Edifices of meaning

As its fourth offering for the year of the Casa Gorordo Museum Talk/Heritage for Media series, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) conducted a lecture by Fr. Brian C. Brigoli on the “Architectural Theology: On Ecclesiastical Designs” last July 20, 2018 in the azotea of the Casa Gorordo Museum in Parian, Cebu City. Father Brigoli is the head of the Cebu Archdiocesan on the Cultural Heritage of the Church and is the director of the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu.

Thank you Ms. Haidee Emmie K. Palapar, manager of RAFI’s Research and Publications, Culture and Heritage, for the invitation to listen to Fr. Brigoli’s talk.

Father Brigoli’s views on churches explore beyond the physical structure. Indeed a whole new viewpoint at built churches as not just structures to house the congregation in worship, but as edifices of meaning and repository of theological narratives imbued in their fabric.

Churches are meant to be read as they tell stories of the past, and to be told to our young, and the storytellers of our faith. Let us open our eyes to the other dimensions of the churches. And so there is a need to preserve our churches so we can preserve the meaning with numbers and senses.

Such built environment has the capacity to affect human beings deeply by the way we act and feel, not only on how we worship.

In the historical development of church building, each era projected distinct characteristic, from the baptism area to the architectural designs, massive structures, height verticality, arrangement of the columns, the use of the statues, ecclesiastical art signs and symbols — all geared towards the profound reality of faith. It professes the full and active involvement of the faithful.

Long before, for the Jews, they saw the synagogue in relation to the Temple. The synagogue was never just a place for instruction; a kind of religious classroom, its orientation was always towards the presence of God. Now, for the Jews, this presence of God is indissolubly connected with the Temple.

As a sanctuary for weary souls, the church’s perpetuity will continue through all ages and can never be destroyed. It is an "everlasting kingdom." The physical structure may come to an end but the very foundation is burly enough to last a lifetime and beyond.

Biblical literature points to one of the moments of high drama when Moses beheld the burning bush with the voice of God telling him to “put off your shoes from your feet, for place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

The whole concept of “holy ground” is one which is in danger of being lost in this age of multi-purpose church buildings and horizontal architecture.  It is clear from scripture that there is supposed to be “holy ground” set apart for God’s worship and glory — and we are expected to treat such places as truly holy. That includes dressing appropriately, speaking respectfully, and having a holy demeanor when we are in God’s House.

Let us take care that our churches are not turned into little more than ecclesiastical malls — gathering places which are simply for our convenience -– rather than what they truly are: the very dwelling-place of the Incarnate God.