, also an Augustinian community. Three paintings about St Matthew are in San Luigi dei Francesi church. Two blocks away, back at St Augustine's, pilgrims and tourists continue to flock to see Caravaggio and other artwork. For Cormio, welcoming them is a chance to encourage Augustinian spirituality. "Augustine also left us this teaching - that through the beauty of creation and the beauty of human works, too, we can capture something of the beauty of God,' he said. - AP
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Caravaggio calling for summer 2025 visitors to Rome, at churches and in major exhibition
The Roman basilica of the Augustinians – Pope Leo's religious order – preserves an iconic painting of the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio, the blockbuster artist who revolutionised the use of light and dark in Western art. Advertisement Meanwhile, a new exhibition of works by the Baroque painter, 'Caravaggio 2025', is on view at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome until July 6, allowing for an updated look at his connection with spirituality. From the Pilgrims' Madonna at the Basilica of St Augustine to the Martyrdom of St Ursula that closes the 'Caravaggio 2025' exhibition, art historians and clergy are highlighting the connections between religious belief and Caravaggio's chiaroscuro technique. 'It's the light that directs us towards what for him are the key points of the story,' exhibition curator Francesca Cappelletti said about the artist's spotlight on the main characters that emerge from encroaching darkness. 'Our life experience makes sense only if invested by a spiritual light.' Detail of the Pilgrims' Madonna by Caravaggio displayed inside the Basilica of St Augustine in Rome. Photo: AP In the Augustinian Madonna, dating from the early 1600s, what hits the viewer at eye level are the dirty soles of a ragged pilgrim couple's feet as they kneel by the apparition of the Virgin Mary. She leans casually against a door frame as she holds a toddler-size Jesus.
Nahar Net
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
Caravaggio's faith shines in new Rome exhibit and at churches run by Pope's order
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 May 2025, 15:15 The Roman basilica of the Augustinians — Pope Leo XIV's religious order — preserves an iconic painting of the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio, the blockbuster artist who revolutionized the use of light and darkness in Western art. A new exhibit of works by the Baroque painter is now on view in Rome until July 6, allowing for an updated look at his connection with spirituality. From the Pilgrims' Madonna at the Basilica of St. Augustine to the Martyrdom of St. Ursula that closes the "Caravaggio 2025" exhibit, art historians and clergy are highlighting the connections between religious belief and Caravaggio's "chiaroscuro." "It's the light that directs us toward what for him are the key points of the story," exhibit curator Francesca Cappelletti said about the artist's spotlight on the main characters that emerge from encroaching darkness. "Our life experience makes sense only if invested by a spiritual light." The Caravaggio Madonna at the Augustinians' Basilica In the Augustinian Madonna, dating from the early 1600s, what hits the viewer at eye level are the dirty soles of a ragged pilgrim couple's feet as they kneel by the apparition of the Virgin Mary. She leans casually against a door frame as she holds a toddler-size Jesus. It's a far cry from the usual otherworldly, genteel depictions of most Madonnas. That makes it even more poignant within Augustinian spirituality, because it illustrates the encounter between man's nature and God's mercy, said the Rev. Pasquale Cormio, the basilica's rector. "We see God's wish to show himself to humankind as someone who walks alongside the poor," Cormio said. "It's certain that this Virgin Mary is close to a perhaps tired, perhaps wounded, certainly dirty humanity that is burdened by daily life." The name of the Pilgrims' Madonna references not only the two figures before Mary, but also the fact that on this spot, the Augustinians have welcomed pilgrims en route to the nearby Vatican since the end of the 13th century. It was to commemorate a pilgrimage to Loreto — a shrine in central Italy where tradition says Mary's house was miraculously airlifted — that the painting's well-connected patrons commissioned it, said Alessandro Zuccari. A member of Italy's prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, he wrote the chapter on spirituality in the Caravaggio exhibit catalog. The spirituality of a rebel artist In fact, despite his adventurous life and bluntly realistic art, Caravaggio worked for prestigious, pious patrons, including a cardinal, and is documented to have participated in Catholic rites including Eucharistic adoration, Zuccari added. That hardly fits the reputation for a transgressive "accursed artist" that Caravaggio — whose full name was Michelangelo Merisi — accrued over the centuries. "We don't know what Caravaggio thought, because he left no writings," Zuccari said. "I'm convinced, as are other experts, that Caravaggio has his own spirituality." Out of about 70 paintings by Caravaggio, more than 50 represent saints or Biblical scenes — even those destined for private collections, not churches, he added. Religious themes across Caravaggio's work at new exhibit Some of the best-known are among the two dozen paintings on view at Palazzo Barberini, covering the time from Caravaggio's arrival in Rome around 1595 to his death in 1610. They include works on loan from Dublin to Kansas City. There's Caravaggio's first religious painting, St. Francis of Assisi, who's depicted in an angel's arms while one of his early companions, Brother Leo, is barely visible in the surrounding darkness. It's an early example of those "oscuri gagliardi" — a bold darkness, as a 17th century art critic quoted in an exhibit panel put it. "Gagliardo" is a slang word Romans still use today to mean everything from panini to people with a special flair and power. Two other religious paintings with the same innovative use of light and darkness take a gruesome turn. In Judith Beheading Holofernes, the Jewish hero frowns in seeming disgust at the blood spurting from his neck. In David with the Head of Goliath, the dripping severed head is a self-portrait. In what's probably the artist's last painting before dying at age 39, and the last exhibited in the new show, Caravaggio also portrayed himself. He's the man peeking, stunned and openmouthed, from the darkness at the soldier who's just shot an arrow into St. Ursula's chest. More of Caravaggio's religious paintings are in chapels downtown Rome. The Conversion of Saul, an early version of which is in the exhibit, and the Crucifixion of Peter are in Santa Maria del Popolo, also an Augustinian community. Three paintings about St. Matthew are in San Luigi dei Francesi church. Two blocks away, back at St. Augustine's, pilgrims and tourists continue to flock to see Caravaggio and other artwork. For Cormio, welcoming them is a chance to encourage Augustinian spirituality. "Augustine also left us this teaching — that through the beauty of creation and the beauty of human works, too, we can capture something of the beauty of God," he said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV is the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to be elected pope – but who are the Augustinians?
When Pope Leo XIV was elected pope, the assembled crowd reacted with joy but also with surprise: He was the first pope from the United States, and North America more broadly. Moreover, he was the first member of the Order of St. Augustine to be elected to the papacy. Out of all 267 popes, only 51 have been members of religious orders. Pope Francis was elected in 2013 as the first member of the Jesuit order, the Society of Jesus; he was also the first member of any religious order to be chosen in over 150 years. As a specialist in medieval Christianity, I am familiar with the origins of many Catholic religious orders, and I was intrigued by the choice of a member of the Order of St. Augustine to follow a Jesuit as pope. So, who are the Augustinians? In antiquity, some Christians chose to lead a more perfect religious life by leaving ordinary society and living together in groups, in the wilderness. They would be led by an older, more experienced person – an abbot. As monks, they followed a set of regulations and guidelines called a 'monastic rule.' The earliest of these rules, composed about the year 400, is attributed to an influential theologian, later a bishop in North Africa, called St. Augustine of Hippo. The Rule of St. Augustine is a short text that offered monks a firm structure for their daily lives of work and prayer, as well as guidelines on how these rules could be implemented by the abbot in different situations. The rule is both firm and flexible. The first chapter stresses the importance of 'common life': It instructs monks to love God and one's neighbor by living 'together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become.' This is the overriding principle that shapes all later instructions in Augustinian rule. For example, Chapter III deals with how the monks should behave when out in public. They should not go alone, but in a group, and not engage in scandalous behavior – specifically, staring at women. If one monk starts staring at a woman, one of the other monks with him should 'admonish' him. If he does it again, his companion should tell the abbot first, before any other witnesses are notified, so that the monk can try to change his behavior on his own first, so as not to cause disruption in the community. Because of this clarity and flexibility, its concern for both the community and the individual members, many early religious communities in the early Middle Ages adopted the Rule of St. Augustine; formal papal approval was not required at this time. By the end of the 12th century, Western Europe had become much more urbanized. In response, a new form of religious life emerged: the mendicant friars. Unlike monks who withdrew from ordinary life, mendicants stressed a life of poverty, spent in travel from town to town to preach and help the poor. They would beg for alms along the way to provide for their own needs. The first mendicant orders, like the Franciscans and Dominicans, received papal approval in the early 13th century. Others were organized later. A few decades later, several hermits living in the Italian region of Tuscany decided to join together to form a new mendicant order. They chose to follow the Rule of St. Augustine under one superior general; Pope Innocent IV approved the new order as the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine in 1244. Later, in 1254, Pope Alexander IV included other groups of hermits in the order, known as the Grand Union. The new order grew and eventually expanded across Western Europe, becoming involved in preaching and other kinds of pastoral work in several countries. As European countries began to explore the New World, missionary priests took their place on ships sent from Catholic countries, like Spain and Portugal. Augustinians were among these early missionaries, quickly establishing themselves in Latin America, several countries in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania, arriving in the Philippines in the 16th century. There, they not only ministered to the European crews and colonists, but they also evangelized – preached the Christian gospel – to the native inhabitants of the country. Augustinian missionaries started the process of setting up Catholic parishes and, eventually, new dioceses. In time, they founded and taught in seminaries to train native-born men who wanted to join their order. It wasn't until the end of the 18th century that Augustinian friars arrived in the United States. Despite many struggles and setbacks in the 19th century, they established Villanova University in Pennsylvania and other ministries in New York and Massachusetts. Except for two 17th-century missionaries, Augustinian friars didn't arrive in Canada until the 20th century, when they were sent from the German province of the order to escape financial pressure from the economic depression of the 1920s and political pressure from the Nazis. Today, there are some 2,800 Augustinian friars in almost 50 countries worldwide. They serve as pastors, teachers and bishops, and have founded schools, colleges and universities on almost every continent. They are also active in promoting social justice in many places – for example, in North America and Australasia, comprising Australia and parts of South Asia. Based on his years as a missionary and as provincial of the entire order worldwide, Leo XIV draws on the rich interpersonal tradition of the Order of St. Augustine. I believe his pontificate will be one marked by his experiential awareness of Catholicism as a genuinely global religion, and his deep concern for the suffering of the marginalized and those crushed by political and economic injustice. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross Read more: Christianity has long revered saints who would be called 'transgender' today 'The pope is Peruvian!' How 2 decades in South America shaped the vision of Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV: Why the College of Cardinals chose the Chicago native and Augustinian to lead the church after Francis Joanne M. Pierce does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Artist Caravaggio's faith shines in new Rome exhibit and at churches run by Pope Leo XIV's order
ROME (AP) — The Roman basilica of the Augustinians — Pope Leo XIV's religious order — preserves an iconic painting of the Virgin Mary by Caravaggio, the blockbuster artist who revolutionized the use of light and darkness in Western art. A new exhibit of works by the Baroque painter is now on view in Rome until July 6, allowing for an updated look at his connection with spirituality. From the Pilgrims' Madonna at the Basilica of St. Augustine to the Martyrdom of St. Ursula that closes the 'Caravaggio 2025' exhibit, art historians and clergy are highlighting the connections between religious belief and Caravaggio's 'chiaroscuro." 'It's the light that directs us toward what for him are the key points of the story,' exhibit curator Francesca Cappelletti said about the artist's spotlight on the main characters that emerge from encroaching darkness. 'Our life experience makes sense only if invested by a spiritual light.' The Caravaggio Madonna at the Augustinians' Basilica In the Augustinian Madonna, dating from the early 1600s, what hits the viewer at eye level are the dirty soles of a ragged pilgrim couple's feet as they kneel by the apparition of the Virgin Mary. She leans casually against a door frame as she holds a toddler-size Jesus. It's a far cry from the usual otherworldly, genteel depictions of most Madonnas. That makes it even more poignant within Augustinian spirituality, because it illustrates the encounter between man's nature and God's mercy, said the Rev. Pasquale Cormio, the basilica's rector. 'We see God's wish to show himself to humankind as someone who walks alongside the poor,' Cormio said. 'It's certain that this Virgin Mary is close to a perhaps tired, perhaps wounded, certainly dirty humanity that is burdened by daily life.' The name of the Pilgrims' Madonna references not only the two figures before Mary, but also the fact that on this spot, the Augustinians have welcomed pilgrims en route to the nearby Vatican since the end of the 13th century. It was to commemorate a pilgrimage to Loreto — a shrine in central Italy where tradition says Mary's house was miraculously airlifted — that the painting's well-connected patrons commissioned it, said Alessandro Zuccari. A member of Italy's prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, he wrote the chapter on spirituality in the Caravaggio exhibit catalog. The spirituality of a rebel artist In fact, despite his adventurous life and bluntly realistic art, Caravaggio worked for prestigious, pious patrons, including a cardinal, and is documented to have participated in Catholic rites including Eucharistic adoration, Zuccari added. That hardly fits the reputation for a transgressive 'accursed artist' that Caravaggio — whose full name was Michelangelo Merisi — accrued over the centuries. 'We don't know what Caravaggio thought, because he left no writings,' Zuccari said. 'I'm convinced, as are other experts, that Caravaggio has his own spirituality.' Out of about 70 paintings by Caravaggio, more than 50 represent saints or Biblical scenes — even those destined for private collections, not churches, he added. Religious themes across Caravaggio's work at new exhibit Some of the best-known are among the two dozen paintings on view at Palazzo Barberini, covering the time from Caravaggio's arrival in Rome around 1595 to his death in 1610. They include works on loan from Dublin to Kansas City. There's Caravaggio's first religious painting, St. Francis of Assisi, who's depicted in an angel's arms while one of his early companions, Brother Leo, is barely visible in the surrounding darkness. It's an early example of those 'oscuri gagliardi' — a bold darkness, as a 17th century art critic quoted in an exhibit panel put it. 'Gagliardo' is a slang word Romans still use today to mean everything from panini to people with a special flair and power. Two other religious paintings with the same innovative use of light and darkness take a gruesome turn. In Judith Beheading Holofernes, the Jewish hero frowns in seeming disgust at the blood spurting from his neck. In David with the Head of Goliath, the dripping severed head is a self-portrait. In what's probably the artist's last painting before dying at age 39, and the last exhibited in the new show, Caravaggio also portrayed himself. He's the man peeking, stunned and openmouthed, from the darkness at the soldier who's just shot an arrow into St. Ursula's chest. More of Caravaggio's religious paintings are in chapels downtown Rome. The Conversion of Saul, an early version of which is in the exhibit, and the Crucifixion of Peter are in Santa Maria del Popolo, also an Augustinian community. Three paintings about St. Matthew are in San Luigi dei Francesi church. Two blocks away, back at St. Augustine's, pilgrims and tourists continue to flock to see Caravaggio and other artwork. For Cormio, welcoming them is a chance to encourage Augustinian spirituality. 'Augustine also left us this teaching — that through the beauty of creation and the beauty of human works, too, we can capture something of the beauty of God,' he said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
