Why did Cardinal Czerny and Timothy Schmalz unknowingly bring Angels to the Vatican?

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny and sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz spoke Thursday in Rome about evangelization through art, within the framework of the festivities linked to the Jubilee of the World of Communications — celebrated at the Vatican from January 24 to 26 —and emphasized that words are not necessary to share the Catholic faith with others.

Cardinal Czerny, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, said Schmalz’s sculpture “Angels without knowing it”which was installed in St. Peter’s Square in 2019 to commemorate World Day of Migrants and Refugees, quietly but eloquently represents the experience of millions of people throughout history.

“Many times one has the impression that people are looking for themselves, they are looking for their ancestors, they are looking for their people and they find them,” Cardinal Czerny told some 350 conference participants.

“I think in this way this sculpture communicates something that, as we now know, is also highly political, if not violent (at times), without words and without labels,” the cardinal said.

Speaking about the 140 figures in “Unknowing Angels,” Schmalz said Cardinal Czerny’s request for the sculpture had given him the opportunity to represent the “mosaic of emotions” experienced by migrants and refugees from different times and places.

“I have joy, I have happiness, but I also have despair represented,” he said. “Hopefully some of those faces, some of those expressions, move the people who see them.”

The Bible verse “Do not forget to practice hospitality, for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2) was what inspired Schmalz to place an angel at the center of his work. of art.

“You can only see the wings because of the crowd of people,” he explained. “I thought it was a discreet, subtle way to give a visual translation to that beautiful passage of Scripture, because it is discreet.”

Cardinal Czerny described the angel at the center of Schmalz’s sculpture as a symbol of the “beautiful truth” experienced by those who have welcomed migrants and refugees.

“They will always tell you that they received more than they gave,” he shared. “That person or that family that somehow came into their lives is a gift from God.”

“At the same time, if you talk to a migrant or a refugee who has been lucky enough to meet someone inspired by the Gospel, or at least by human motivations, they will say that they were saved by an angel, that an angel came into our life. ”he continued.

At the end of the meeting on evangelization through art, the Canadian cardinal reiterated the Pope’s call to defend the dignity of those who have left their countries of origin.

“Pope Francis says – which I think is a great balance between our (Catholic) teaching and the reality of the world – that we are obliged to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees to the extent possible in our capacity.” society,” he stated.

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.