Our next stop on our Roman pilgrimage takes us to the what is known simply as “Il Gesù” in Rome. It is a magnificent church, built after the death of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus, aka, the Jesuits. It was one of the first churches to be built in accord with the dictates of the Council of Trent, which specified a single nave in order to focus the attention of the faithful on the altar. Construction began in 1568 and the structure was consecrated in 1584.
On the outer facade, two of the most well-known Jesuits are honored with statues: St, Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier.
In case you haven’t figured it out, the Jesuits were a militant order, founded, in part, to suppress the protestant revolt. (They also had world-wide missionary activity.) Let’s head inside, shall we?
When in Rome, one utters words like “breathtaking” multiple times a day, but this is one of the most ornate churches we saw. Photos do not do it justice. Looking up we see an amazing ceiling fresco with relief carvings.
I really wanted to just lay on the floor and try to take it in for a while; but I also didn’t want to be stepped on or left behind. Instead, let’s walk toward the altar with our neck craned, trying not to trip, and look into the cupola of the dome to see the Holy Spirit represented way up there as the traditional dove.
Okay, roll your neck around a bit and lets see what else there is here. There is so much art on that ceiling. How about the Chapel of the Angels?
There is a lot going on, as is the way with baroque art. The altarpiece is “Archangel Michael and Angels Adore the Trinity.” The mural to the left is “Angels Free Souls From Purgatory” and on the right we have “Expulsion of Rebel Angels From Heaven.” The vault features “The Coronation of the Virgin.” Smaller paintings represent other things, but I don’t want to bore you.
Next up, something a bit more subdued, the chapel dedicated to St. Francis Xavier (1506-1553) who was a missionary to India, China, and Japan. The altarpiece is of the saint’s death on the island of Sacian. The reliquary holds his right forearm, brought to Rome in 1614.
Of course, what would be the mother church of the Jesuits without a chapel dedicated to St. Ignatius?
The saint lies in rest under the altar. The reliefs on either side are pretty amazing, we’ll zoom into those. On the left is “Faith Triumphs over Idolatry.”
On the right is “Religion Overcomes Heresy.” That title doesn’t quite capture the impact of what’s happening.
According to Steve Ray, “This sculpture depicts Mary casting Martin Luther and his precursor, Jan Huss, out of heaven. An attendant angel (lower left) rips their translations of the Bible and their writings to shreds. The militant nature of the Jesuits and their mission to spread the faith and reassert the power of the church is clear in this dramatic work.”1 You don’t find anything in the church explaining that anymore. Not very ecumenical, I suppose. Maybe it’s a bit triumphalist, but you have to admit, it’s a powerful sculpture.
We’ll end on a less militant note with the Chapel of Madonna Della Strada. It was the first chapel to be finished in this church. There are various scenes from Mary’s life, and since the sign says, “reserved for prayer,” maybe we should just put the camera away and do that for a minute or two.
Grace & peace,
Chris
https://catholicconvert.com/st-ignatius-steps-on-luther/