Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-14
CATHEDRAL BUILDING.
In Whose Honor Are These Mighty
Piles Erected Now?

In Whose Honor Are These Mighty
Piles Erected Now?
1t is not unlikely that a good many
persons of a certain temperament find
1t regretta5le that this country seems
seriously to have entered on an epoch
of cathedral building, and on reflection
we incline to share their point of view
through rather mixed considerations,
says the American Architect In the
first place, it seems to us that every
modern cathedral church, whether sue
eessful or unsuccessful architecturalIy,
whether built in this country or i'm
Europe, in a very real degree belittles
the dignity and degrades the character
of the churches that have come down
to us from the grand cathedralbuilding
epoch. These masterpieces of art
are universally acknowledged to have
been possibilities only through the
self-sacrifce and reyerent enthusiasm
Of the men VINO designed and bulk
them. aud it is the knowledge OF these
conditions. legendary though they
may be. that lends to ones impressions
a human poignancy that blends with
the higher emotions which temple of
God however modest and unbeautiful,
always evokes. AS it is very gener-
ally known that very little self-sacri-
fee and still less reverent enthusiasm,
is built into the walls of modern ca
thedral. those who have this under
standing will be likely to disbeieve
that the old cathedraIs were builded in
any other frame of mind, and so will
deny to them one of their most living
and impressive characteristics, and
this viii be a loss.
Further, the soul Of man, in these
times of ours. is to be reached mainly
by the spoken word: it can be affected,
subdued, chastened. perhaps. by the
pleasurable sensations that reach the
brain through the eye; but it cannot
be informed in morals, ethics and re-
ligion save through the spoken word,
and word spoken unless 1t can be
heard is wasted. Now, the new Ca
thedral of SIS. Peter and Paul, at
Washington, the design for which by
G.. F. Bodley and Henry Vaughan has
Just been approved by the chapter and
council of the diocese, is TO seat con-
gregation of 5000 persons-provided
such numbers ever present them
selves and we venture to think that.
In a church which measures 476 by
1872 feet. the spoken word will be quite
inaudible to a large part of the audf.
ence Sc, ted in the double-aisled nave
Such a result, of course. implies a
great waste and, when one reflects.
that for the $4,000 O06 this cathedral
Is to cost 500 mission shapels could
be built, il seems imposs, bic to be
iieve that the churchmen are alto
gether right in their undertaking.
As nearly as we can make ont. the
cathedral promoters are carried away
by sort of post hoe propter hoe be.
lief, in very mistaken fashion. In
their desire TO stem the current Of
modern materiaism and irfeligion
they seem suddenly to have turned
their eyes 10 the cathedrals Of the old
world and then imagined that they
recognized in them not an eneet but
a cause; they seem TO have under.
stood that II Yves because cathedrals
existed that people were fervent OF
faith, not that through and because
Of the existence of an abiding and
faith the men Oh. those
times were able to create those i'm.
pressi"c monuments Although snch
reasoning surely is inverted we all
may hope that satisfying, If not
reformation may attend
their efforts. Meanwhile 1t must be
that as a part of the munich.
pal scenery as one of the items of a
community's wealth, as a landmark
along the pathway of art, a cathedral
building may be fairly held to be
worth its cost, whether In fourteenth
century guise 1t seems to ape the
work of the men who created the
style or whether, like the Westminster
cathedral, it seems to explain more
clearly the humanities of the day
that gives 1t birth. Even then It win
be found bordering the question, Is
the modern cathedral really erected to
the glory Of God or of the bishop or
1f the architect