Ghastly new statue of Saint Liborius in Paderborn Cathedral. Tabernacle and Stations of Cross removed for this!
"I expected a lot of protest" – Interview with the Cathedral Provost
The crypt in Paderborn Cathedral was reopened for Libori. Since then, there have been many discussions.
One week before the Feast of Saint Liborius (Libori) the crypt in the cathedral was reopened. Since then, there have been discussions: about the information plaque at the burial place of the archbishops, about the missing tabernacle, and, of course, about the depiction of St. Liborius. Reason enough to ask the Cathedral Provost again.
Mr. Provost, how was your Libori week?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Exhausting. Many people probably can't imagine what can happen or go wrong during such a massive celebration with so many people and invited guests in the background. So, it was exhausting as always, but I also enjoyed it. Libori is... Libori.
With the opening of the crypt a week ago, you've given yourself another exhausting topic. Let's go through the points discussed. First, the figure of St. Liborius. How do you like it?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Very good! Religion and art have something in common: they interrupt. This Liborius interrupts my usual visual habits. Like many other people, when I think of Liborius, I picture him as he stands, for example, in front of the Bonifatius bookstore, i.e., as a baroque bishop. The new figure makes me realize that he never looked like that.
The new Liborius figure in the crypt interrupts these usual visual habits. Until now, many people, including Göbel, have imagined a baroque bishop when they think of him, as he stands, for example, in front of the Bonifatius bookstore in Paderborn.
The new Liborius figure in the crypt interrupts these usual visual habits. Until now, many people, including Göbel, have imagined a baroque bishop when they think of him, as he stands, for example, in front of the Bonifatius bookstore in Paderborn.
But he never looked like that figure either.
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: No, he didn't look like that either, but that's what distinguishes Stefan Balkenhol's figures and that's what makes them art: They invite you to identify with them. He's a man, a human being like me and like many others. He's dressed the way I've dressed before. When I show him to people on tours, I sometimes hear: "That could be me." That's exactly what the figure invites. And: He has an expression that leads me to start a conversation with the figure. I want to know: What does he have to say to me, where is he looking, where is he directing my gaze? I also find the figure magnificent because it highlights the symbols associated with Liborius, the peacock and the Bible with the stones. The peacock, with its heavenly blue, is the only splash of color in the crypt. For me, it's a true feast for the eyes; I can't get enough of it, and for me, that's another criterion for true art as opposed to handcrafted art: art never gets boring.
But he isn't recognizable as a bishop, and that could certainly have been presented in a contemporary way. Bishops today aren't baroque figures anymore, either.
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Stefan Balkenhol's original design actually included the idea of giving him a mitre. During a workshop visit by several members of the cathedral chapter and cathedral vicars, we discussed it with him. When he presented his idea to us—Liborius, a human being like you and me—we raised the objection: Why a miter then? Especially since the historical Liborius certainly didn't wear a miter. Such a thing didn't exist until centuries later. Therefore, we jointly decided to forgo it. In his Libori sermon, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode quoted St. Augustine: "For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian." And he added that the Liborius in the crypt depicts precisely this second part: With you I am a Christian. Therefore, we dispensed with the usual insignia. But he is very clearly recognizable as Liborius; he cannot be confused with any other saint.
The second source of controversy is, or rather, was the information plaque at the bishops' burial place, which was stolen twice. What will happen next?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: It was stolen on the very first Libori Sunday. The stand was literally destroyed, a brutal act, in my opinion. It was clear to all of us, both in the chapter and those affected, from the beginning: This solution is half good and half bad and can only be temporary. No one ever intended to reduce the bishops' lifetime achievements to their misdeeds. The plaque was only meant to bridge the time until we have a much more differentiated text, which can be accessed via a QR code. We are currently in discussions with the representatives of those affected about what to do next. Given the mood among parts of the population, it is clear that if we put up the plaque again with the same text, it won't remain there for long. And I don't want such acts of vandalism and theft to damage such a place. People need to realize what they are doing alongside the deceased bishops, whom they are supposedly trying to protect.
Did you expect something like this?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: I expected a lot of protest, arguments, but I didn't expect someone to dare to steal something from a grave, from a church. It was beyond my imagination.
For years, centuries, the church community has been raised to believe that bishops are the supreme shepherds. Now Liborius is no longer a bishop, and at the grave site, misdeeds are pointed out. Shouldn't we have expected emotional reactions?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: I expected emotional reactions, and that's exactly what we got! The whole issue is emotional. The image of the bishops, who knew many people personally, who perhaps revered them, is shattered. But every reasonable person knows: Anyone who has held a leadership position for 30 years and made no mistakes has failed to live up to their leadership role. Here, we are dealing with serious misdeeds that touch every person's heart. You imagine children, shattered lives; that's what makes it all so emotional. Talking about it is almost impossible, it's so difficult. Many may be reminded that it's also a huge social problem, and that probably every one of us has someone in our distant family or acquaintance who has committed a crime, without it ever coming to light. That's not pleasant, not for society, and even less so for the Church, because the fall from grace of a moral authority, which we have sought to be for centuries, is greater.
The Münster Cathedral Chapter is facing similar questions. Are you in discussion with them?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Of course, I'm in discussion with the Münster Cathedral Provost. There, the reaction to a similar sign wasn't quite as emotional as here. The suggestions from those affected in Münster are very diverse; here in Paderborn, we unanimously agreed on the idea of a memorial or monument. As soon as a new archbishop is in place, there will be a committee to get the matter underway. The chapter has already appointed people for this, and I hope we can find a good solution quickly.
A third point of criticism regarding the crypt: There is no longer a tabernacle. Why not?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: We discussed this at length. Within the chapter, too, there were voices advocating for a place of worship and silence. But the liturgical and church architecture experts urged us very, very urgently to have only one tabernacle in the cathedral. That ultimately convinced us. Whether this will be a permanent solution, however, remains to be seen in my view. Perhaps at some point we will create a place of worship in a chapel that is quieter than the crypt. Practice will tell.
At the moment, the tabernacle is in the mainchoir and thus far away from the worshippers.
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Since the coronavirus pandemic, we have had a half-hour of adoration every day in the cathedral, where we expose the Blessed Sacrament. Let me put it this way: The number of participants is significantly lower than the number of those complaining that there is no opportunity for silent worship in the cathedral. Directly across the street, in the Gaukirche, there is the opportunity for very quiet, very private, very high-quality worship. In my view, worship is not a question of distance. Just because the tabernacle is 50 meters away doesn't mean Jesus is any further away from me.
In the crypt, the question arises: To whom should I pray, what can I focus on if there is no tabernacle?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: I can recommend the cross, which is one of the original symbols of Christian worship. We went almost 1,200 years without Eucharistic worship in the church. What did people worship during this time, and how did they deal with it? In the old churches, the tabernacle was purely a storage space, standing in the background or to the side. When I talk to younger people, those who aren't particularly Catholic or don't belong to any denomination at all, the crypt was, even before the renovation, an important place of retreat, a meditation room, a shelter where they liked to spend a few minutes during the day. For them, the tabernacle was never an issue; it was all about the space, and we've made that very important again with the renovation. But as I said: The cross is there, the relics, a very beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary...
The Stations of the Cross are no longer there.
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Correct. We had already considered for some time that it was absurd to have a Stations of the Cross that one cannot walk. The Lenten devotions we hold in the cloister are considerably better attended than they were previously in the crypt. People sat there, and the priest walked the stations with the altar boy. The original purpose of a Stations of the Cross couldn't be fulfilled there. I think it's good that the space is freed from this function, including the function of confession. We all agreed that, in terms of accessibility, it would be better if we moved confession upstairs to the cathedral. We will have new confessionals in the parish nook by the end of the year. They're close to the crypt, so anyone who wants to be there before or after can easily do so without coming into conflict with other penitents.
Finally: You already mentioned a new archbishop. Libori is over, do you dare to name a new date when it will take place?
Cathedral Provost Joachim Göbel: Just ask your coffee grounds from breakfast this morning; the answer should be just as precise...
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