While envisioning the artwork, Schmalz said he imagined it to be viewed looking down, the way many homeless people are seen by passersby. He said he was surprised when the sculpture was presented “triumphantly” to Pope Francis on a pedestal in St. Peter’s Square.
Different interpretations, he said, “allow the sculpture to be a gateway to that spirituality and lead people to action.”
Pope Francis has been a source of inspiration and creative energy for Schmalz, especially for the pope’s ability to attract both Catholics and non-Catholics. “My creativity is really influenced by having such a radical pope for a radical faith,” he said.
Schmalz’s previous work depicting the plight of migrants and refugees, ‘Angels Unawares,’ was also dedicated by the pope in 2019 and became the first sculpture to be installed in St. Peter’s Square since its completion by the Renaissance artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini 400 years prior.
“Creating sculptures that are visual ambassadors to the motivations that this pope has is phenomenal,” he said.
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Schmalz’s artwork isn’t just a representation of Pope Francis’ vision, he said, but also of the gospel and Christian charity. “Sheltering” is sponsored by the Vincentian Family, a global network of lay and religious organizations and charities inspired by St. Vincent de Paul, the 19th-century priest known for his dedication to the poorest in society.
Through the FamVin Homeless Alliance, the Vincentian Family hopes to provide housing for 10,000 people around the globe by the end of 2023 as part of their 13 Houses campaign. So far, the campaign has built 2,311 houses and offered support to 8,643 people in 60 countries.
“This is just the first step in an ambitious plan to change the lives of many of the 1.2 billion people who are currently homeless around the world,” said Mark McGreevy, who coordinates the initiative, in a statement.
“Sheltering” will be placed in several cities all over the world as a symbol of the work done by the Vincentian Family. “A lot of charities in the world decide not to have powerful symbols, to their disadvantage,” Schmalz said, adding that his artwork can act “as the visual ambassador to the scriptural text and those people who promote it and celebrated it.”
Having just completed a massive open-air installation inspired by the Catholic poet Dante Alighieri, Schmalz said he is now working on bringing Pope Francis’ green encyclical “Laudato Si” to the masses by translating the text into something that can be read through the eyes.
“We often need a slap — or a reminder — that all human life is sacred, and it is our sacred duty to take care of it,” he said.
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This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.
