The Church's Missionary Programme at the West Façade of Chartres Cathedral, 1

This summer is my first since 2017 that I have not visited Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres.  Last year, I set off on foot (mostly, until the blisters on both feet rebelled) from Paris to Chartres on the weekend of Pentecost with 14,000 other pilgrims.  The previous two years were homecomings, because it is here that Our Lady has much to say to us about following and worshiping her Son, especially at the Verrière, whom I met and fell in love with on my first visit.  But that's a topic for another day.

On the West façade of the Cathedral--where the Royal Portals are--tells us something of the Church's 'Missionary Programme,' and I'm going to begin to unpack that in this post, though not exhaustively, as there is simply too much to say and, more importantly, I hope to lead a pilgrimage there in the near future.  But, like I said, the doors face westward, the place of sunset and therefore of darkness.  In the early Church, when catechumens were making their profession of faith, they would often turn toward the setting sun and its rising darkness:

     Priest:  Do you renounce Satan?
     Catechumen:  I do renounce!

     Priest:  And all his works?
     Catechumen:  I do renounce!

     Priest:  And all his empty show?
     Catechumen:  I do renounce!

Our timid-as-a-mouse translation currently in force simply has the response "I do" when, in fact, the Latin is much more forceful:  Abrenúntio!  I do renounce!

Since the 'west' is the place of darkness, which overshadows "the world":  "I send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God" (Acts 26:18); Saint Paul challenged the Christians at Corinth:

Do not be mismated with unbelievers.  For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What accord has Christ with Belial?  \or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (2 Cor 6:14-15).

Once the renunciation takes place, catechumen then turns around to face East, with the backs to the world's darkness, giving physical obedience to 2 Corinthians 6:17-18,

Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters.

The Bible repeats the injunction for Christians' separation from the world on account of its darkness.  St James challenges us:  "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (Jas 4:4).  Similarly, St John the Apostle and Evangelist tells us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If any one loves the world, love of the Father is not in him" (1 Jn 2:15).

Traditionally, churches face east, with the doors at the west end; in the Gothic churches of Europe--especially France--the west façade was so decorated so as to symbolize the Church's confrontation against the powers of darkness and Christians' triple renunciation facing west symbolized the basic commitment of discipleship which begins with a rejection of Satan, darkness, and his bombast.

At Chartres Cathedral, in particular, there is a set of three portal sculptures over each of the doors--the Royal Portal being the central and largest doors, and their adjacent North Portal and South Portal.  Above the Royal Portal is the tympanum sculpture titled "Christ in Majesty," with the Lord Jesus Christ enthroned and surrounded by a mandorla, an almond-shaped halo surrounding His entire body, thus showing forth His glory and majesty.  His right hand is held up in blessing, reminiscent of the "good thief" crucified at Jesus' right who received His offer of eternal life (Lk 23:40-43); in His left hand, Jesus holds the Book of Life, closed, symbolizing the finality of His judgment, also reminiscent of His crucifixion when the impenitent thief on His left rejected Jesus, thus by his obduracy sealing his eternal self-separation from Christ's offer of mercy and grace.

Around the majestic Christ are the symbols of the Four Evangelists:  St John's eagle, St Luke's ox, St Mark's Lion, and St Matthew's angelic man.  These remind us of the basic evangelical proclamation:  JESUS IS LORD!  We find allusions to the sovereign Lordship of Jesus in Matthew 28:18, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51/Acts 1:3, 6-8, and John 20:28.  Below Christ in majesty are the Twelve Apostles who are appointed to be witnesses of His Resurrection (cf Acts 1:22), with two additional figures--the "two witnesses" mentioned in Revelation 11:1-14.  Regarding these Two Witnesses, the Church's Tradition holds that they are Enoch and Elijah.  Finally, the archivolt shows the twenty-four presbyters spoken of in Revelation 4:4, interspersed with angels.

What is the purpose of these eschatological symbols in terms of the Church's "missionary programme"?  Quite simply, it is part and parcel of the basic Gospel proclamation:

And Peter opened his mouth and said:  "...And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that He is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:34, 42);

So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said:  "...but now [God the Father] commands all men [and women] everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom he has appointed..." (Acts 17:22, 30-31). 

Please get out of your head the cartoonish image of the fire-and-brimstone huckster televangelist; when the Church preaches the Gospel, it comes with the basic promise that when the Lord returns, He will put all wrongs to right and will come with recompense (Mk 16:16).

"Christ in Majesty" invites us to be "marked safe" from the future judgment by receiving His offer of salvation by turning to Him.  When we enter the church, we process eastward, towards Mount Olivet, where the Lord ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9, cf v. 12); the Bible suggests that the dawn hints at the Light which Christ is (Lk 1:78-79, cf Malachi 4:2) in order to illuminate us (Jn 8:12; Eph 5:14), which is also why we face east.  It is likewise from the east that the Church awaits the Lord Jesus' return (Acts 1:11, cf Zech 14:3-4).

Hence, when catechumens become Christians, they turn around with their backs to the world, facing eastward:

     Priest:  Do you believe in God, the Father almighty...?
     Catechumen:  I do believe!

     Priest:  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord...?
     Catechumen:  I do believe!

     Priest:  Do you believe in the Holy Spirit...?
     Catechumen:  I do believe!

The posture of the Christian--with their backs to the world's darkness, backed by the Church's confrontation with the world by proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus as Chartres does with its "Christ in Majesty" portal sculpture--and facing east--the place of dawn, of light evoking Light, towards the place of the Lord's Ascension and in expectation of His return--this posture marks the fundamental orientation of the Christian believer:  turned towards the Lord.

As the song goes, "The Cross before me, the world behind me..."

The Church is the Lord Jesus' "diplomatic mission" to the world:  As heralds of the "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev 19:16, cf 17:14), as citizens of heaven (Phil 3:10; Eph 2:19), we welcome the entire human family to share in unconquerable Christ's conquest for hearts:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" (Jn 3:16-17).