The Modern Church Catholic Building

One other point in the essay asking us not to blame the Spirit of Vatican Two for the stark and clumsy buildings in whihc many Catholic are now forced to hear Mass:*
(I hasten to add, I am blessed in that regard. Our edifice is not only gorgeous, but has always been subejct to renovations that, if not necessary, were at least done thoughtfully anadd beautifully. I have not been to every parish in the diocese, but our church is the most beautiful one that I know of, by almost anyone's estimation. The cathedral isn't bad...
But I digress.)
The article http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=8000 mentioned how common is the "white washed wall" behind the alatar, where once one might have expected a gorgeous mural or mosaic, or a striking reredos, or an awe inspiring stained glass window.
And it also mentioned the rejection of any existing "language" of architecture, a starting from zero approach to what meaning or symbplism the occupants of a building moght derive from it.
So let us consider the semiology of that feature of the average contemporary church for the average contemporary man.
Hmm.... a large, (room-sized, in fact,) flat, vertical, two-dimesional expanse of white, what does that say to you?
Hmm....
Is it any wonder that people drop in to Mass when they have the time, with a consumerist expectation of being entertained? or that in the place where they once would have seen a representation of the Immortal, Invisible, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Ieffable, Eternal Infallible, Almighty.... or even a precious tabernacle to house the means by which, the form in which He deigned in these latter days to Stay With Us... Whom they came to worship, there is instead that which invites them to "project" ..... what?
What do we usually see on movie screens?
A bigger, better looking version of ourselves.

This is a pretty good illustration of the differing visions of the two camps whose mottoes Cdl Dulles said were, "God is other, people," and "God is other people."


* An expression I did not know, but which I recently have read, and which dates from... hold onto your seats.... pre-Conciliar days. No! People didn't just go to Mass to practice theri own private devotions while a spiritually, emotionally and physically distant priest mumbled inaudibly words they could neither hear nor understand? they intended to "hear" something?
I am shocked, shocked, I tell you.
Gambling at Rick's!