Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

I’d like to share with you my comments from the press conference this morning for the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s exhibition, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

What’s the Church doing here?

What is the Cardinal-Archbishop of New York doing here?

Well, because the Church and “the Catholic imagination,” are all about truth, goodness, and beauty…

That’s why we have great schools… to teach the truth;

That’s why we love and serve the poor – to do good;

That’s why we’re into art, poetry, music, liturgy, and, yes, even fashion… to thank God for beauty; 

I guess that’s why Steve and Christine Schwarzman, cherished friends so generous to our inner-city schools, Catholic Charities, and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and I, are here… because of the true, the good, the beautiful.

In the “Catholic imagination,” the True, the Good, and the Beautiful have a name: Jesus Christ, who revealed Himself as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

In the “Catholic imagination,” the truth, goodness, and beauty of God is reflected all over… even in fashion.  The world is shot through with His glory.

Thank you to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute for arranging this exhibition.  Thanks, Dr. Weiss, Dr. Bolton, Ms. Wintour, and Steve and Christine, for your leadership.

Thanks to the Vatican for its historic cooperation.

I’m honored to be here.