Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor has spoken about the role of art in the development of Christianity in a lecture at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.   

In the lecture entitled ‘Christianity: from Shadows and Images into Truth’, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor suggested that The Baptism of Christ, painted in the 1450s by Piero della Francesca, which currently forms part of the National Gallery of London’s collection,  could be displayed in a religious setting such as Westminster Cathedral.

“I would like to see this painting taken down from the walls of the National Gallery and placed in a Catholic church in London because it is a mistake to treat it as a work of art: it is a work of faith and piety, an expression of the Church’s life and a way into prayer.”

The lecture was delivered on 26 November 2008 as part of the ‘Roots of Faith’ lecture series hosted by the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust. It will be broadcast on SKY Arts 2 on Monday 8 December 2008 at 7pm.