VaticanNews portal reports on the Holy See’s Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, centered on the concept of “listening” and inspired by Saint Hildegard of Bingen. Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, described it as “an observatory of the world” and emphasized the need for “contemplation and listening” to bring “fruits of peace, encounter, and future.” The Pavilion, titled “The ear is the eye of the soul,” features works by 24 artists, including sound installations by Patti Smith, Brian Eno, and Meredith Monk, and is housed in two locations: the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites and the Santa Maria Ausiliatrice complex. The project aims to create a “holistic experience” and a “contemporary scriptorium,” drawing on Hildegard’s chants and visionary images. This initiative is a stark example of the conciliar sect’s embrace of New Age spirituality and its departure from the true Catholic faith, replacing the supernatural with the natural and the divine with the profane.
The Conciliar Sect’s Embrace of New Age Spirituality
The Holy See’s Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, as described by VaticanNews, is a clear manifestation of the conciliar sect’s drift towards New Age spirituality and away from the immutable truths of the Catholic faith. The emphasis on “listening,” “contemplation,” and “holistic experience” echoes the language of Eastern mysticism and secular humanism, rather than the supernatural realities of the Gospel. Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça’s statement that “we must not allow ourselves be overwhelmed by the pace of a world that does not know what it is chasing” and his call to “return to serving the rhythm of life, the harmony of creation and healing its wounds” are vague, naturalistic platitudes that lack any reference to the supernatural order, the necessity of grace, or the reality of sin and redemption. This is not the language of the Church Militant, but of a worldly, secular institution seeking relevance in a post-Christian age.
The Omission of Supernatural Truths
The article’s focus on “listening” and “contemplation” is not grounded in the Catholic understanding of these terms, which are always ordered towards the knowledge and love of God, the practice of virtue, and the avoidance of sin. Instead, the Pavilion’s concept is rooted in a pantheistic, immanentist worldview that sees creation as a self-contained harmony, rather than a reflection of the Creator’s glory and a means to Him. The absence of any mention of the sacraments, the necessity of faith, the reality of hell, or the need for repentance and conversion is deafening. As Pope Pius XI taught in Quas Primas, “the hope of lasting peace will not yet shine upon nations as long as individuals and states renounce and do not wish to recognize the reign of our Savior.” The Pavilion’s message is one of naturalistic humanism, not supernatural Christianity.
The Use of Sacred Figures for Profane Ends
The choice of Saint Hildegard of Bingen as the inspiration for the Pavilion is particularly troubling. While she is a recognized saint and Doctor of the Church, her appropriation by the conciliar sect for a project that includes sound installations by Patti Smith, Brian Eno, and Meredith Monk—artists known for their association with secular and even occult themes—is a scandalous trivialization of her legacy. The article describes the Pavilion as a “contemporary scriptorium,” but the content bears no resemblance to the sacred art and liturgy of the true Church. Instead, it is a showcase for the kind of experimental, boundary-dissolving art that the Church has always warned against. As Pope Pius IX condemned in the Syllabus of Errors, “the Church is an enemy of the progress of natural and theological sciences” (Proposition 57) and “truth changes with man, because it develops with him, in him, and through him” (Proposition 58). The Pavilion’s embrace of such art is a clear sign of the conciliar sect’s apostasy.
The Conciliar Sect’s False Ecumenism and Syncretism
The Pavilion’s location in the Mystical Garden of the Discalced Carmelites, a space inspired by Saint Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle, is a further example of the conciliar sect’s false ecumenism and syncretism. The inclusion of sound works by artists from diverse backgrounds, alongside Benedictine nuns, creates a false sense of unity that ignores the essential differences between the Catholic faith and other religions or philosophies. This is not the unity of the One True Church, but the false unity of the World Council of Religions. As Pope Pius XI warned in Mortalium Animos, “the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it.” The Pavilion’s approach is a betrayal of this teaching, seeking unity at the expense of truth.
The Conciliar Sect’s Rejection of Catholic Art and Culture
The Pavilion’s emphasis on “listening” and “sound” as forms of knowledge and spiritual experience is a rejection of the Catholic understanding of art and culture as ordered towards the worship of God and the sanctification of souls. The true Church has always promoted sacred art and music that elevate the mind and heart to God, not installations that immerse visitors in the sounds of nature or the “voice of one’s interior space.” This is not the ars gratia Dei (art for God’s sake) of the Catholic tradition, but the ars gratia hominis (art for man’s sake) of the modernist, secular world. As Pope St. Pius X taught in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, “the sacraments merely serve to remind man of the presence of the ever-benevolent Creator” (Proposition 41) is a condemned error. The Pavilion’s approach is a clear manifestation of this modernist error, reducing the sacred to the natural and the supernatural to the psychological.
The Conciliar Sect’s False Peace and False Hope
The article’s repeated references to “peace,” “encounter,” and “future” are not grounded in the Catholic understanding of these concepts, which are always ordered towards the peace of Christ, the encounter with God in the sacraments, and the hope of eternal life. Instead, they reflect the false peace and false hope of the world, which seeks harmony and progress without reference to God or His laws. As Pope Pius XI taught in Quas Primas, “the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ” is the only true peace, and it can only be achieved by recognizing the reign of Christ the King over all nations and individuals. The Pavilion’s message is one of worldly optimism, not supernatural hope.
Conclusion: A Call to Reject the Conciliar Sect’s Apostasy
The Holy See’s Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale is a clear example of the conciliar sect’s apostasy and its embrace of New Age spirituality, naturalistic humanism, and false ecumenism. It is a betrayal of the Catholic faith and a scandal to the faithful. As Catholics, we must reject this and all other manifestations of the conciliar sect’s apostasy, and return to the immutable truths of the Catholic faith, as taught by the Church Fathers, the ecumenical councils, and the pre-conciliar Magisterium. We must pray for the conversion of those who have led the Church into this abyss, and for the restoration of the true Church, which endures in the faithful who profess the integral Catholic faith and are led by bishops with valid sacraments and validly ordained priests. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (To the greater glory of God).
Source:
Holy See Pavilion at Venice Biennale: 'The ear is the eye to the soul' (vaticannews.va)
Date: 28.04.2026