Scottish Catholic Observer

‘THAT would be an ecumenical matter” is a much-quoted line from an episode of sitcom Father Ted in which three bishops visit Craggy Island. Love it or hate it, it’s hard to deny that there are grains of truth in the series (although mostly exaggerated for comic effect!) and this line is perhaps one of the more obvious ones. It is spoken by the character of Fr Jack Hackett in response to any awkward questions from the bishops that he doesn’t quite understand. In other words, the definition of an ‘ecumenical matter’ can apply to many situations, understood in different ways. In this dialogue, the arts can and do play a key role.

The word ‘ecumenism’ derives from the Greek word oikoumene (meaning ‘the entire inhabited world’) and refers to work undertaken to achieve full visible Christian unity. The understanding of what constitutes ‘unity’ may vary across denominations and individuals but, in essence, it is the striving for that unity of Christians for which Jesus prayed during His Passion.

Interestingly, pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith, issued by the CDF, link the arts with ecumenism: “The contemporary world is sensitive to the relationship between Faith and art. It is, therefore, recommended that Episcopal Conferences maximise the Catechetical potential—possibly with ecumenical cooperation—of the artistic patrimony of the region entrusted to their pastoral care.”  As such, the Church recognises that the arts are a particularly fruitful avenue for ecumenical interaction.

I believe that there are two ways in particular that the arts can aid ecumenism. The first is through art which takes a Catechetical role in unravelling Faith issues within a public forum that engages a broad audience. The second is through art which draws together Christians to meet on common ground through collaboration and has a unifying effect in its execution and delivery.  Let us begin with the first of these.

In Scotland especially, all too often public consciousness equates art that explores religious themes with overtly anti-sectarian initiatives. In Glasgow, this is sometimes simplified further to a basic Mexican Standoff between supporters of either side of the Old Firm. The green and blue rivalry has given rise to great works of comic satire and to poignant drama and literature. In some cases, the appetite for peaceful unity gives rise to works of art that point the finger at religion itself.

I felt that this was the case with the Blind Faith exhibition, which took place at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in 2009. My feeling was that, whilst the exhibition helped to raise awareness of the problem of sectarianism, it would have perhaps been more apt to call it ‘Blind Ignorance’ since Faith itself had very little to do with it. The content of the exhibition exposed the ugliness of bigotry but did not educate, inform or explore with its audience anything that was essentially about Faith matters. On the other hand, in doing so, the exhibition highlighted that sectarianism is perhaps less to do with religion that we might think and is, in fact, more of a secular issue to do with personality, cult and tribalism.

If we recognise that sectarianism is less to do with religious beliefs and traditions, we must also recognise that art with an anti-sectarian agenda, however laudable, is less likely to address questions that facilitate ecumenical dialogue. In this sense, art must also substantially deal with Faith issues to educate and dispel some of the myths that ignorance perpetuates.

One way in which AGAP has tried to do this is by holding visual art exhibitions that have invited artists from various denominations to interpret a particular religious theme. Past subjects have included directly Biblical topics like The Beatitudes (2008) and Saint Paul in Pictures (2009), an exhibition which marked the bi-millennium of the Birth of St Paul of Tarsus and featured, for the first time, religious art by celebrated artist and Reader in the Church of Scotland, Jolomo (John Lowrie Morrison).  However, we have also encouraged artists to consider ideas to do with Christian living: Called to Serve (2010) allowed artists to explore ideas of vocation during the Year for Priests, and One Family (2011) was a direct response to the words of unity spoken by Pope Benedict XVI during his UK Papal Visit, when he said that ‘religion is in fact a guarantee of authentic liberty and respect, leading us to look upon every person as a brother or sister.’ However, more popular than any of these previous themes was the exhibition topic for Lentfest 2012: Stations of the Cross and Resurrection, which took place in the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel.

The exhibition was, in itself, a great example of ecumenism. The number of artists who wanted to take part persuaded us to expand the topic to include the seldom-practised but authentic Catholic tradition of the Stations of the Resurrection. This meant that the topic offered something new and exciting to Christians of different denominations—Catholic artists were less familiar with the Stations of the Resurrection and non-Catholic artists discovered the tradition of the Stations of the Cross during Lent.

As a result, ecumenical Lenten Stations of the Cross and Eastertide Stations of the Resurrection were held at the University Memorial Chapel led by university chaplains Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie and Fr John Keenan, and attended by Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti.

Not only did the exhibition effect Catechesis and influence common prayer, it also gave powerful witness to the Christian Faith in the public eye. Media coverage took note of the impressive line-up of artists who took part, which included Peter Howson, Jolomo, Sandy Moffat, Kate Robinson, Richard Demarco, David T Collins and Terry Ann Newman.  It also noted with great interest the launch of Lentfest which took place against this impressive visual backdrop, attended by Faith leaders including the Episcopal Bishop Gregor Duncan and civic representatives of local and national government.

The exhibition remained in the chapel during talks, concerts, workshops, and theatre, which were part of the festival, and during other liturgical events taking place there, including worship by the Romanian Orthodox community at the university.

“One of the outcomes of Lentfest, is that, in celebrating the arts together as Christians and with members of other Faiths and those of none, we come out from behind our religious boundaries as we appreciate or even criticise a piece of art or a performance,”  university chaplain Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie said. “We are stimulated, perhaps even provoked, into reflection on our lives and our values; our identity is challenged.”

Reverend MacQuarrie remarked also on the effects which this kind of work can have.

“The act of undergoing this experience draws us together with others on their life journey,” he said. “Thus we build community, often with people whose experience is different from ours, and go beyond toleration; respect towards an appreciation of what others bring to our life together.”

This brings me to my second point: art is capable of facilitating an encounter which is ecumenical at the level of common interaction. Whilst events like the Lentfest Art Exhibitions and plays like AGAP theatre’s The Martyrdom of Saint John Ogilvie (2012) facilitate ecumenical dialogue through artistic content, there are other occasions where Christians act in unity to create art.

A few weeks ago, I was invited by parishioners of Wellington Church in Glasgow’s West End to direct a dramatised reading of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, as part of a collaboration for the West End Festival. Parishioners from Wellington and Catholics from parishes in the Archdiocese took part in the event, which involved four intensive rehearsals and a performance. In working together, we were thrown into a situation that involved dialogue, sharing and social contact—as well as the obligatory cups of tea and good humour that go with community events.

I believe that it was important for AGAP to be part of this event because it was an opportunity to develop our relationship with the community at Wellington Church. However, I was also impressed by the fact that the launch of this year’s West End Festival took place in a church building—St Silas’ Episcopal Church—and that the festival director, Michael Dale, should highlight the important cultural role of the churches in the life of the West End during his opening address.

It is possible to cite numerous examples of similar involvement of church arts activity, whether it is the participation and involvement of church communities in the Edinburgh International Festival or the local initiatives of church drama groups that welcome people of different denominations. Regardless of the scale of the endeavour, Christians committed to ecumenism cannot fail to recognise the value of such work in the search for full visible Christian unity.

It would not be possible for me to end this article without mentioning the work of bodies committed to ecumenism. Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS), the Iona Community, and regional bodies such as Glasgow Churches Together, make great use of the arts in worship and events that encourage Christians to work and pray together. As Catholics and artists, we need to be committed to the unity for which Christ Himself so ardently prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Perhaps before this Year of Faith comes to an end, we can make a special effort to rededicate ourselves to use our gifts and talents in the service of Christian unity by being more aware of what our Catholic Faith means to us and rekindling the desire to share that Faith confidently and courteously with our fellow Christians out of genuine love. That would indeed be ‘an ecumenical matter!’

—In November, AGAP is staging a special exhibition in Glasgow to mark the close of the Year of Faith—CREDO: Reflections on the Nicene Creed will feature at this year’s Arts in Autumn festival

—http://www.agap.org.uk

Glasgow goes medieval

THE Kibble Palace’s warmth and bright green foliage along with the placing of two plush toy birds atop an ornate marble statue are a perfect setting for the evening’s entertainment.

The Madrigirls are no strangers to Glasgow’s West End Festival. They are a group of women and some men who sing traditional ballads and songs, ranging from Scottish to the Medieval and in this instance performing as well extracts from the opera Robin Hood. The palace is packed and the audience is both seated and standing in expectation of the night’s performance.

The evening is split between short renditions of singing and performances of the Robin Hood opera and is both enjoyable and at times humorous. The songs speak of everyday hardships, relationships and the folklore of the countryside. This makes up the singing part of the unfolding narrative of Robin Hood’s adventures in the green wood. Despite acting not being the main attraction of the night, the performances are taken lightly and the various changing of roles and outfits meant it added to the general relaxed atmosphere.

Overall, the performance was simply constructed in an effective way and even longer songs or ballads didn’t seem that long when they were interspersed with performances or descriptions about what the songs were based on. One of the interesting things about the venue that was not noticed by the audience until the performers had sang a few songs, was that the sound envelopes you and makes you feel as though the sound is all around, creating a warm and enjoyable evening for all.

CHRISTINE GLEN