THE PASTORAL FUNCTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL MUSEUMS

The Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church

Vatican City, August 15, 2001

• Introduction

• A Church museum…is intimately connected to the lifestyle of the Church territory where it belongs since it documents visibly the path conducted by the Church through the centuries in terms of worship, catechesis, culture and charity.

• Thus, it must necessarily insert itself in the context of pastoral activities with the task of reflecting the ecclesial lifestyle through an integral approach towards art historical patrimony.

• In the Christian mens Church museums figure entirely among those structures aimed at the enhancement of that cultural patrimony “placed at the service of the mission of the Church.” Therefore they must be organized in a way to allow them to communicate the sacred, the beautiful, the old and the new. They are integral part of the cultural manifestations and the pastoral action of the Church.

• 1. The Conservation of the Art Historical Patrimony of the Church

• 2. The Nature, Aim and Typology of the Church Museum

• 3. The Organization of an Ecclesiastical Museum

• 4. The Fruition of the Ecclesiastical Museum

• 5. Formation of Personnel for Ecclesiastical Museums

• 6. Conclusion

• 1. The Conservation of the Art Historical Patrimony of the Church

• 1.1 The Importance of Art Historical Patrimony

• 1.2 An Approach towards the Conservation of Art Historical Patrimony

• 1.3 Some Historical Facts regarding the Conservation of Art Historical Patrimony

• 1.4 Legislative Measures issued by the Church regarding Church Museums

• [In some older Christian traditions] the art historical patrimony that throughout the centuries…has been a privileged instrument of catechesis and worship has more recently acquired an almost exclusive aesthetic significance due to secularization. It is wise, therefore to recall in these cases the contextual importance of art historical assets by means of specific strategies so that the artifact endowed with its aesthetic value may not be detached totally from its pastoral function or its historic, social, environmental, devotional context of which it is a peculiar expression and witness.

• It is important to develop specific strategies to assure the adequate enhancement and conservation of art historical patrimony in an ecclesial sense.

• Such strategies should be founded on the following tasks:

• - the safeguard promoted by specific institutions on diocesan and national levels;

• - the knowledge of its principal aim and history, besides its major characteristics through the means of inventories and catalogues;

• - a contextual approach of the works in their specific social, ecclesial, devotional realities;

• - the consideration of works of the past in reference to today’s cultural and ecclesial experience;

• - the conservation and eventual use of works of the past in a pastoral dimension.

• Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus (June 28, 1988)

• - established the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, to collaborate with Particular Churches and Episcopal organisms in order to establish properly museums, archives, libraries, so that “the collection and the protection of the entire artistic and historical patrimony may well be carried out in all territories as well as placed at the disposal of everyone who has interest.”

• 2. The Nature, Aim, and Typology of the Church Museum

• 2.1 The Nature• 2.1.1 Conservation in an ecclesial sense• 2.1.2 Enhancement in an ecclesial sense

• 2.2 Aim• 2.2.1 Safeguarding memory• 2.2.2 Pastoral Action through Memory

• 2.3 Typology• 2.3.1 The Typology of museum institutions• 2.3.2 The Typology of objects gathered

• 2.4 The Institution

• 2. The Nature, Aim, and Typology of the Church Museum

• 2.1 The Nature• 2.1.1 Conservation in an ecclesial sense

Ecclesiastical museums are “not storehouses for inanimate finds, but enduring nurseries in which the genius and spirituality of the community of believers is handed on.”

• 2.1.2 Enhancement in an ecclesial sense• [Artifacts] should be interpreted, understood, used

according to their complex and global sense in order that one can come to grips with their authentic, original and ultimate significance.

• 2.2 Aim• 2.2.1 Safeguarding memory• - conservation of artifacts• - investigation of the history of the Christian community• - the display of historical continuity• - comparison with other cultural expressions

characterizing the territory

• 2.2.2 Pastoral Action through Memory• The fragility of materials, natural disasters and adverse

or unfortunate historical conditions, the change of cultural sensitivities, liturgical reforms, are all documented in ecclesiastical museums.

• 2.3 Typology• 2.3.1 The Typology of museum institutions• - cathedral treasuries, special collections, diocesan

museums, parish museums, monastic museums, museums of confraternities etc.

• 2.3.2 The Typology of objects gathered• - works of art, sacred vessels, furnishings, reliquaries, ex

votos, lit. vestments, musical instruments, manuscripts, liturgical books

• - plans, maps, documents, diaries, statutes• - the memory of traditions, customs, habits

• 2.4 The Institution• The task of coordinating, etc. what belongs to the

patrimony of the Church in the respective Dioceses…is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop who should be properly assisted by the Diocesan Commission or by the Office for Sacred Art and Patrimony…Eccl. Museums are to be considered among the instruments “placed at the service of the mission of the Church,” so they should become part of the diocesan pastoral project.

• No new ecclesiastical museums can be established by ecclesiastical, public or private entities, even if partially or totally financed by them, without the consent of the competent diocesan Bishop.

• 3. The Organization of an Ecclesiastical Museum

• 3.1 The See• 3.1.1 The Structure• 3.1.2 Entrance• 3.1.3 Halls• 3.1.4 Display Cases• 3.1.5 Halls for Temporary Exhibits• 3.1.6 Didactic Hall• 3.1.7 Hall of cultural formation• 3.1.8 Library• 3.1.9 Historic Archive and Current Archive• 3.1.10 Exit

• 3.1.11 Places for refreshments• 3.1.12 Offices of personnel• 3.1.13 Halls of deposits• 3.1.14 Restoration Laboratory

• 3.2 Security• 3.2.1 Facilities• 3.2.2 Protection

• 3.3 Management

• 3.4 Personnel

• 3.5 Norms• 3.6 Relations with other Institutions

• 4. The Fruition of the Ecclesiastical Museum

• 4.1 Public Fruition and Use

• 4.2 Fruition and Use in an Ecclesial Sense• 4.2.1 Fruition and Use in the mens of the Church• 4.2.3 Use in the lifestyle of the Church

• 4.3 Use within the entire territory

• 5. Formation of Personnel for Ecclesiastical Museums

• 5.1 Training plan• 5.1.1 The Importance of Training• 5.1.2 Urgent training guidelines• 5.1.3 Training Criteria• 5.1.4 Content of the Training• 5.1.5 Places for training• 5.1.6 Inter-institutional Collaboration

• 5.2 Formation of Employees• 5.2.1 Principles of training of clergy• 5.2.3 Principles for the formation of cultural operators

and guides• 5.2.4 Initiatives for the formation of visitors• 5.3 The role of volunteer work