The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-01

! lecture, was prepared for the reader
of The Cleveland Universe by loca
architect 1t indicates the religious
significance of certain forms in archl
| lecture, and makes one realize tina
| even the bricks and stones may be
continuous prayer to God, if planned
with thought of the meanings OF Ger
tain architectural styles.
The Holy Trinity.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinit.
has left it's impression in the struc
ture of churches more than any othe,
article of faith. AS far back as the
Roman basilicas we see the idea Of
triple division, not only embracing
the nave or central avenue and side
aisles, but also the triple division EN-
braced in the length, namely, the
nave, the choir and the sanctuary. The
length and width, then, were the signs
of the great mystery; the height was
also in no less a degree, for the cleres
tory, triforium and arcade cannot TAI
to suggest it to us.
1t was not enough to impress the
symbol of the Trinity in the several
parts of the general plan; they Wen'
so far as to produce the secret number
in every part in such manner that
the majesty of the Most High seemed
to fill the edifice.
This is very common in the group
ing of the windows, the triple arrange
ment of which expresses the same
symbolical idea, as well as the steps
to the altar, which are three in mum
Der, including the pedalla or loot
space; when of more we find them UNI
even in number and never more than
nine; for besides three representing
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, five
represents the holy wounds of the
crucified Savior, seven the virtues OF
humility, liberality, chastity, meekness,
temperance, brotherly love and dill
gence, the steps that Christians must
tread if they hope to place the seven
deadly sins beneath their feet on the
road to the heavenly altar of everiast'
ing life, and nine represents the three
angelic hierarchies of the three choirs
each, or the nine orders of the angels
which are always singing their divine
canticle before the throne of God.
The Redemption.
The doctrine of the redemption is no
less symbolized. We find it expressed
in the ground plan and in the general
disposition of churches. Almost all
churches, whether Cathedrals or par
ish churches, are cruciform in plan
and display the form of a cross. Those
in the western part of Europe conform
more with the Latin cross, that is, the
nave, which corresponds to the stem
of the cross, is much longer than the
arms or transepts, while those in the
east display the form of Greek cross,
in which all the arms are of the same
length. st. Peters of Rome was orig
inally built on this plan, but was after
ward heightened in the nave and now
displays the form of Latin cross.
AS in the case of the doctrine of the
Holy Trinity, it was not enough to i'm
press the symbol in the general plan
only, but also in every part, SO we find
the symbol of the redemption and OF
our faith everywhere The most con
spicuous place was over the rood
screen which separates the nave from
the choir. Here we find the crucified
Savior with the Blessed Virgin and St
John, an ever-abiding symbol of the
command of our Lord on the cross
when He gave her to us as our mother
We also find the cross in all manner
of conventional forms displayed
throughout the architecture of the
church, as finals, enrichments OF
panels, etc.
The Altar.
Passing from the symbols of the
doctrines of our religion to those OF
the things which appertain to it, we
come first to the altar. The altar is OF
more Importance than the church it.
self, inasmuch as the "the altar is not
for the church, but the church is fol
the altar" 1t is the Calvary of the
Eucharistic Sacrifice, hence the prin.
cipal object in church.
The statues of the adoring angels
as you all know, are to remind us OF
the reverence and awe we should have
in the presence of the angels during
the Mass. The mensa or altar table
when not of stone, has a small stone
slab in the center of it, where the
chalice sets, in which are the relics
of some saint.
The custom of having relics under
the altar has come down to us from
the early Christians, when the tombs
in the catacombs served as affairs upon
which to say Mass. The following is
a passage from the letter of ST. Am
brose illustrating the usage of the
Christians in always associating with
the affairs the relics of martyrs and
saints:
Bring these victorious victims to
the spot where Christ is the sacrifice
But He who suffered for all, upon the
altar; they who have been redeemed
by His passion, under the ;altar
wherefore let us bury the hallowed
relics, placing them in worthy
home"
Doors, Windows, Etc.
The material church is the symbol
of the spiritual church, since it is com.
posed of an assemblage of a great
Of cfn sr;k Al