A holy life can be a work of art and attract others to God, pope says

Published: 2004-11-09

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- By living holy lives, Christians can be true works of art, reflecting God's glory and attracting others with his beauty, Pope John Paul II said in a message to members of the pontifical academies. The pontifical academies, including the academies of sciences, social sciences, life, fine arts and archaeology, held their annual joint meeting Nov. 9 at the Vatican and discussed beauty as a means of evangelization. Pope John Paul told the members that beauty "has accompanied the prayer, the liturgy and the life of families and Christian communities" for 2,000 years. Architecture, paintings, sculptures, music, literature and plays "help us understand through the language of beauty and symbols the profound harmony that exists between faith and art, between human creativity and the work of God, author of every authentic beauty," the pope wrote. But for beauty to reveal its full splendor, he said, "it must be united to goodness and holiness of life."

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