A bust of Italian poet Dante Alighieri is
pictured at the University of Bologna in Ravenna, Italy. Photo: CNS Famed Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s contribution to Christendom is “insurmountable” and cannot be underestimated as a renewed appreciation of his work commemorates the 700th anniversary of his death.
Fr John Harris OP of Newbridge told The Irish Catholic that the role his works have played in art and literature was to “open up the visage of Christian imagination”.
“His belief in the world beyond this one. The victory, ultimately, of goodness over evil and things like that. He does open up the mind to imagination of the truth of the Gospel. I think his contribution to that openness of humanity to the truth of the Gospel really – we owe an awful lot to Dante,” Fr Harris said.
Letter
Pope Francis penned an apostolic letter to celebrate the occasion, in which he said he appreciated the poet’s work for the “enduring warnings and insights it contains for humanity as a whole, not simply believers”.
“On this anniversary, the voice of the Church can hardly be absent from the universal commemoration of the man and poet Dante Alighieri. Better than most, Dante knew how to express with poetic beauty the depth of the mystery of God and love. His poem, one of the highest expressions of human genius, was the fruit of a new and deeper inspiration,” the Pope wrote, continuing, “I wish to join my predecessors who honoured and extolled the poet Dante…and to propose him anew for the consideration of the Church, the great body of the Faithful, literary scholars, theologians and artists”.
The Pope concluded his letter:
“At this particular moment in history, overclouded by situations of profound inhumanity and a lack of confidence and prospects for the future, the figure of Dante, prophet of hope and witness to the human desire for happiness, can still provide us with words and examples that encourage us on our journey.
“Dante can help us to advance with serenity and courage on the pilgrimage of life and faith that each of us is called to make, until our hearts find true peace and true joy, until we arrive at the ultimate goal of all humanity”.
Ultimate goal
The “ultimate goal” of all humanity, the Pope says quoting Dante himself is, “The Love which moves the sun and the other stars”.
Commenting on the effect Dante’s work has had on the world, Fr Harris said the widespread portrayal of heaven, hell and purgatory in art and how we picture them more generally “all really go back, I think to some extent, to Dante’s description of these places”.
“So much of our own imagination about heaven and hell and everything else and the offer of the Christian life is really influenced by Dante.
“There’s no doubt about his influence on western culture and the Christianisation of the imagination,” he said.