The sacred image in the liturgy as seen by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

Abstract

In his theological reflections on the question of liturgy in the Church, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger also addressed the issue of art and the sacred image. He did not develop any theological aesthetics of his own, but his theological remarks on the image are of great importance. Ratzinger demonstrated that the image is an integral and integrating part of the liturgy and, as such, demands appropriate consideration within the Church. Two issues merit particular attention in the context of contemporary challenges, particularly the phenomenon of what has been termed ‘new iconoclasm’. The first issue is that of the coherent presence of the image in the ongoing development of divine revelation, which moves from the Old to the New Testament. This clearly expresses the need for the image. Subsequently, the liturgy, which is rooted in the history of revelation and represents its lived experience within the Church, requires the image in order for it to reveal its full salvific meaning. The purpose of the image in the liturgy, and in a broader sense in the Church, is to prompt contemplation and adoration of the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.