My Cousin the Saint | Justin Catanoso

Michelangelo and the Sistine’s secrets

justin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:53:39 +0000

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday: “Never mind the Da Vinci Code — what about Michelangelo’s secret messages? On the 500th anniversary of the artist’s first climb up the ladder in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, a new book claims he embedded subversive messages in his spectacular frescoes — not only Jewish, Kabbalistic and pagan symbols but also insults directed at Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work, and references to his own sexuality.”

A fascinating story (here), and one that’s entirely plausible. The work of Michelangelo has captivated me for more than two decades — ever since standing at foot of the magnificent David, craning my neck for hours staring at the Sistine ceiling and reading multiple volumes about his life and works. He was a tortured genius, a man whose peerless talent was matched only by his otherwise joyless existence. Given his choice, the 3.5 years he spent painting the Sistine ceiling he gladly would’ve spent carving marble — the greatest passion of his artistic life before he was 30. But he had no choice. The tyrannical Pope Julius II made the artist a virtual indentured slave in demanding he paint the Sistine ceiling. Michelangelo’s early panels on the ceiling farthest from the altar wall are actually mediocre — the figures too small, the scenes too crowded. He never truly enjoyed fresco painting, but he soon mastered the extraordinarily difficult medium to produce one of the greatest works of art of all time.

Repudiation

justin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:25:28 +0000

Fox News reports: “A Roman Catholic diocese in South Carolina officially repudiated a priest Friday after he told his parishioners that people who voted for Barack Obama had supported the “intrinsic evil” of abortion and should not seek Communion.” The whole story is here.

Happy anniversary

justin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:18:35 +0000

Anniversario felice: To Cherrye Moore, a new friend and an American blogger/B&B owner in Calabria. May you have many, many more.

December 4 — Head House Books

justin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:22:43 +0000

For those of you who plan ahead, I’m happy to say that I will be at Head House Books in Philadelphia on the evening of December 4, a Thursday, to talk about My Cousin the Saint. We will get started around 7 p.m. Please tell your friends in the Philly area!

Video — One essential question

justin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:18:26 +0000

Filmed and edited by Michael Frierson, film professor at UNC-Greensboro

St. Gabriel’s in Charlotte

justin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:23:02 +0000

I will be speaking at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte on Wednesday night, November 12, at 6:30 p.m. The church is at 3016 Providence Road. Details are here. My topic? My cousin the saint, and how he came to be canonized.

Update:My sincere thanks to Susan Krasniewski and Father Frank at St. Gabriel for hosting me tonight. They both did a sensational job of organizing and promoting my talk and we certainly had a wonderful turnout. It was great to meet so many people afterwards. A special thanks to the Italian-American woman who traveled to Charlotte from Shelby who bought eight books and gave me to two delicious homemade meatball sandwiches!

Veteran’s Day

justin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:34:07 +0000

While it’s something we should do every day of the year, this day is set aside to honor the members of our military, past and present, who defend our freedoms around the world. I especially think about my father and his four brothers, members of The Greatest Generation, all of whom served in the U.S. military during either World War II or the Korean War.

U.S. bishops urged to challenge Obama

justin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:28:39 +0000

BALTIMORE (New York Times) — The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops told his fellow prelates Monday that while they should “rejoice” at the election of an African-American president, they should confront him over his support for abortion rights.

The full story is here.

The first parish

justin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:00:57 +0000

Padre Gaetano Catanoso, ordained in 1902, was sent to Pentidattilo in 1904 to lead the hilltop parish at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. He served there for 17 years.

A letter to the president-elect

justin — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:19:09 +0000

John Allen, the well-regarded Vatican expert for the National Catholic Reporter, writes an open-letter to President-elect Obama, urging him to make U.S.-Vatican relations a priority, and urging him to avoid the perceived diplomatic mistakes of the Clinton Administration. The letter is here. An excerpt:

I’m aware that the stars may not seem especially well-aligned for such collaboration. A small number of Catholic bishops in the United States made statements during the campaign that favored your opponent, which may have left a bitter aftertaste among some of your supporters and advisors. It’s also clear to everyone that, barring a dramatic change of heart on your part, the White House and the Vatican will have deep differences during your term over “life issues” such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

“I would urge you, however, not to allow those points to obscure four basic political realities.”