Manila, young painters’ exhibition to celebrate cultural heritage of Church
Manila ( AsiaNews / CBCP ) - Painting can be a privileged means to witness to the faith , and respond to the invitation to evangelize society, as well as the way to portray the "cultural heritage " created and handed down through the centuries by the Filipino Church. This is what led the Catholic leaders of Manila to organize an exhibition of works by participants in a competition launched by the Manila Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church (MAAC) . The paintings can be found in the Diocesan Museum (Mana) and have already caught the interest of many visitors
The first prize in the competition organized by the archdiocese went to the artist Ryan Caslib, from the First City Providential College, with a work entitled "Debosyon Kabataang ng Pilipino" (the devotion of the Filipino youth); second place to Edu Perrera from Holy Rosary parish, followed in third place by Andrew Tan from Feati University.
For the latest edition of the event, participants were asked to depict a "significant" moment in "Filippino Church History" in the (Ang Simbahan sa Kasaysayan, in the local language ), the only Asian country with a Catholic majority . The event dedicated to painting was born and developed with the objective of promoting and spreading the "interpretation" of the Catholic faith among younger artists. At the same time, the local Church hopes to improve understanding and appreciation of sacred art among the faithful.
The exhibition will be open until February 28, from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm , on the third floor of the Archdiocese of Manila, home to Mana under the direction of Fr. Albert Flores.
The Catholic Church has historically valued art and beauty, paying close attention to the various expressions of human genius. This is testified by "Pope John Paul II's Letter to Artists" of 4 April 1999. The Polish Pontiff addresses the artists, calling them "ingenious creators of beauty" and that this can "intuit something of the pathos with which God at the dawn of Creation looked upon the work of his hands". Pope John Paul II speaks of "the divine spark " which is "the artistic vocation " and emphasizes that " to convey the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art". "Beauty - John Paul II added - is key to the Mystery and a call to transcendence".
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