Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 25, 2020 / 09:30 am (CNA).- A Catholic publisher has apologized for using a Mormon image on the cover of two of its 2021 publications. Oregon Catholic Press said the use of the image of the Mormon figure of Moroni was a mistake, and the company believed it to be a general image of an angel. The artist – a Catholic who abandoned the faith for Mormonism – had listed the image as of Moroni on his own social media account.
Oregon Catholic Press issued a statement after the painting “Angel VIII” by Latter-Day Saint artist Jorge Cocco Santangelo, placed on the cover of the publications “Today’s Missal Music Issue 2021” and “Respond & Acclaim,” drew criticism this week.
OCP, please, please recall these books! This is an image of the “angel” Moroni, which comes from Mormonism. This is not compatible with Catholicism in any way, and is highly inappropriate for a Catholic publisher to place in Catholic parishes. Recall these books immediately! pic.twitter.com/qgLm3XCX6O
— Father Cory Sticha (@FrCorySticha) August 24, 2020
The painting uses Santangelo’s distinct style of “sacrocubism” and depicts an angel standing on a golden sphere, blowing a horn and holding a box or book of gold. These are staples of images of the figure Moroni, a character in the Mormon religion, statues of whom feature on the spires of Mormon temples.
In a statement published to their Facebook page Aug. 24, Oregon Catholic Press explained that “Great care goes into choosing the art for our missals.”
“The sounding of the trumpet at the last is a strong traditional Christian image. We chose this angel because he’s holding a trumpet and what looks like the book that will be opened at the last,” said Oregon Catholic Press.
The publishing company stated that the artist, Santangeo, “did not offer us images that were assigned to a specific angel” and that he was aware Oregon Catholic Press was a Catholic company.
“At the same time, it is reasonable that those who hold the Mormon faith might see this same image as the casket containing the golden tablets of their faith,” they said.
On his own website and social media accounts, Santangelo has identified the image as of Moroni.
“We, of course, apologize for any misunderstanding that this may have caused,” said the statement.
“We saw a beautiful image of an angel, and nothing more. We commit to redoubling our efforts in vetting missal art in the future, and hope that this explanation helps our partners in ministry better understand why we chose this particular art piece for the 2021 Music Issue cover.”
Cocco Santangelo, the painter of the cover art, was raised Catholic in Argentina. He, along with his wife, underwent Mormon initiation rites in 1962. The pair were among the first Mormons in Argentina.
Although Oregon Catholic Press said Santangelo’s image was not of any specific angelic figure, “Angel VIII,” which was painted in 2017, is virtually identical to a 2018 painting titled “Angel Moroni.” Additionally, the 12th entry in Santangelo’s 2017 “Angel” collection, which is a series of paintings of an angel with a horn and box, is labeled on his website as “Angel M XII.”
The image of “Angel VIII” was posted on Cocco Santangelo’s Instagram account on April 3, 2020 under the title “Angel Moroni.”
“Most of the angels in this collection are in fact different versions of the angel known as Moroni, who lived in the American continent hundreds of years ago as the last prophet that wrote and kept the sacred records of the Nephite nation,” said the Instagram caption.
“He is the angel that appeared to Joseph Smith and directed him to the golden plates that were translated and we know now as The Book of Mormon.”
OCP’s use of the image on the cover of “Respond & Acclaim” was first posted online on Aug. 10, but the unusual choice of cover art for a Catholic worship aid did not draw widespread attention until Monday, Aug. 24.
OCP did not respond to requests for comment by CNA.
Fr. Robert Badger, a priest of the Diocese of Gallup, who was raised as a Mormon before converting to Catholicism in 1993 at the age of 19, was one of the first to note that the image on the missals strongly resembles depictions of Angel Moroni.
The cover art, said Badger, “offers me an excellent reason to sever our relationships with Oregon Catholic Press.”
After OCP posted their statement to Facebook, Badger, whose family includes the original members of the LDS Church, tweeted that he “did not buy” the explanation.
Badger said on Monday evening “I am descended from Mormon pioneers and grew up in the Mormon church. It’s definitely the angel Moroni, the same one that adorns most of the Mormon temples around the world.”
The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823, and informed him that there was an “ancient record engraved on plates” that was buried near his house. Over the next six years, per LDS doctine, Moroni repeatedly appeared to Smith and assisted with the location and translation of these plates. The contents of the plates would become the Book of Mormon, the LDS Church teaches.
A statue of the Angel Moroni is featured on the spire of many LDS temples as a tribute to his status as the “messenger of the restoration.” The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni was the key figure in “restoring” the true gospel.
The controversy over the use of a Mormon image for two of its publications comes a week after a federal court ruled an antitrust lawsuit against OCP could continue.
On Aug. 18, a federal judge in Indiana refused to dismiss a suit against OCP, brought by several smaller Catholic publishers, accusing OCP of monopolistic practices aimed at driving them out of business.
U.S. District Judge Robert L. Miller Jr. issued an order denying a motion to dismiss by OCP, ruling that the suit can continue.
According to the legal news website Law360, several Catholic publishers, including Lamb Publications LLC and International Liturgy Publications, allege OCP imposes anti-competitive licencing terms on smaller competitors, and has illegal market allocation agreements in place with rivals.
Lawyer for the claimants Donald J. Schmid, told Law360 last week that OCP has used its position to try to drive other Catholic music publishers out of business and reduce competition, calling the publisher “a monopolist.”
The suit includes allegations that OCP deliberately instructed its composers to use the same song titles as its rivals’ best-selling works in an effort to confuse customers.
OCP has argued that the suit, filed in August 2019, is part of a decade-long attempt by rivals “to gain unfettered access” to its back catalogue.
Per Oregon Catholic Press’ website, “Respond & Acclaim” is an “annual collection of psalms and Gospel Acclamations from Owen Alstott,” “Today’s Missal,” which is published three times per year, texts of Sunday and weekday liturgies together with music published by OCP.
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Prayer and fasting. Always good. Thousands of roses? I am sure. It did make the florists very happy.
Archbishop Cordileone asks us to pray and fast. I ask him to actually DO something. He has indicated that he is still in dialog (I hate that word) with Speaker Pelosi. If he has been doing this for all the years he has been bishop of San Francisco, it apparently has not done much good. She just pushed through the House the most drastic abortion bill ever – 218 democrats for and 210 republicans against. To solve a problem you have to accurately identify it. Those voting numbers show where the problem is in eliminating abortion. I don’t recall seeing that addressed by the bishops.
Archbishop Cordileone *is* doing something. Instead of privately begging NP to change her support of abortion, in utter defiance of Church teaching, as his predecessors have done to no avail, he is putting this out in the public. He gives no doubt as to his defense of Catholic teaching and his desire to save her soul from hell, and for attempting to prevent her from leading others into scandal and mortal sin. I’m not sure what else he can possibly do to get through to NP. It is certainly an Act of Mercy for him to ask for prayers and fasting for her soul and for the end of all abortion in the USA. I admire him for his courage and especially for his service to the Church.
In the history of biblical interpretation, the Book of Revelation’s 666 and antichrist has been wrongly and notoriously read to mean one’s enemy or anybody one detests: the Pope, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Saddam, Obama, or Trump, etc. Similarly, Archbishop Cordileone here grotesquely implies by association that those who uphold abortion rights are Satanic.
Are you attempting to grotesquely imply that those who support infanticide are sanctified?
It certainly violates the 10 commandments, and the two commandments He gave us while here.
He is not “implying” it. He is openly suggesting it. And he is correct, Those who uphold infanticide are in the grip of Satan, whom they willingly serve.
I would also note that Satan has achieved the goal of convincing these poor dullards that he does not exist and thereby condones a belief that any action of hums that fulfills their desires is permissible.
Every now and then a statement such as yours causes me to bring up one of my favorite comebacks from about 50+ years ago in the Chicago Tribune by either Dear Abby or Ann Landers in response to an unusually moronic statement from one of her readers:
“You may have a point but if you keep your hat on maybe no one will notice.”
Pope Francis granted Nancy a private audience yesterday. That would be encouraging, if one actually believed that he confronted her about her support for abortion, which he recently termed as “murder.” It is more likely that he was “pastoral” rather than “political,” which would leave her with the impression that she is doing just fine. I think Jesus would have been “pastoral” and told her that she was endangering her eternal soul with her stance. That would be the most pastoral thing to do, as “pastoral” is not a synonym of “being nice.”
First, it is important that we are passionate to stop the murder of the innocent – especially defenseless children in the womb – is grounded in our love of God and His commandments (all of His commandments), including “Thou shalt not kill.” I fear too much of the time the passion of the Pro-Life movement is more about the movement, more about the cause, than the reason for the movement and cause – the eternal God and His commandments. We should be as passionate to change other evils in society as we are to change the evil practice of abortion (murder of innocent children in the womb). I know this will ruffle feathers of some, but it is intended to cause reflection on the real motivation behind the passion, and to ask for that same passion in defending the laws of God in every area of life and society.
Second, Moloch (also known as Molech, Milcom, Milkim, Malcham, Malik) was the name of the national god of the Ammonites, to whom children were sacrificed by fire. While those who support and/or practice the evil of abortion, which is nothing less than child sacrifice, may not believe they are worshiping Moloch (in effect worshiping demonic forces and even Satan), their beliefs in and practice of abortion is evidence they are submitting to the rule of Satan and demonic forces, in effect worshiping Moloch.
I would like to make some follow-up comments addressing Susan K.’s statement that Archbishop Cordileone is doing something. We have different concepts of what “doing” something is. He has been Pelosi’s bishop for nine years. I by no means think that Archbishop Cordileone is stupid. But there is an old saying that the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Obviously what he has been doing for nine years has not worked. Pelosi is more pro-abortion now than she was nine years ago.
Doing something would be enforcing Canon 915 of Canon Law – that she cold not receive the Eucharist. Doing something would be saying that being pro-abortion is a disqualifying issue for being elected to any office. These types of actions may have some positive effect on her. Even if not, it may have some effect on the 50% of Catholics who vote for pro-abortion politicians. As it stands, there seem to be many Catholics who believe that since nothing happens to the pro abortionists, then it must be OK to vote for them.
I would also like to see a little outrage in the bishops’ statements regarding the murder of millions of unborn babies. A little “Woe to you pharisees (pro-abortionists) might go a long way.
This doesn’t have to do with Archbishop Cordileone, but I just saw today that Pelosi had a meeting with the pope over the weekend. Several smiling pictures of the two together. But there was also a news item that she attended mass in Rome on Sunday, and the heckling made her leave church. There is a video of the priest saying that he was sorry she had to leave, as she was going to do the second reading. Good Grief!
To be fair, let’s keep in mind that the president and Speaker of the House both claim that they are opposed to abortion, but they do not think that it is helpful to use government power to stop it.
good