by fb Rick Distasi·Monday, June 8, 2020·

    Does Michelangelo's La Pietà sculpture express more than simply recapturing, in sculpted art, the dead body of Jesus of Nazareth that is held by the Sophia-Mary? This sculpture was created in the years 1498-1499. That is to say, according to Rudolf Steiner, the time period of fulfilling the mission and purpose of the Catholic Church had already passed when Michelangelo created this masterpiece. The La Pietà sculpture is displayed within the most iconic structure of Catholicism; Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. The body of Jesus is held in the lap of the mother of Jesus. She is the Sophia-Mary of the Matthew Gospel. At the time of the death of Christ-Jesus on the cross, she was enshrouded by the entelechy of the Lukan Mary and the Sophia. The Lukan Mary was/is the archetypal Anthroposophia. It was her one and only physical incarnation. She was the separated untainted portion of the soul of Sophia-Mary in the same manner as the Lukan Jesus of Nazareth was the untainted soul portion of Adam who, at that time, incarnated as John the Baptist.

Rudolf Steiner:

“The Roman Catholic Church, as a mighty corporation, represents the last withered remains of the civilization of the fourth post-Atlantean Epoch. It can be well authenticated in all detail that the Roman Catholic Church represents the last remnant of what was the right civilization for the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, what was justified right up to the middle of the Fifteenth Century, but what has now become a shadow. Of course products of a later evolution often herald their arrival in an earlier period, and its earlier products linger on into a later epoch; but in essentials, the Roman Catholic Church represents what was justifiable for Europe and its colonies up to the middle of the Fifteenth Century.” (1)

According to Rudolf Steiner, any new culture-period doesn't begin to fully express itself until approximately one-third of its time has passed. When we enter the next century, the 22ndcentury, one-third of the 5thpost-Atlantean culture will have passed. At that time, all remnants of the previous culture-age should have been replaced by other culture streams more proper for their time.

“Steiner reported on 17 Sept. 1916, that the fourth post-Atlantean age began about 747 B.C. and ended about 1413 A.D., and that the fifth post-Atlantean age will continue for 2,160 years after 1413 A.D.. This thought was reinforced on 15 Jan. 1917: 'This ecclesiastical element of cultus and hierarchy, which was a transformation of ancient Rome into the Roman Catholicism which streamed into Europe, is one of the impulses which continue to work like retarded impulses throughout the whole fifth post-Atlantean period, but especially in its first third. You could, I might add, work out how long this is going to last. You know that one post-Atlantean period lasts approximately 2,160 years. One-third of this is 720 years. So starting with the year 1415, this takes the main period to the year 2135'.” (The Karma of Untruthfulness, Vol. II, 1992, pg. 114) (2)

The Intellectual Soul era was the true era for the Catholic Church. When we reached the 15th century the Catholic Church's purpose was completed. Yet, it has maintained itself as a prominent religious institution in the world. The reason this is so is that each era doesn't truly begin to culturally take hold until we are one-third into its proper span of time. That is, approximately seven hundred years would have to pass first. The Consciousness soul era began, according to Rudolf Steiner, at the time of the birth of Joan of Arc (c. 1412). Joan of Arc was the reincarnation of Judas Iscariot. Judas also incarnated as St. Augustine. He was one of the primary early Fathers of the Catholic Church. The true essence of the Consciousness Soul era will begin in the next century when seven hundred years will have passed from the time of Joan of Arc; (c. 1412-1431)

Rudolf Steiner addresses the point that the Catholic Church will likely have neared its final years in the 21stcentury and much if not most of it will have declined and possibly dissolved as we advance further through the 22ndcentury. A transition is then needed to address the numerous souls (estimated today to be over a billion people) who have been united with the Catholic Church Impulse.

The proper course of direction for the long-standing Romanized religious institution of Catholicism is its transcendence into a freely independent and individuated Christic-Sophianism. This transcendence is to be the merging of the Impulses of the Etheric Christ and the Sophia to whosoever freely opens one's soul to the providential outpouring of the Wedding at Cana.

Preparation for this had begun when Valentin Tomberg connected his Being with the Catholic Church. In addition, Christian Rosenkreutz has done the same. During her incarnation and also after her death in the latter half of the 20th century, she too had become united with the Catholic Church. Thirdly, Marie Steiner has also done the same. Marie Steiner was a reincarnation of the Sophia-Mary. Currently, Marie Steiner is deeply and spiritually united with the Catholic Church. Rudolf Steiner once referred to Marie Steiner as a Cosmic Being. Within the Catholic Church, the Sophia-Mary is addressed as Queen of the Saints and Angels.

Collectively, they work with the souls of those who were of the Catholic Church during their past lives. They will continue to do this throughout this century and on into the next century. One can assume that people of other faiths, religions, and other Christian denominations are also within their scope of influence. However, at this time, the Catholic Church is the prominent point of focus. The purpose is to inspire these souls to recognize the Etheric Christ and the Sophia to which these souls may receive the teachings and spiritual streams from Christ and the Sophia. The streaming outpourings of the Christ and the Sophia once more began flowing in tandem when this was brought to effect during the Wedding at Cana; a reversal of the scene depicted in Michelangelo's La Pietà.

Rudolf Steiner and the Wedding at Cana:

“What must have been present in the mother of Jesus of Nazareth herself, in order that her faith be strong enough at that moment to produce such an effect? One thing she needed and this she certainly possessed — namely, the certainty that He who was called her son had become the Spirit of the Earth. Her power could then unite with His power ‘which passeth from Him to her’, and the mighty influence rendered possible the event here described.” (3)

Footnotes

(1) https://wn.rsarchive.org/GA/GA0198/19200603p01.html

(2) https://wn.rsarchive.org/RelArtic/BobbetteRSW/steiner2_005.html

(3) https://wn.rsarchive.org/GA/GA0112/19090702p01.html

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