Conditioned For Simplicity

A blog post by Emily Rolla, Spring 2011

There are many reasons why it’s overwhelming coming to Europe for the first time: Custom to metric; Dollars to Euros; 12 hour time to 24 hour time; Train and bus schedules. Always feeling underdressed; Feeling limited by speaking only English. Despite all of these, the difference that strikes me the strongest is the overwhelming amount of beauty there is here.

America was founded by the Pilgrims, who stressed simplicity and practicality. Most modern day churches – even Catholic ones- are built for use rather than beauty. Of course, nothing is wrong with a simple church- there is a beauty there all its own. There are no distractions from the most important feature of the church- the Eucharist.

Here in Austria, however, you walk into a church and gold leafing covers most, if not the entire, altar. There are probably at least four side alters, just as ornately decorated with the walls and ceilings covered in frescoes and vaultings so high the opposite side of the church will hear you drop your donation coins for lighting a candle.

It’s “sensory overload,” as my roommate put it. For the first few cities I visited, I didn’t bother visiting the art museums. Why should I? I saw something close to 7 churches while in Vienna, and that was enough art to last me the rest of the week.

Baroque style is very much the signature style of architecture here in Austria- so much so that many older churches that were originally Gothic or Romanesque had their altars removed and replaced with ones that were Baroque or Rococo. For this reason, as well as how much marble and gold is used, I didn’t initially like Baroque style. It was too much; many churches appeared to me like ballrooms with pews added, something from a palace.

It was after the fourth church I visited that I realized these churches were palaces. Here was the residence of the King of Kings, where the humble faithful would come to give Him praise, beg His petition, and give Him thanks- always adoring Him on bended knee.

Additionally, the decorations to not take away from the glory of the Mass, but rather help add to it. Many of the churches here were built before our country was even discovered. The frescoes and sculptures educated the illiterate, non-Latin speaking masses and kept their minds raised to God during the Liturgy.

While I am still of the opinion that, “If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it,” I do see the beauty and value of the Baroque style, and how it does glorify God- as do all styles, in their own way, whether they be Romanesque, Gothic, or Rococo.

The most ornate churches in the United States are quite often those built by the European immigrants, and they are nothing compared to the churches here. As a result, I feel as though Americans are conditioned more toward the simple, which is not bad. Jesus was a simple Man. He was born in a manger, was the son of a poor carpenter, and He gave Himself to us as unleavened bread- the simplest, most basic food of all. However, it is wonderful for the churches here in Europe to remind us that He is the King of all ages and the Prince of peace.