Seeing the Dharma in Italy
- In Religion
- 09:29 PM, Aug 18, 2015
- Fred Stella
My wife and I have a tradition that bonds us in a very special way. Every 5th wedding anniversary we spend in Italy. Not only does it give us time together in a stunningly beautiful country and an opportunity to reconnect with my family, but we also use our time to spiritually rejuvenate. Part of that rejuvenation is experienced in the many churches that we visit.
As most Italian-Americans I was raised as a Roman Catholic. Regular readers will remember that my path towards embracing the Hindu Dharma began at the age of 15. (https://www.myind.net/how-i-became-hindu and https://www.myind.net/how-i-became-hindu-part-2 ) Almost 30 years ago I formally embraced the tradition. With that I let go of any vestiges of Christian theology that may have been lingering. But there are still experiences within the Catholic context that spiritually resonate. And one place where this happens is the centuries old Italian Catholic church. My wife, Teresa, and I rarely pass up a chance to pay a visit to any that we wander near if the door is open. Our favorites are the churches that are not in the major piazzas and tend to be less frequented by tourists. This allows us to sit and meditate in silence.
We expect the readership to be mature enough to know that the philosophical differences between Catholicism and Hinduism are significant. There is no attempt here to rectify such opposing doctrines such as samsara vs. resurrection, Jesus as the only earthly expression of divinity vs. Brahman reflected in the entire universe or karma vs. original sin. But the wonderful thing about Hinduism is that it allows for us to experience the sacred in any situation or environment. There is no directive in the faith that would keep a bhakta from being uplifted in church, mosque or synagogue. It pleases me to take great advantage of this “pass’ when in Italy.
And, yes, there are a few opportunities to observe common threads as well. One of the most obvious that we find in Italian (and European in general) churches is the sense of the macabre. Old World Catholicism taught its adherents to observe the state that awaits us all—death— with dispassion and acceptance. So there are many artistic representations of the finality of human life. As we acknowledge to non Hindus who might view murthis of Kali or Durga for the 1st time, we cannot just choose to observe all the warm fuzzies that religion has to offer. Divinity exists on the darker side as well. Although, it can be said that in the midst of the darkness of the Dharma shines a very bright light. The more morbid iconography of the Catholics tends to focus on the sin of humanity and its damning consequences. This shot is from a church in Florence. It shows sinners being consumed and then defecated in an eternal cycle of pain.
Thankfully, the Church has, for the most part, abandoned its conversion-by-fear tactics, but there are still plenty of Protestant Evangelical groups for whom this method is still alive and kicking. To the uninitiated it would be easy to say that this is no more gruesome than some Hindu representations, but the skulls that adorn the neck of Kali are not “us” in the way those poor souls going through the alimentary canal of Lucifer are. And keep in mind that when this piece of art was created Church teachings were very clear that Hindus and other pagans might be 1st in line at such a satanic banquet!
Besides these there are plenty of statues and paintings of the violent deaths of martyrs such as this ubiquitous image of St. Sebastian. Martyrs are always useful in creating and sustaining solidarity among the rank and file of any movement. Christianity has hundreds of them who have been canonized as saints. Another tradition that the Dharmic religions share with Catholics is the veneration of relics. Not only are articles of clothing and utensils of the saints considered holy, but body parts as well. This last visit we saw the foot of St. Mary Magdalene and the skull of St. Agatha on display. On an earlier trip we saw the tongue of St. Anthony enshrined. This practice is one of the main issues that lead to the Reformation. Protestants deem such devotional observances to be as idolatrous as our temple pujas.
I’ve never been to the catacombs in Rome but I must say I was in for quite a surprise in the beautiful seaside town of Otranto on Italy’s boot heel. The church had several altars. As I approached this one all I noticed was the brown abstract artwork on the panels behind Mother Mary. But as I got closer it becomes clear that these “panels” are glass enclosures of human remains. A rather chilling sight. It turns out that these skeletons are the remains of local townspeople who were massacred attempting to defend the city from invading Turks. While it is disconcerting to observe I do not criticize the Church for such displays as this one. It is so easy to forget history, or to say with little thought, “Many thousands of people died in this or that war,” and not feel the true impact of lives lost. This makes it very real.
It’s so fascinating to view the statues and icons I once did as a devout practicing Catholic with new lenses. They still often evoke great devotion and reverence. Other times not. I am pleased that I now look upon the crucified Jesus and venerate his compassion and forgiveness of his enemies as opposed to how I was taught by the good sisters of Precious Blood grade school (how’s that for a school name!) that a good Catholic should gaze upon the tortured image while contemplating that it was my sins that put him there on that cross.
As an aside, it’s interesting that in a country so steeped in religious history, where Christian imagery is as ubiquitous there as Hindu symbols are in India that Italy remains a strong secular nation. It is rare that politicians will use the God card to attract voters the way so many here in the US do shamelessly. While the Church has attempted to yield its influence over the Italians they have proved their independence from the Curia (Vatican lawmakers) time and time again.
That said, Italians are very protective of their Catholic culture. They don’t call is Roman Catholicism for nothing. It is unfortunate that both Hinduism and Buddhism were not recognized as “official” religions in Italy until 2012. This meant, among other things, that weddings conducted by pundits had no legal standing. Hindu couples had to have both a secular courthouse wedding as well as a Vedic rite.
Italy has become quite diverse over the past few decades. I’m quite used to seeing Africans in many metropolitan centers since my initial trip in 1981. But this time I saw Indians almost everywhere I went. I approached several here and there, often inquiring as to the proximity of a temple. It was an almost otherworldly experience to be speaking Italian to Indians. Unfortunately, both the Indians and Google Maps proved that we were never near a mandir. I’m sure this was due to the fact that the bulk of our trip was spent in small towns located in the deep south of the country. My observation is that Indians share much of the same temperament of Italians and will flourish there. Who knows? Besides an increase in the number of temples and ashrams we might be seeing Lasagna Marsala on a menu in the not too distant future.
By Fred Stella
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