Madrid.- The Spanish actor Antonio Banderas defended this Sunday before the Pope that “art must be an alternative to violence,” and highlighted that it is not only beauty, it is also “a question, reflection, contrast, and revolution,” as well as a warning voice for societies that have “become accustomed to injustice.”
Banderas was one of the participants in the meeting ‘Weaving networks with the world of culture, art, economy and sport’ held this Sunday in Madrid between the pontiff and representatives of civil society, where he highlighted that “the relationship between the Church and art has been decisive” and that “the Church has been humanity’s greatest producer of art”.
The actor, with an extensive international career, recalled that ‘Godspell’, the musical he recently directed and which is a work created in the pontiff’s country of origin (USA), means ‘God’s spell’.
“I am here today confessing to having been a victim of God’s spell,” said the star of ‘The Mask of Zorro’ or ‘Desperado’, who thanked the Pope for the gesture of bringing together representatives of civil society at this event.
A “necessary” gesture according to Banderas, who highlighted the links between the arts and religion and pointed out, for example, that “most certainly the most represented figure in the history of art has been Jesus Christ”.
He emphasized that art is the warning voice for societies that have “grown accustomed to injustice”; art, he added, “must be an alternative to violence. All forms of violence,” at which point he was interrupted by applause from the audience.
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“Just as Christ himself did, the artist must act with courage and not abandon being a critical instance for society, for art itself, and for religion itself,” continued an emotional Banderas.
He also recalled that in a fragmenting world, art helps to recover the depth and soul that artificial intelligence tries to “steal”.
Banderas, amidst more applause, concluded with a nod to the Order of Saint Augustine to which León XIV belongs, adopting the saint’s words: “You say that the times are bad. Be better yourselves and the times will be better. You are the time.”
