Para uma pastoral da arte

The purpose of this communication is to point out the importance of art as a central field inside the Church's pastoral activity. More precisely, we will focus on contemporary art, as it permanently poses new and complex challenges to the Christian faith. It is true that among the many dimensions of culture, the artistic expression assumes itself as a particularly relevant area for the Church. Different kinds of art enable the creation, development and communication of choices, as well as values that catalyze and transform mentalities, trends and aspirations of a certain era, society, group or community. Artistic manifestations are present in the dynamics of human life, they are transversal to all individuals and all things. Hence, the Church has become aware and keen to integrate, into its pastoral activity, the dialogue with works of art, aesthetical currents and artists, outlining the best ways of approach, priorities, criteria, strategies, etc. Following this train of thought, art constitutes itself, in the broader territory of the Pastoral of Culture, as a place, a mediating forum suitable for observing and deepening the dialogue between the evangelization of culture and the inculturation of faith. However, it becomes urgent to ask whether these premises have any real concreteness in the field of the interactions of these two «institutions>> or <worlds»: Art and the Church. In other words, it is necessary to ask and try to answer if the world of (contemporary) art, which so influences and shapes culture from markedly laic environments, makes it possible to open up to faith. The question is all the more complex when everything indicates that many of the most outstanding contempo artists are very far from religious experience, faith, the values of Judeo-Christian spirituality, or any connection to the Catholic Church. So, what is the possible dialogue? But we cannot make hasty or prejudiced judgment either. Rather, we need to find out, go and meet this art and the artists and scrutinize them... analyze the ex to which there are windows, doors, accesses to something that sets up possibilities of experiences, messages, intentions, capable of opening up unsuspected avenues of dialogue. It is this exercise that we intend to rehearse restless with the shoutout pointed out by Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça, when in 2013 he underlined the for the Church to wake up to the Pastoral of Culture.