Sculpture created by St. Jacobs artist installed at St. Peter's Basilica
‘Be Welcoming’ allows people to see the marginalized as sacred, artist says
A life size interactive sculpture depicting the transformation of a homeless person into an angel created by St. Jacobs, Ont., sculptor Tim Schmalz was installed just before Easter in the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
The sculpture, called Be Welcoming, was the second piece by Schmalz to be commissioned by Pope Francis.
"It looks like a pretty rough-looking person with a hoodie, a backpack with all of his possessions. But then as you walk around the piece, the piece literally transforms into an Angel. The backpack on one side hides the Angel wings on the other side," Schmalz told CBC K-W from Rome.
"The hoodie on the one side changes into this flowing hair. And I've created this beautiful, very impressionistic face of an Angel that is welcoming you to sit down right beside."
The bronze sculpture is located near a medical centre off St. Peter's Square where Schmalz says "doctors from around the world come to volunteer their services to help the homeless."
Inspiration for sculpture
Be Welcoming was inspired by the biblical passage in Hebrews 13:2 which says: "Be welcoming to strangers, many have entertained angels unawares."
It's not the first time Schmalz took inspiration from that quote.
The first sculpture he did for Pope Francis called Angels Unawares depicts 140 migrants and refugees from different cultural and racial backgrounds and time periods is also displayed at St. Peter's Basilica.
The bronze sculpture was unveiled in 2019 on World Day for Migrants and Refugees. It was the first time in 400 years that an artist had a modern day sculpture placed next to historical pieces of work around St. Peter's Square.
Schmalz became known for the Homeless Jesus sculptures, which shows the Christian figure Jesus huddled under a blanket on a bench, with only the gashes on his feet signalling who he is.
Schmalz told CBC K-W in 2015 that statue was quickly becoming a global movement with many institutions around the world requesting it.
That was after Catholic churches in Toronto and New York initially refused to allow his sculpture to be placed outside their sanctuaries in 2014. After that controversy, many institutions around the world requested versions of his work be placed outside public institutions, charities and houses of worship.
Statue installation moved ahead
The installation of Be Welcoming was supposed to take place after Easter but it was installed early.
Schmalz said he learned the sculpture was in place after he received an email from Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who helped create the medical centre for the homeless.
"It was scheduled for after Easter. And about a couple days before Good Friday, I got these photographs showing the sculpture was already installed," said Schmalz.
"To me it's very symbolic. This is in a sense the last artistic piece that I've collaborated with the Vatican, with Pope Francis. And to have it installed right before Easter ... it's just just amazing."
Schmalz found out the Be Welcoming sculpture had been moved while in Italy for another sculpture in honour of the canonization of a young person named Carlo Acutis. It was scheduled to be placed at Acutis' tomb in Assisi, Italy. The canonization was postponed because of the pontiff's death on April 21.
The Be Welcoming sculpture which Schmalz created in 2019 has also been installed in El Camino Santiago in Spain and the St. Padre Pio Shrine in southern Italy.
LISTEN | St. Jacobs sculptor creates 2nd piece of artwork commissioned by Pope Francis:
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