The centuries-old See of Cologne has a story line similar to that of the Church itself. Like the latter, it has passed through difficult times, but nothing has been able to destroy it or harm its most precious treasures.
God gave man the ability to complete creation with new beauties that elevate the soul. And when this is done for the glory of the Divine Craftsman, how many wonders abound on earth!
One of these enchanting achievements is Cologne Cathedral, a magnificent building produced by the disciplined German people, reflecting something of medieval innocence allied to the characteristic strength and order of the Germanic nation.
Its elegant, grandiose and robust towers soar so high that they seem to proclaim man’s victory over the law of gravity. As we contemplate them, we feel less attached to earthly goods and invited to meditate on something that is beyond the clouds.
The history of the imposing building dates back to the fourth century, when Christian structures began to appear on the banks of the Rhine, in a locale that had been occupied by an ancient Roman temple. In 818, the site was dominated by the old cathedral, destroyed in 1248, which gave way to the dazzling edifice we know today. It was designed to provide a worthy reception for the relics of the Holy Three Kings, brought from Milan years before by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
The construction work on the gigantic church was interrupted countless times, and only in 1880 – six centuries after being initiated – was it completed. It was, at that time, the tallest building in the world.
During the Second World War, fourteen aerial bombs hit the majestic structure. Despite this, it remained standing, later undergoing only a few repairs, while most of the city was reduced to ruins.
Thus, having followed the development of Christianity over the centuries, the See of Cologne has a history that runs parallel to that of the Church itself. It too was built on the ruins of paganism and passed through difficulties, persecutions and periods of apparent stagnation. However, nothing managed to destroy it or harm its most precious treasures.
All of us, the baptized, possess something more valuable than any relic of Christianity: the living presence of the Holy Spirit. To defend it from the onslaughts of the devil, we must build in our souls a solid structure raised heavenward.
Let us erect its walls with acts of piety and virtue, let us firmly found its pillars upon the Magisterium and the Sacraments, and – most important of all – let us take Mary Most Holy as the cornerstone, in which will reside all the strength and solidity of our beautiful edifice! ◊
