Pope Francis left a long-lasting legacy, now not least his appreciation for artwork.
In his 2025 biography, “Hope,” Francis spoke of his admiration for the Baroque painter Caravaggio. He recalled that all the way through his travels to Rome as a cardinal, he prayed in entrance of the portray by way of Caravaggio – “The Calling of Saint Matthew.”
The portray is located within the chapel devoted to St. Matthew within the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. The donor of the chapel was once a French cardinal, Matthieu Cointerel, who died in 1585. This was once the primary fee for Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who was once employed in July 1599. A yr later, “The Calling of Saint Matthew” and “The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew,” depicting the start and the tip of the apostle Matthew’s ministry, have been put in.
The motto that Francis decided on for his papacy, “miserando atque eligendo,” translated as “looking at him with mercy, he chose him,” is without delay hooked up with this portray. The phrases “miserando atque eligendo” come from a sermon at the calling of Matthew written within the 8th century by way of the distinguished monk and historian Bede the Venerable. It’s used within the readings for the Ceremonial dinner of St. Matthew on Sept. 21.
‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’
Matthew is described within the Bible as a tax collector, seen on the time as a extremely doubtful career. Within the portray, Christ enters the room from the suitable. We see handiest his silhouetted head and outstretched arm pointing in Matthew’s path.
The ‘Calling of Saint Matthew,’ by way of Caravaggio.
Caravaggio by the use of Wikimedia Commons
Gentle from the window at the back of Christ, which aligns with the real gentle from the window within the chapel, falls on a gaggle of fellows, together with some good-looking youths in fancy garments, counting cash. Matthew, the bearded guy within the middle, makes a gesture that means, “Who, me?”
Matthew was certainly one of 4 disciples of Christ – in conjunction with Mark, Luke and John – whose accounts of Christ’s lifestyles, referred to as Gospels, are integrated within the Bible.
Francis and Jesuit coaching
Francis’ eager about this portray was once formed by way of his coaching as a Jesuit, a Catholic order that he entered in 1958. Jesuits follow one thing referred to as a technique of “discernment.” The portray represents God calling to Matthew to turn him his will for the longer term, one who calls for discernment. The founding father of the order, Ignatius of Loyola, wired a humble however energetic effort to grasp God’s will for every person, as a part of this procedure.
Ignatius’ personal lifestyles demonstrated this seek for God’s will. His preliminary profession as a soldier ended when he was once gravely wounded within the fight of Pamplona in 1521, completely destructive his leg. He therefore attempted to apply the lifetime of a hermit, meditating in solitude, after which attempted to grow to be a missionary to the Holy Land.
On the age of 33, he entered a college to be able to grow to be a clergyman, in the long run starting up probably the most influential transformation of non secular schooling because the Heart Ages. Jesuits was an ideal educating drive, stressing person learn about and debate over memorization. Ignatius was once named a saint in 1622.
‘The Inspiration of St. Matthew’
Caravaggio’s ‘The Inspiration of St. Matthew.’
Gonzaloferjar by the use of Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
The central portray within the chapel, “Inspiration of Saint Matthew” is Caravaggio’s 3rd portray, which was once installed position in 1602. The shoppers initially deliberate to put in statues on the middle, however upon their arrival they rejected the speculation and commissioned Caravaggio as a substitute. This portray additionally presentations the saint looking out to grasp God’s instructions.
On this portray, Matthew is in dialog along with his image, a winged guy. Every of the 4 evangelists are represented in artwork via symbols. The winged guy image for Matthew refers back to the starting of his Gospel that data the family tree of Christ.
The angel-like determine, such as one of the crucial younger males depicted along the saint in Caravaggio’s “The Calling of St. Matthew,” seems to carry his left index finger along with his proper hand, as though to sign that that is the primary and maximum necessary level. Matthew turns out harassed, even distracted, suffering to put in writing whilst leaning his knee on a bench.
Francis remarked in his biography that Caravaggio greater audience’ empathy by way of the usage of “contemporary figures from the artist’s own time.” The figures within the portray are wearing garments worn in Italy within the past due sixteenth century, in order that the audience in Caravaggio’s time may see themselves within the portray.
Audience come to artwork with other views derived from their very own reviews and demanding situations. Francis, too, hooked up to artwork via his personal reviews.
