I WILL WATCH THIS TONIGHT….THIS IS A VERY GOOD TOPIC AND IM INTERESTED TO HEAR THE FINDINGS!

Sounds Super. This is a great series.

Spectacular episode. Amazing lost history of this artistic genius and the Spirituali movement he was involved in.

Thank you for showing who Cardinal and later Pope Caraffa really was.

This was absolutely an amazing show. So glad to have found it. So glad people had the courage to produce it. In my work for my website, InformingChristians.com, I come up against so much persecution for my exposing of Catholicism. I guess I should consider myself blessed to not have to run for my life as Michael Angelo had to. This broadcast makes me want, all the more to speak up and let the truth be known even more boldly. Thank you! … Debra J.M. Smith

This was an excellent show . I studied Michaelangelo in Art college but didn’t know about this aspect of his life and work. Thanks for shedding more light on it!

Thank you for a spectaular look at this period of the Catholic Church. As a Catholic I am interested in knowing of the thinking of others who might have a different slant to what is the role of the Catholic church

*Michelangelo (Please excuse my typo error.)

An EXCELLENT program that superbly tells the story of Michelangelo’s belief that eternal life is the free gift of God through faith in Christ’s death and resurrection. When will this program be rebroadcast? I want others to see it!

Please rebroadcast this program. I would like to alert others to this great piece of investigating.

Are the producers going to offer it on DVD or over line?

worst program ever! take one line about Nicodemus and attribute the line to Michelangelo and his thoughts? horsepucky.
Moses faces away from the altar means Michelangelo rejected the Sacraments? maybe because Moses never experienced the Sacraments or Christ is a better reason… that was not research that was an unhappy Catholic or a Freemason attacking the Church…so many errors, the next cardinal and future Pope making the sign of the Cross backwards was really brilliant…is there any truth in the media…sheeesh

If Cardinal Pole was such a crypto-Protestant, as the show indicates, why did he join enthusiastically in burning actual Protestants as the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury under Queen Mary I? (This was during his “mysterious” trip to England.) I think that the identification of the “Spirituali” with Protestantism is very much overstated. I think the program over-simplifies the complex reality of Reformation-era Europe.

Faith alone is not enough. Christ came into the world and did things to show us who he was. He just didn’t walk around with all this knowledge. I think you can throw this video along with Dan Brown’s book The DaVinci Code. Please leave the Catholic Church Alone!

Ecellent attempt to uncover from actual documentation the truth about that period and those famous and infamous people. I love the catholics and once was one. My hope is that they don’t just accept blindly on faith but use their minds to uncover the truth. As the scriptures describe the apostles “reasoned with the people”. Let’s use our minds and seek the truth.

How sweet the truth of the word revealed!! Bravo, every day the light is held higher to illuminate the darkness of carnal delight! Render unto Caesars what is Caesars…unto GOD what is GODS. Faith and good works go hand in hand! Good work like rain falls on everyone…faith is not blind but sees the way clearly and rewards those who keep his commandments.

You can argue the religious aspects all you want. What is left is the astounding work that this man, Michelangelo has given. It’s a shame that he had to be tormented during his life in order to create his art.
As always, power, politics and religion “crucify” everything.

This comment section is almost as interesting as the program itself! This documentary is prescient for its pairing with the release of “Angels and Demons” and also with The Tudors. It shows a very different Reginald Pole than the one currently portrayed, rather one-dimensionally, in the very fun though not always historically accurate “The Tudors”. The figure that grabbed my attention most was Vittoria Colonna. I love finding out about women who shaped history. And finally, forget the religion stuff you all are arguing about! As a poet, I took exception to one of the commentators saying that the reformist Spirituali did not succeed over the conservatives because they were artists and poets and therefore lacked discipline. Ummm…does the Sistine Chapel look like work that comes from someone who lacks discipline? C’mon, man, give us artsy people some credit here! Thanks for a very provocative and topical show!

The significance of the theme of Nicodemus in his own-death sculpture, the fact that MichaelAngelo face in that sculpture of himself as Nicodemous in his own tomb is the message that in the 15th Century Faith [IN Christ] alone justifies therfore saves. Sola Scriptura by Sola Fide. Follow the truth wherever it leads. “I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me —Jesus”

Amen, Alex.

What type of computer monitor was the artist/historian using for the sculpture cutaways?
Anyone know?
Thx

Faith and hope would no longer be faith if you see it and no longer be hope if you see it. There will be no excuses to God in the day of judgment to tell him He did not give you Faith for He has given all a measure of Faith to acknoledge Truth as scripture says. Michael Angelo understood the glosses of the Catholic Church as Jesus brought the natural taste of the Word of God to all jews, indeed to all of us.

Interesting show, but full of factual errors and glossings over of actual events. My scholarly period and specialty within it is the effect of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation on art and I can tell you this was a hoot! So full of errors and over-reachings that it really made me angry. It was also interesting that there was not one single interview with any art historian or historian that would represent a contrary opinion. So, this show is not at all to be trusted. Ranks right up there with the Da Vinci hogwash.

Margaret – can you please give us some specific examples?

This was a very interesting program and expos’e on the life of this great artist. I would like to say that the cast of characters were very accurate in their depection of what was going on between the Catholic Church and the refermation period.

Aha, so Michelangelo was a closet Lutheran, very interesting to say the least. How much blood shed and animosity might Western Europe been spared had the good English Cardinal been elected Pope! Amazing Grace, this “cardinal” fact of Christianity can never be for long suppressed, it will arise where ever the Gospel is proclaimed.

Of all of the points made during this program that may be disputable by either lack of direct evidence or incomplete discovery, the most striking fact still stands true beyond doubt. The Roman Catholic Church BANNED the Bible from all except the clergy. When the Bible was printed in the native language of a country or culture dominated by Rominism, the first reaction was to reject Roman Catholic Doctrine as false. Sola Scriptura Stands.
History is so cool!

I find it hard to believe the program was entirely hogwash as one commented when the program was also quoting actual letters Michelangelo had written – where he wrote that divine grace / salvation could not be bought. I enjoyed the program because it again revealed that the people living under the Church’s power were held in bondage by not being allowed to read or own a Bible – what a tragic oxymoron. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn of more and more people like Michelangelo who had to ponder religious thought in secret.

I fear that many viewers fall into the fallacy: “If PBS produces it, the show is, eo ipso, an unbiased academic production.” Not so. There is plenty of politics in academe. PBS has presented one, rather tendentious, theory. Just because it buttresses the sincere “sola fide” beliefs of some posters does not automatically make it a brilliant piece of scholarship.

The film shows him drawing as left handed. How strong is that evidence? Do you know if he ever did preliminary sketches for the 12 apostles that he was commissioned to sculpt?

@Jaoquin: Did you find out what type of monitor Antonio Forcellino was using? Was it just an elaborate animation?

What more evidence that the roman city archives with original documents do you want people, for those who want to use unreasonable logice with this program. The facts is in their face. What happened to common sense?

Thanks, nice to know that the Inquisition is still alive & well.

for those who cloud their minds with endless theories, pretentious false filters, there is a bottom line. What is Truth? Follow it, in spite of the consequences arround your culture, family and surroundings. Follow truth can you handle it?

I just found Battle for the Bible one of my favorite ones for it is remarkable one particular translator that I admire substancially. This is also another episodes from secrets of the dead. and the title is BATTLE FOR THE BIBLE. Thank you PBS though the scope could have been deeper in content.

Dianne;
No, unfortunately I have not been able to find that monitor after searching both google images and the Apple store.
I think that I’ve seen that monitor before in one of the computer magazines as a concept model.

I, like several others, also wondered as I was watching the show, if there would be any rebuttals presented on this theory. I was not completely surprised that PBS did not air a conflicting viewpoint. When I was a kid what PBS said was gospel, but I have noticed over the last ten years or so that the quality and veracity of information presented has declined.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki) comes to mind. A little bit of internet research revealed that his hometown newspaper (The Honolulu-Star Bulletin, I believe) did an investigation on him and found some of his claims to be fraudulent (”Rich Dad” may be a total fabrication).
I used to expect PBS to vet their associations thoroughly.
Not anymore.

Michelangelo didn’t live anywhere near the period Jesus Christ was here on earth.

What Michelangelo’s relationship was with the Catholic Church has absolutely no basis for any relevance to Jesus Christ, our Lord.

I can tell you I have been involved in dozens and dozens of conversation with Dan Brown type fans about Michelangelo AND Leonardo da Vinci and such things as his painting of the Last Supper.

It is astonishing just how many people are purely ignorant. It is as if Michelangelo’s and Leonardo da Vinci’s ART work, politics and religious views and science had some sort of outcome or conclusion of religious fact pertaining to Jesus Christ and/or the existence of God. IT DOES NOT!

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born 1475 and died at age 88 in 1564. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born in 1452 and died at age 67 1519.

A period of time 1500 YEARS AFTER CHRIST!

These guys were artist and creators of ideas and that has nothing to do with any basis of facts in regards to Jesus Christ, rather their works and/or beliefs (philosophy) were positive or negative.

No more than what you say has any basis of fact.

The only basis of facts and the only instrument of truth is the Holy Bible.

Alan you did not ge, and Joaquin the veracity of PBS contents has indeed substancially decrease. Hopefuly it is not run by jews for it if PBS is run by jews many filters and biases will be done and truth certainly omitted or twisted. Now, kindly, Alan, you need to read about the reformation and start with Martin Luther books for if you understood the basics of reformation and its tenets you would have understoon Michaelangelo’s turn from religion to a personal relationship with God the way the Holy Bible plainly states for anyone’s taking. The bible never mentions to believe in this or that religion, but it does say that Salvation is a Gift from God and it is FREE unlike our humanness. GOD is GOD and you and I are not. Be corageous and follow the Truth.

This documentary had a couple of glaring problems. At one point it mentions the reformation as the first time the Church was in crisis. Historically this is just terrible – The Avignon Papacy was not a crisis? Charlemagne’s reforms? The Roman Empire prior to the Edict of Milan? What exactly qualifies as a crisis? That was just off no two ways about it. Also, the simplistic notion that Michelangelo adopted protestant ideals is also off. How does this square with the iconoclastic tendencies in many sects of protestantism at that time? His art might have suggested X, Y or Z – but many of the very sects the documentary says he agreed with viewed religious art as idolatrous. This is a gaping problem as well. Very sloppy work in this documentary.

When GOD gives you a gift you do your best to put forward your ideas or GODS ideas and persons GOD has use for HIS WORD, to be proclaimed. Michaelangelo did not idolized no image, as it is clear he trun the head of moese, his last piece of work ‘moses’ towards the left instead of facing forward. Not to the right as signifying the adherance of his acknoledgment of the established church, but to the left signifying a change of repentance towards the truth that had been oscured by not providing the people with the bible in their vernacular language and of each language for that matter. It brought the scriptures to the plow of the boy in the fielf the light of truth, that the catholic Papist and cardinals and priest had obscure and continue to deny that there is only one who saves, not a catholic priest, but GOD through Jesus Christ by Faith. What happen to common sense? and in spite of the fact that many give their opinions without reading the bible as they should.

I love this stuff. But is it true or not? I really have no idea. Another PBS documentary claimed to reveal that Shakespeare was an underground Catholic and now they’re saying Michelangelo was an underground Protestant. But my own perception based on studying Michelangelo as an art history student is that Michelangelo regarded himself as a true Catholic rebelling carefully against corruption in the papacy, a topic that he knew up close and personal. And a topic that modern day Catholics are grappling with by the revelations about priests’ sex abuse and the Church’s extensive cover-up of those facts. No one is saying that today’s Catholics who are critical of the Church’s role in sex abuse are Protestants. So my feeling is that Michelangelo would not feel close to the Protestantism as practiced by the Germans and the English. I see this more as an expression of struggle against imperial power, a theme consistent with his early work of the David. Excellent visuals. I too am very curious about the professor’s computer screen.

Bridget might be interested in a book on Vittoria Colonna: Vittoria Colonna and the spiritual poetics of the Italian Reformation. While I can’t attest to complete historical accuracy, as I cannot with PBS piece, you just cannot leave religion out of art – the orgins of all our classical foundations of art came out of faith and religion. I found this show very fascinating (and do not sucumb to Brown’s drivel). People of faith seek God, not through political power and hierarchies – the Catholic church of that time was also very corrupt & political. If the Spirituali existed and I think there is evidence they did (there is a “Benefit of Christ’s Death” historically, best I can see) I think they were seeking a simple Catholic faith centered in Christ’s forgiveness for sins, as did the Protestants, without all of the indulgences, inability to read the Bible and lavish wealth in the leadership. Yet they were truly Catholics with are heart for Christ & works were a light to the world of that faith, but not works to earn His merit. They were not Protestants.

Liz you are mistaken when you said that Michealangelo was a catholic. Watch the program again and you will see that the Catholic Church did not. DID NOT even gave him his due national burial service at all. The fact that michael angelo was fond of the catholic ins and out as he was an insider. Noticed I say insider sort of like well obama and the average joe is not an insider is it? THerefore, in spite of the facts establisk on the episode you are still reluctant Liz to admint a discover of the true word of GOD versus the opaque, distorted one the catholic papist gave the people for lack of vernacular teaching about the scripture. Even Jesus did not talk latin but the vernacular language as it is the case the Word must be in the vernacular for all. Where has common sense gone to?

Gee whiz, Alex p. enough already!! We know where your coming from…
Relax buddy! We are all entitled to our beliefs and opinions. (Unlike Michelangelo).

TRUTH IS NOT RELATIVE. I am thankful truth is not based on michaelangelo’s or jews, non-jews, gentiles, atheist, democrats or republicans or independent. What shall we say then, that I can define God? that I can define God with my imagination and opinion and belief and give GOD the lie for not believing my puffed up reasonins? Sicne when God is less inteligent than a person? Since when I can mocked GOD?

Gee Whiz….what are people trying to say that hypocriticaly hide the meaning in the Gee Whiz? what do persons really mean when they say
o my gosh? yet, no moderation was anounced. Everybody knows that a person who usees the above mention slangs are not very moderate are they?

Alex P ~ Some people here are trying to understand this piece. Is it valid? Is it grounded in fact? If it is, then what does it mean for Catholics today as well as non-Catholics. And you keep babbling on about, well lord knows what you’re trying to say. You are obviously arguing in a language that isn’t your first language and you have no idea what you are talking about anyhow. It is hard enough to actually have a real discussion on the internet without people like you taking up bandwidth and distracting from this attempt at conversation.

And half the rest of you who do have something to say and the language and brains to say it, what is so hard about proofing what you wrote so that it is intelligible to the rest of us, so that you can make your point and actually contribute to this interesting topic?

Come on people. This stuff is meant to be provocative. Say something intelligent, in English for sh#ts sake.

And no I’m not an English teacher.

Therefore, logic and Truth is square in the eye of all who are WILLING TO SEE [for those who pretend to make a lame point where there is none based their shallow view on, shall we say, pride, or the fear of being stigmatized as ......you fill in the blank.] If Truth has pushed your buttons by the fact you cannot handle the truths that Michaelangelo’s episode has brought forth, I cannot assist you pedagogicaly or made you apply it by deduction what the episode presented. maybe some atheist, new age or humanist or relativist might help you by osmosis.
I hope this most humble writting in the vernacular enlgish language elucidetes a much needed clarity for those who choose to indeed ignore fact from fiction. By the way more than 70% of the english language is based on Latin words my most distinguished scholarly tyron. We must know what the english language foundations consist of which I do not have the space nor the time to illustrate or explicate. Indeed, ignoring common sense that speaks clear in one’s eyes, face and hears in the episode is unresonable. When the bus has the DOOR on the right side in most of the world shall we say then that it is not a door in England because it is on the left side? Remember, the world’s sport is soccer, not futbol not tennis, SOCCER. Fortunately, out of my heart are the issues of life and out of the heart my mouth speaks. Therfore I gurad my heart above all things as Jesus has taught me. For most persons who want to advocate truth are willing to grasp truth. Truth is everywhere if you are corageous to follow regardless of what your family thinks, society, culture, social status, tradition says. I am lucky to abundanlty use my English vocabulary, indeed. Certainly my humble authenticiy only has made you an angry man. Are you angry because you are an angry man or are you are angry because you have anger?

“When the bus has the DOOR on the right side in most of the world shall we say then that it is not a door in England because it is on the left side? Remember, the world’s sport is soccer, not futbol not tennis, SOCCER.”

Ah, now that you’ve explained it like that I understand completely. How could I have been so thick-headed? So slow on the uptake? So mired in the techniques and substance of communication?

“Certainly my humble authenticiy only has made you an angry man. Are you angry because you are an angry man or are you are angry because you have anger?”

Yes, that it! It’s your self-imagined “humble authenticiy” [sic].

But an even better question is this stunning tautology: “Are you angry because you are an angry man or are you are angry because you have anger?”

Alex, I’m angry because people like you annoy the $hit out of me. And because I’m constipated.

Have a nice day.

In marvelous fashion my soul stirred with pleasure since I got an incredible pleasure from TRUTH. Most distiguished Tyrone, your constant pleonasms and lack of linguistic competence is evident as you have sated it by means of tasteless conjectures. Also when you said…”for sh#ts sake” your ignobleness simply speaks for you. and, would you still deny it, would you still return to your own vomit? Well, I think you did by your own admission “”people like you annoy the $hit out of me” The TRUTH shall set you free.. Let me help you..”Hurt peple hurt people” and this is wisdom that contains truth.. I I suppose all you surmise has indeed become irrelevant because TRUTH is not based on your spectacular assumptions. As you have admitted in your own words and lack of english vocabulary that even shakespeare and Pablo Neruda would have use it as a metaphor in their writings. Picasso would have painted them in his frescos. Many persons have the brains of an ameaba that do not match who they really are when they open their mouths. By the way image as tradition is not TRUTH in itself. I hope my composure unsetlle not your refine persona as psycologist have tought us. Therefore, let us all learned something as inteligen as tyrone’s own word where fresh ideas flow “for sh#ts sake” is it? What should I say, that you were most eloquent? I shall say to ad infinitum that nothing more pestilent has befallen us at pbs than a pretender tyrone..

I do hope that the low brow comments in response to the Michelangelo film do not represent a majority of your audience.

fbenjul
Madison, Wi.

An amamazingly sloddy and tententious piece of work! I’m appalled that PBS would run it. Please be assured that I will never contribute another dime to PBS while this series in aired.

Just to let you guys know there is an argument in Rome today about why Michelangelos Moses has horns. In my opinion the clash between religion and science is gaining trust, and honestly with religion having provided nothing but death and sorrow, while science have provided most of the answers for our existence, you can’t help but follow Michelangelo, and Galileo. The earth will continue to turn around the sun, and no book can change that.

Science has not gain any trust. If you want to be corageous all scientist and advocators of scientis, science is the study of causes not the invention of them and there lies the biggest deception of scientist today. Science corroborates what GOD has revealed in the Word of God not the other way arround. When gravity was discover, NOTICED I said DISCOVERED not invented, for GOD inventeded before it was coscover. WHere has common sense gone. Science will only be contradicting and never invents only theorizes wrong hypothesis that many take as true when they have never been proven or corroborate what GOD alone has created……author of a book involves a writter. creation conveys….creator..WHere has common sense Gone?

If you are saying that there is a source of intelligence light years away from earth in existence for many light years I would say its possible. This given the fact of what we know and what Huble revealed to us. I can’t comment on the books written by men, we all believe what we want. Michelangelo, Galileo, and thousands of scientists are familiar with many other Gods invented during thousands of years. No offense to religion, but humans are still not developed enough, and we lack the intelligence to reach light years away.

joel if you want to go on a tangent of imaginary OUTLANDISH beyond resonable reason is beyond any persons intelect. The tragedy is many sects and atheist think that there life in another planet which is the equivalent of saying that a mokey is a reasonable person. It takes more faith to believe in your imaginary planet to your own puffed up nonsense than to see the facts in your face. Planet earth is a lucky planet and moreover, truly, a blessed planet. can I say blessed? the fact that you control not your death day is not lucky but the fact that you are still alive is indeed lucky or blessednes yet in its importance to differenciate general providence with specific providence is a study beyond the scope of your corageous ability to follow the truth where it leads you!!!

Is the 5 part series on Michelangelo going to be rebroadcast? I would love to see it again.

I find the series as a whole very interesting, fascinating I am grateful for it’s content and information and Excellant very well made! Thank You.

Vania Del Borga maybe a writer, but she is no historian. The image she presents of the Renaissance church is that historians of fifty years ago might have recognized. Furthermore, many of her claims make no sense. Michelangelo altered Moses because he feared the Inquistion will kill him, but decades later on the verge of death, he burns his papers because he does not want anyone to know his true beliefs. If one of my students presented this thesis, I’d give them a “D.”

This was a very well done show. The fact that it has caused so much controversy proves it. It is evident that in 52 minutes the documentary will not (and cannot) elucidate all of the intricacies of Michelangelo’s life and of Catholic Church’s history. However, the documentary makes every viewer think, examine his most deepest beliefs and take their own conclusion. That is precisely what makes of it a good program. Thank you again, pbs!

A far more interesting premise than anything Dan Brown could contrive because it has real world players and ramifications. The absolute truth is probably even more interesting. This show far outranks all its cable competitors, which right now are playing hours and hours of ridiculous 2012 “investigative” shows and hunting down monsters and ghosts( and not finding any). Thanks PBS!

ican’t wait to see this tonight