Why does the Catholic church portray Christ as a white guy with brown hair and blue eyes?

Question

Over the years I have known several individuals and families who were very much involved with the Catholic church. Along with indirectly worshiping the pope, I remember they always had pictures of Christ in their homes and churches that always showed Jesus as a white guy with brown hair and blue eyes. According to the bible and other history resources they say Jesus was of Middle Eastern descent. I was just wondering why the Catholic church makes him look like Al from that show "Home Improvement".

In regards to what “sparki777” wrote :

I don’t have anything against Catholicism or any other religion defined by its superstitious beliefs. Regarding what you said about your pope : I never understood why the Catholic church uses a religious middleman they call the pope to supposedly spread the word of worship to its followers. Even your bible says that Christ is the only way to reach God and follow the path of righteousness, so why does the Catholic church use another imperfect human being to lead the Catholics?

I am good friends with an internationally renown Hollywood heavyweight. If I tell you his name I am sure you have seen at least 2 or 3 of his movies. His management company and its agents profit an enormous amount just on their percentage cut of his base salaries. So my question is : Is the pope trying to make his own cut?

Answer 1

it is due to a combination of reasons. Part of which is due to ethnic affinity ( I have seen African American JCs, white, middle eastern, even asian ones), Artist immpressions, peoples ideas, even racism. As Tibeton Buddhist we have done the same thing in regard to Buddha, nobdy realy knows what he looked like as well.

Answer 2

The Catholic Church affirms the Jewish heritage of both Jesus and Christianity, "To the Jews belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ.'

No one really knows what Jesus looked like. However we believe that Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity and we believe that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore we can depict Jesus looking just about like anyone, especially when artists use their artistic license.

Even the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared as Our Lady of Guadalupe as a native Mexican with brown skin and wearing native dress.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 839 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#839

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

No one really knows what He looks like. I think it's a matter of tradition. A friend of mine is affiliated with a Catholic mission in Thialand and showed me photos of the mission house. Inside, they have paintings of the nativity, stations of the cross, etc. In the paintings, the wise men are of asian descent and are riding elephants, yet traditionally we think of the wisemen as being of Middle Eastern descent and riding camels. It just goes to show that people will sometimes adapt events in the bible with their own culture. Also, we all know Jesus was Jewish, so that should about clear it up.

By the way, we do not worship the pope directly or indirectly. You may think that we do but we don't. That would be idolatry.

Answer 4

The Catholic church does not portray Christ any different than any other religion what happened was that most portraits of Christ that we know well were drawn by White people who drew what they were familiar with. Think about it when was the last time that you saw a new Likeness of Christ one drawn in the 18,19,or 20th century's? Most of the portrayals of Christ were drawn hundreds of years ago. People when they draw unless it's modern art draw what they are familiar with and what they see in the mirror.

Wally if you want to put down a whole religious group get your information straight. Catholics don't' worship Mary, they respect her and they pray to her for advise. Don't you ask your mother for advise?? And if she was a pagan Goddess how come she's mentioned in every version of the Bible as the Mother of the Christ??

Answer 5

In fact, if you read the bible through and through, and almost any biblical account, you won't find a physical description.

From the area, there were large assortments of people, including Africans, Middle Easterners, and whitey himself. He could have been any of these

Personally, I never could wrap myself around that concept, it says it plain as day in the bible, Thou Shalt not make any graven images, as if God wanted to transend racial boundries, but you know those crazy Christians always changing the rules

Chances are he was average height, brown-haired, middle-easterner, with a short beard and shoulder-length hair. But what if he was a 10' Albino with a purple afro and a van-dyke mustache, would His message be any different?

Answer 6

Nobody knows exactly what Jesus looked like. In the earliest known painting of him, he kinda looks like Rambo. See it here:

http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/graphics/icon.jpg

But really, these are all artistic renderings meant to convey concepts like beauty, peace, heroism, etc. -- they aren't meant to be looked at like a photograph. The artist certainly isn't trying to say, "Jesus looked physically like this."

And we don't "indirectly worship the pope." We appreciate him and we pray for him because he's our leader on earth and he answers to Christ. That's not worship.

Really, though, you seem to be attempting to discredit Catholicism with your misleading question. What's up with that? What's your real beef here?

Answer 7

You are probably right - Christ was most likely olive skinned with dark or black hair etc. But I'm not sure Hollywood or any red-bloodied Caucasian would be too keen on showing Christ in that light - particularly speaking in Aramaic.

Answer 8

During the Dark and Middle Ages the Catholic Church was on a mission to convert Pagan Europe to Christianity. They new the Pagans would not warm to a God from another part of the world, so they changed his image to suit the region.

Answer 9

It's not just the Catholics, bub.

They ALL portray a blue eyed, light haired Jesus.

Denial........

He was Arabaic and spoke Aramaic.. there are some indication that his ancestors roots were Ethiopian.

Good white christians can't stand that idea.

Answer 10

I agree with CLL

Catholics always were there to preach a false god and do not follow the God of the bible and only say it and have no real experience with the God of the bible. They worship virgin Mary who was a pagan goddess and they do not want the truth of God to be revealed to people because the devil is the same and so they killed so many Christians throughout history