REPRESENTED in the cupola (small dome shaped structure) of this most beautiful Cathedral is the universal judgement. Jesus, our light, is at the centre. The inscription that one reads at the top of the fresco is Ecce Homo (Behold the man). Looking at the cupola we are attracted to the top, while we contemplate the transformation of the Christ judged by Pilate into the Christ seated on the throne of judges. An angel brings Him the sword, but Jesus does not assume the symbols of judgement, in fact, He raises His right hand showing the signs of the Passion because He “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).
“For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:7)
In the light of this judge of mercy, our knees bend in adoration, and our hands and feet are reinvigorated. We can speak of a humanism only from the centrality of Jesus, discovering in Him the features of man’s authentic face. It is the contemplation of the face of Jesus dead and risen that reconstructs our humanity, also that humanity fragmented by the toils of life or marked by sin. We must not tame the power of Christ’s face. His face is the image of His transcendence. It is the misericordiae vultus (expression of mercy). Let us allow ourselves to be looked at by Him. Jesus is our humanism. Let us always be anxious about His question: “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
Looking at His face, what do we see? First of all we see the face of an “emptied” God, of a God that has assumed the condition of servant, humiliated and obedient unto death (cf Philippians 2:7). Jesus’ face is similar to that of so many of our humiliated brothers, rendered slaves, emptied.
God has assumed their face. And that face looks at us. God – who is “the being of whom one cannot think a greater”, as Saint Anselm said, or the always greater God of Saint Ignatius of Loyola – becomes ever greater than Himself by lowering Himself. If we do not lower ourselves we will not be able to see His face. We will not see any of His fullness if we do not accept that God emptied Himself. And, therefore we will not understand anything of Christian humanism and our words will be beautiful, cultured, refine, but they will not be words of faith. They will be words that sound empty.