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Vatican plea to uncover Virgin Mary and show her breast-feeding baby Jesus  

post #1 of 19
6/27/08 at 1:19am
Thread Starter 
Vatican plea to uncover Virgin Mary and show her breast-feeding baby Jesus

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...aby-Jesus.html



“the Vatican yesterday said it wanted to see more paintings of a semi-nude Virgin Mary.

What Catholic leaders have in mind is more images of Mary breast-feeding baby Jesus.

The official newspaper of the Holy See has declared it is time to undo four centuries of church disapproval of traditional representations of Mary as an earthy, fleshy mother doting on her newborn son.”

(see link for full article and illustration)

Janice
post #2 of 19
6/27/08 at 1:28am
That rocks. :
post #3 of 19
6/27/08 at 1:51am
Yay! I was hoping this would happen soon!

Here are some beautiful articles/speeches on breastfeeding from a Catholic perspective. One is by Christopher West, and the other is a speech from Pope John Paul II. The address by the Pope is truly beautiful. When my son was an infant and would nurse in Mass, I would be sure to have these printed out and in my purse or the diaper bag in case anyone gave us any grief!


http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0264fy.htm

http://www.theologyofthebody.com/03-16-07.asp
post #4 of 19
6/27/08 at 8:08am
I'm excited and everything, but I find it interesting that they are considering exposure of one breast to be "semi-nude." When I hear that, I picture something like a Ruben painting. (gracefully clad with a draped cloth).
post #5 of 19
6/28/08 at 8:43am
Like the idea of showing Mary breastfeeding, didn't like the ignorant, stereotypical 'dour Reformers' part of the article. I take it the reporter hadn't troubled to familiarise himself with, say, Luther's 'Table Talk' or Calvin's statement about breastfeeding.

Hrmph.
post #6 of 19
6/28/08 at 1:27pm
I'll have to print that up for my devoutly Catholic and anti-breastfeeding grandmother.
post #7 of 19
6/28/08 at 9:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by honeydee View Post
I'll have to print that up for my devoutly Catholic and anti-breastfeeding grandmother.
Ha! We must be related. I could have said the very same thing myself!
post #8 of 19
6/29/08 at 8:40pm
How awesome!

(Btw, I LOVE that Christopher West article on breastfeeding!)
post #9 of 19
6/29/08 at 9:56pm
Wonderful!
post #10 of 19
6/29/08 at 9:56pm
Not religious, just love religious art - and that rocks!
post #11 of 19
6/30/08 at 4:06pm
Interesting. I was at an exhibit of Spanish painting during the reign of Philip III (El Greco to Velasquez) this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts this weekend. There was a section on Holy Family portraits that included two breastfeeding images, one with Jesus as an infant and the other with Jesus as a toddler (extended BF!). One of the descriptive plaques explained that while the first generation of counter-reformationists banned breastfeeding images as indecent, the second generation lifted the ban. So apparently at some point, a ban was re-established? And now relaxed again? As a cradle catholic, now lapsed, I can only pause to wonder about the abstract, convoluted whirlwind of debate between childless, celibate men on the propriety of depicting infant nutrition.

In any event, good for Pope B. This is a far better idea than reviving the latin mass.
post #12 of 19
6/30/08 at 4:23pm
I was hoping the discussion would stick to the positive message about breastfeeding the Catholic Church is pushing now, rather than turn into negative opinions about different aspects of the Catholic faith. I think it's wonderful that it is helping to spread the message to breastfeed. Restoring art to its original form where it shows breastfeeding is a great step to making NIP legal and accepted in our world.

I just really wish commercials, tv shows, and movies would also make breastfeeding the normal way for the characters to feed their babies. At least we seem to slowly be making progress with lactivism. One step at a time, I guess!
post #13 of 19
6/30/08 at 11:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaysfamily View Post
I was hoping the discussion would stick to the positive message about breastfeeding the Catholic Church is pushing now, rather than turn into negative opinions about different aspects of the Catholic faith. I think it's wonderful that it is helping to spread the message to breastfeed. Restoring art to its original form where it shows breastfeeding is a great step to making NIP legal and accepted in our world.

I just really wish commercials, tv shows, and movies would also make breastfeeding the normal way for the characters to feed their babies. At least we seem to slowly be making progress with lactivism. One step at a time, I guess!


I think if someone was to look at our media (which is in essence pop culture's version of art, they'd think we lived in an anti-BFing culture, and it certainly isn't priests who determine that. Cut the Pope and the Church some slack.
post #14 of 19
6/30/08 at 11:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katfka View Post
Not religious, just love religious art - and that rocks!
:

This article makes me :::
post #15 of 19
7/1/08 at 12:44am
Hooray from another Catholic mommy!

Great article by West, btw!
post #16 of 19
7/1/08 at 7:23am
What a beautiful picture!

Funny how they make her pale white and ginger though...certainly she would be a bit darker skinned with dark hair lol
post #17 of 19
7/1/08 at 1:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley View Post
What a beautiful picture!

Funny how they make her pale white and ginger though...certainly she would be a bit darker skinned with dark hair lol


:
post #18 of 19
7/1/08 at 10:40pm
In a class I took, they talked about how many cultures embraced Mary and Jesus,and artistic representations of both of them reflected the ideal of beauty in that cultue. You can even see it transform in one place through time - Mary's figure will change with the body norms of the time. So if you are looking at her pale and ginger, it's probably the cultural standard of beauty then and there.
post #19 of 19
7/3/08 at 11:29am
Love it, love it, love it!
Happy to be Catholic.
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