On the website of the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, one can take a virtual tour of the cathedral.
Welcome to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Cathedral Square in downtown Milwaukee!
In a major renovation concluded in 2002, the Cathedral building and its liturgical furnishings, objects and art were fashioned and placed to reflect the liturgical theology stemming from the Second Vatican Council. This renovation, renewal and restoration of our Cathedral will have succeeded if it has stirred up in you an appreciation for the beauty of the Catholic Church in action as well as the beauty of the buildings that house the Church.
Including the home page and the concluding "thank you" page, the virtual tour consists of 23 pages.
While informative, offering images of highlights of the 2002 renovation, the tour is very brief and very limited in scope.
It's also outdated. The tour was put together while Rembert Weakland was still serving as archbishop.
That's clear from the information on the page about the crypt. It states, "Nine archbishops have served the Archdiocese of Milwaukee."
Of course, Weakland was the ninth. Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Archbishop Jerome Listecki are the tenth and eleventh respectively.
I find it interesting that as part of the renovation completed in 2002, a bronze shrine dedicated to Mary, the Blessed Mother, includes the image of Weakland.
This was a newly-commissioned work of art at the time.
It's the definition of "hubris."
From the virtual tour:
Mary, Mother of the Church
This shrine is dedicated to the Blessed Mother under her title, “The Mother of the Church.” In the shrine is a newly-commissioned bronze statue of the Blessed Mother. On a pedestal is a bas relief featuring people from a number of the ethnic and cultural communities that make up the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The statue and pedestal are the work of Chicago artists Jeffrey and Anna Koh-Varilla. This shrine portrays Mary as the mother of everyone in the Church.
Above and to the left is a round stained-glass window dedicated to Pius XII (not pictured), pope at the time of the reconstruction of the cathedral after the 1935 fire.
What this description doesn't note is that Weakland himself is depicted.
In this detail of the plaque below the statue, Weakland is seen at the far left.
Even though the artwork has stood in the cathedral since 2002, it has only recently generated controversy.
SNAP, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, just learned about it. Now, it is demanding that the image of Weakland be removed from the cathedral, along with another statue, a bust of Weakland.
Video, from WISN:
From FOX 6 News:
"I couldn't believe it. That this was a practical joke that this was someone joking about this.", says SNAP Rep Peter Isley. The joke Isley is talking about is this statue. It has an image of former Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
Isley, a member of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests(SNAP), says Weakland's image should not be the Cathedral of St. John. The statue, as well as a bust of Weakland stands in the Cathedral of St. John. Weakland left his position in 2002 after admitting to a sexual relationship with a seminary student decades earlier. Isley says,"this is an individual responsible for transferring, concealing and moving dozens of priests who sexually assaulted raped young children and immortalized himself in bronze."
Isley wants Milwaukee's newest Archbishop, Jerome Listecki, to respond. Isley says, "This is an altar that people kneel to."
Weakland himself will be back at St. John Tuesday speaking to 80 others in the Catholic ministry, sharing expertise about Cathedral renovations.
FOX 6 asked Archbishop Weakland if he would give a reflection as to his mindset at the time of the renovation that motivated the renovation of the cathedral. As for the statues, Father Carl says Weakland's image represents the head of the local archdiocese at the time. Father Carl says, "I don't see a need to modify it. I think I've explained the intent of it and the focus of it. If some individual wants to say he doesn't see it that way it's his problem."
...In a statement released by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon, it says they are working towards healing and resolution with victims.
I admit that I was taken aback by the plaque at the statue of Mary.
Had Weakland been a saint while he served as archbishop I still wouldn't think it proper for him to agree to commissioning a shrine to Mary that would include his own image.
There's an arrogance in that act that is rather shocking.
The fact that Weakland was such a disgrace in his personal sexual misconduct and in the way he handled the wider sexual abuse scandal in the archdiocese makes the display more disturbing.
I can understand why SNAP considers it inappropriate. I agree on that count.
However, I do get the impression sometimes that SNAP isn't about healing for victims and accountability for the guilty as much as it is about tearing down the Church.
The group attacked Archbishop Listecki before he was installed, not exactly a good approach to achieve resolution. They exhibit so little patience and almost an unwillingness to accept some reconciliation. The new archbishop has so many adjustments to make. At this early stage, I think SNAP is being unreasonable in its demands on Listecki. They should give him a chance.
As far as the artwork of Weakland in the cathedral goes, he did serve as Milwaukee's archbishop for 25 years. His presence should be noted along with the other archbishops. I think he should be included among the portraits.
Stained Glass and
Episcopal Portraits
Episcopal Portraits: Above these windows can be seen the portraits of all the archbishops of Milwaukee. With the removal of the lanterns, we are now able to see the portraits of the Archbishops who have served this Archdiocese. From front to back on the north side are Henni, Katzer, Stritch, Meyer, Weakland and from the front to back on the south side are Heiss, Messmer, Kiley, and Cousins.
I can handle a portrait of Weakland, but I do have difficulty accepting the statues.
It's painful to see them because his misdeeds as archbishop were so egregious and so shocking. I can't see Weakland without his unconscionable actions coming to mind.
Weakland left the Archdiocese of Milwaukee severely wounded. Some of the faithful have healed, but some aren't there yet. I think it would be helpful for people to show understanding and respect for others when it comes to the fallout from the scandals.
Bottom line: Weakland's legacy is a part of the Archdiocese's history. Taking artwork away isn't going to change that. If only it could be that easy.
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