Bronze sculpture in St. Peter's Square offers message of hospitality

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A new bronze sculpture installed in St. Peter’s Square, near the showers and medical clinic the Vatican runs for people in need, invites visitors to reflect on the sacredness of welcoming others, especially the marginalized.

Titled “Be Welcoming,” the work by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz was unveiled April 15 in its place on the steps leading into the square from the colonnade.

Inspired by Hebrews 13:2 — “Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels” — the sculpture depicts a weary traveler appearing as a homeless man. However, from another angle, his tattered belongings transform into angelic wings.

The statue aims to make Scripture tangible by offering a “physical experience” of the biblical text, said a press release April 15 from the office of the papal almoner.

Schmalz is also known for “Angels Unaware,” a sculpture depicting migrants from various historic periods and ethnic groups, that stands on the opposite side of St. Peter’s Square.