Blessed Virgin Mary
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A traditional Catholic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, displaying her Immaculate Heart |
The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to
The Blessed Virgin is a traditional title specifically used by
Roman and Eastern Catholics,
Anglo-Catholics,
Eastern Orthodox and others to describe
Mary, the mother of
Jesus. It carries with it a belief not merely in the
virginity of Mary, but of her continuing role within the church and in the life of ordinary Catholics, for which Catholicism in the
Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (
21 November 1964), passed during the
Second Vatican Council, granted her the title
Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. Colloquially she is often referred to as
Our Lady.
Catholicism and
Eastern Orthodoxy focus on Mary as a living person who can intercede with her Son,
Jesus, on behalf of humanity. From the beginning of the Church, Catholic theology has maintained that Christ is the sole Mediator between God and Man
[Bible - 1 Timothy 2:5]. Yet as theologian Ludwig Ott observes, "there is nothing to prevent others in a certain way (
secundum quid) from being called mediators between God and man, in so far as they,
by preparing or serving, cooperate in uniting men to God" (emphasis added).
[Ludwig Ott. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma 1954;Bk III, Pt. 3, Ch. 3, §7] Mary's willed obedience
[Bible - Luke 1:38] is contrasted with
Eve's disobedience
[Bible - Genesis 3:6], an idea with roots in the writings of the
Church Fathers. Mary herself required
redemption and is not equal to Jesus in Catholic theology. Nonetheless her role was pivotal, as emphasized by Jerome,
Irenaeus 180â€"199 (see Jurgens §224),
Tertullian c.212 (see Jurgens §358) and others including herself in
Scripture: "behold the handmaid of the Lord."
[Bible - Luke 1:38] Mary is also described by
Ambrose as "the prototype of the Church."
[Ambrose Expos. Ev. Sec. Luc. II 7]Marian devotions play a key part in the ritual and
liturgy of Western
Catholicism and
Eastern Orthodoxy. However, many of the traits attributed to her and devotions given her by those Christians who adhere to the
Pope of Rome are not found among the Eastern Orthodox. The remainder of this article ought not to be taken as normative of Eastern Orthodox Christian doctrine regarding the
Theotokos.
The
Council of Ephesus in 431 sanctioned the cult of the Virgin as
Theotokos, Mother of God, allowing the creation of icons bearing the images of the Virgin and Child. Mary, as the first Christian
Saint and Mother of Jesus, was deemed to be a compassionate mediator between suffering mankind and her son, Jesus, who was seen as King and Judge. Biblical support for this position was found in the story of the
Marriage at Cana whereat Mary entreated Jesus to turn water into wine (
Gospel of John, Chapter 2). Although Jesus at first refused, she insisted then he obediently performed the task.
Early representations show Mary as the "Throne of Heaven" with Mary and the Child Jesus both crowned as Royalty. She was further identified with the Bride in the
Old Testament Song of Solomon, by such noted theologians as St.
Bernard of Clairvaux. She became the prototype for the Church itself. During the
Middle Ages, and especially in France, the great
Cathedrals were thus named for Mary. The Marian
Rosary was popularized by the followers of
St. Dominic. The image of Mary as Queen was softened somewhat by Mary as Mother of the Child Jesus. St.
Francis of Assisi popularized the image of the
Nativity scene using live animals. This representation of the helpless Jesus suckled by his mother brought
Christmas into the hearts and homes of the people. And, as journeys to the
Holy Land became difficult, Mary's role in the
Passion (Christianity) story became part of the popular
Stations of the Cross as the Mother of the suffering Jesus. During the great plagues such as the
Black Death, Mary became greatly popular as a compassionate intercessor and protector of mankind against the just judgment of God.
Devotion to the Virgin Mary as the "new Eve" lent much to the status of women during the Middle Ages. Women who had been looked down upon as daughters of
Eve (first woman), became to be looked upon as objects of veneration and inspiration. The veneration of Mary both as woman and prototype of the Church was greatly responsible for transforming the Germanic
Warrior code into the Code of
Chivalry. This reinterpretation of women flowered in the
Courtly Love poetry of Medieval and Renaissance France. Mary, as the original "vessel of Christ" may have also influenced the legends of the
Holy Grail. Her selflessness, obedience and virginal humility were reinterpreted in the literary figure of Sir
Galahad, finder of the Grail.
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See full article TheotokosThe Divine Motherhood of Mary is the teaching that Mary was predestined from all of time to be the
Theotokos, which translates from Greek as "God-bearer" or more commonly, Mother of God. The title of Theotokos is documented throughout the history of the early church, and was officially given to the Blessed Virgin at the
Council of Ephesus in 431. The title does not emphasize Mary, but puts focus on the inseparable dual nature of
Jesus Christ, both man and God. Scripturally, this is supported by
St. Elizabeth's inspired salutation to Mary from Luke 1:43: "And how [have I deserved that this honor should] be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" The designation of Mary as The Mother of God stands in stark contrast to the pagan notion of God being born from a woman, and emphasizes the miracle of the incarnation: the uncontainable
God of creation containing himself within the womb of the Virgin.
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See full article Perpetual virginity of MaryIt is a fundamental Catholic teaching that Mary
remained a virgin her entire life. Several explanations are offered regarding verses such as
Matthew 13:55 and
Mark 6:3, which list "adelphoi" of Jesus.
Jerome translated the ambiguous Greek term "adelphoi" to possibly mean certain types of close relatives such as "cousins".
["The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary" from the Catholic Encylopedia] Several early writers (the
Clementine literature,
Hegesippus-
Eusebius) suggest that they were stepbrothers of Jesus, sons of a previous wife of Joseph.
[The Book of the Birth of Saint Mary][The Protoevangelium of James][Liturgy of St James] It is important to note that the perpetual virginity of Mary is linked to the belief in her Immaculate Conception, or sinlessness: her physical virginity is reflective of her spiritual virginity. Mary's perpetual virginity also stresses her exclusive love and dedication to her offspring, Jesus Christ.
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See full article Immaculate ConceptionSince the
Middle Ages,
Catholic theologians had argued the question of whether or not Mary had been subject to original sin. In general, the
Franciscans argued in favor of her "
immaculate conception", the doctrine that she, from the moment of her conception, had been preserved by God from all sin and all tendency to sin; the
Dominicans, on the other hand, including most notably
Thomas Aquinas, argued that Mary's sinlessness is a grace granted to her at some time after her conception. In
1854,
Pope Pius IX effectively ended the debate for Catholics by proclaiming the dogma of the "
Immaculate Conception", stating that "the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race." ("
Ineffabilis Deus", issued on
8 December 1854). It was subsequently claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary during her sixteenth appearance in
Lourdes on
March 25 1858 announced to
Bernadette Soubirous "I am the Immaculate Conception". The term
Immaculate Conception is also widely used within Catholicism to refer to the Virgin Mary.
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See full article Assumption of MaryIn 1950, speaking
ex cathedra (that is, for the whole Church), in his encyclical
Munificentissimus Deus Pope Pius XII proclaimed the
Dogma of the Assumption, in which he stated that "at the end of her earthly course, Mary was assumed into heavenly glory, body and soul". This was a long held belief by Christians since the time of the early Church, despite its recent definition as dogma. Pope Pius XII also stated that he was relying both on scripture and on "apostolic tradition". As an infallible pronouncement, the Dogma of the Assumption is thus a mandatory belief for Catholics. No pope since has issued an infallible dogma.
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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
Catholic dogma proclaimed under papal infallibility by Pope Pius XII in 1950 |
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See full article Fifth Marian DogmaSome Catholics in the late twentieth century urged
Pope John Paul II to
infallibly declare Mary
Co-Redemptrix, not meaning by this title that Mary herself redeems mankind, but that she cooperates with Jesus in His redemption of the world; as a co-pilot is not equal to the pilot of an airplane, so is the case with Jesus and His Mother as well as with any other Christian faithful who, by the Baptism, becomes member of the Mystical Body of Jesus and, as such, "co-redemptor".
Professor Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University in Steubenville in the
United States launched a petition to urge Pope John Paul to make such a move, by defining the teaching of the Church that Mary is
Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces, and Advocate for the People of God. More than six million signatures were gathered from 148 countries. Signatories included
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal John O'Connor of
New York, 41 other cardinals and 550 bishops. However, such a proposal was also heavily criticized by many Catholics who suggested that only Jesus could be a Redeemer and that such an act would drive a wedge in relationships with other apostolic tradition Christian faiths, notably the
Orthodox Church and
Anglicanism, neither of whom would accept such a designation. Though both
Pope Pius XI in
1935 and
Pope John Paul II himself in
1985 did use the word
co-redemptrix to refer to Mary, no formal infallible dogma supporting such a designation has been issued, notwithstanding the petition.
Mary as Co-Redemtrix is entirely tied to her role in the Incarnation of Jesus. Because Jesus was miraculously incarnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the physical, human nature of Jesus was thus derived from Mary. In a very real sense, the blood Jesus shed on the Cross was the blood he received from Mary. And since Jesus saved mankind by his incarnation, and this was made possible by the obedience of Mary, this becomes a source of understanding Mary as Co-Redemptrix. Mary's role, however, is totally dependent upon her relationship to the redeemer, Jesus, and her total obedience to the Will of the Spirit.
The earliest known Marian prayer is
Deipara, Dei Genetrix. Mother of God, dating from late 2nd century. It was, discovered in Egypt in 1917 and was written in the languages of the
Copts and Greeks (
Theotokos, Mother of God). This title was authorized at the Council of Ephesus in 431 commemorating the Virgin's role in the incarnation of Jesus as the Word of God, and her place in the History of Salvation:
We you for protection, holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed virgin.A popular Marian devotional is the
Rosary of St.
Dominic, a form of
prayer in which an
Our Father, ten
Hail Marys and a
Glory Be to the Father (together forming a "decade of the Rosary") are recited five times while meditating on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious) to be followed by a prayer called the "
Hail Holy Queen" and perhaps the "Litany of
Loreto".
Other famous Marian prayers include the "
Magnificat," the
Angelus and the
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Marian hymns include
O Mary, we Crown Thee With Blossoms Today,
O Purest of Creatures, the
Regina Coeli, and the
Ave Maria. May and October are usually seen within traditional Catholicism as Marian months.
The
Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a weekly cycle of prayers said throughout the day, based on the
Liturgy of the Hours, and consists of
hymns,
psalms,
scripture, and
patristic readings.
Main article: Marian apparitions
The central role of Mary in the belief and practice of Catholicism is reflected in the fact that many Catholic churches contain side
altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She is also celebrated through major religious sites where it is claimed
apparitions or appearances of the Virgin have occurred, often with claims by witnesses that messages to humanity were delivered.
Some
Protestants have accused Catholics and Eastern Orthodox of Mariolatry, suggesting that Catholics
adore the Virgin Mary in breach of the
Ten Commandments, which condemn keeping "false gods." This point was offered especially by
John Calvin. In Catholic theology there is a clear distinction drawn between the worship of
latria (
adoration, which may be offered only to God), and veneration and praise, or
dulia. Catholicism has traditionally accorded to the Virgin Mary the veneration of
hyperdulia, which rests in part upon the
angelic salutation, "Hail, full of grace" (
Lk 1:28), a phrase with momentous theological impact. Over the centuries, according to the Catholics, the nature of Mary within theology became clearer. By 403 we find Epiphanius refuting a sect called the
Collyridians who adored Mary, telling them: "Mary should be honoured, but the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost should be adored. Nobody should adore Mary" (in Ott, Bk III, Pt 3 Ch. 3, §8). Thus we find, from the third century Church, veneration of Mary. Later, the belief that Mary intercedes for us with her Divine Son, and a clear distinction between
latria and
dulia together with a rejection of the notion of giving
latria to Mary. The saints, for their part, receive
dulia. This distinction between
latria,
hyperdulia, and
dulia, is key to understanding Catholic Tradition (the Orthodox do not distinguish
hyperdulia from
dulia).
These proclamations by the Catholic Church, in addition to calling Mary the mother of God, which echoes the term
Theotokos, instituted by an
Ecumenical Council (instead of the mother of the human body of Jesus, which may echo the term
Christotokos, specifically condemned as
Nestorian by an
Ecumenical Council), the Queen of Heaven, and the Queen of the World has led to such accusations. However, Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that Mary is the Mother of Jesus, and that He is both God and man. Catholics counter the Protestant attack by stating that many Protestants have fallen into the
Nestorian heresy which claimed that the "man Jesus" is not both fully divine and fully human, two natures (
ousia) united inextricably in one person (
hypostasis). Instead, Nestorianism claims that the "man Jesus" had Divine nature bestowed upon him at some time later than His conception and, therefore, Mary could not have been the Mother of God. Instead, the Nestorian doctrine was that she was merely the "mother of his humanity". Catholics do not believe Mary is the source of Jesus' Divine nature, but the source of his human nature. Yet as a person he is truly God and truly man, thus making her His mother
as a person, if not the source of all traits. This has led to disagreement between Catholics and
Protestants.
"Marianism" describes the excessive veneration of Mary, as opposed to Jesus. The term was first used in the 19th century to condemn the "perversion of Christianity into Marianism".
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Our Lady of Lourdes
Frequently displayed image commemorating Lourdes Apparition. |
* Mary, Queen of Heaven
* Mary, Queen of the World
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Our Lady of Fatima (
Nossa Senhora de Fátima)
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Our Lady of Guadalupe* Our Lady of Doctrine (celebrated in
Tarxien,
Malta)
* Our Lady of Good Counsel
* Our Lady of Good Health
* Our Lady of La Vang (The Vatican, in its Weekly Edition of "L'Osservatore Romano" issue N. 32/33 published on 12/19 August 1998, affirmed that "Unfortunately, there is no written documentation of these apparitions" - of
Our Lady of La Vang)
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Our Lady of Lourdes (see icon above)
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Our Lady of Loreto*
Our Lady of Sorrows*
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (
Nuestra Señora del Carmen, typical in Spanish language).
* Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
* Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal.
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Our Lady of Perpetual Help or Succour (see icon below)
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Our Lady of the Pillar (
Nuestra Señora Del Pilar)
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Our Lady of Prompt Succor*
Our Lady, Queen of Ireland*
Our Lady of Combermere* Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga (
Nuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga, Patron of
Cavite City)
* Our Lady of the Wayside (Patron Saint of California)
* Our Lady, Help of Christians
* Queen of the Angels
* The Madonna of Consolation
* The Virgin of the Charity of Cobre (Patron Saint of
Cuba)
* Our Lady, Queen of
Croats* Star of the Sea
* The Rose
Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the Catholic Calendar are
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January 1 Mary, Mother of God
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January 8 Our Lady of Prompt Succor
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February 2 Purification of Mary
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February 11 Our Lady of Lourdes
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March 25 Annunciation by Archangel Gabriel
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May 1 May crowning*
May 13 Our Lady of Fatima
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May 31 Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces
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June 27 Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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August 15 Assumption into Heaven
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August 21 Our Lady of Knock
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September 8 Our Lady of Good Health
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September 15 Our Lady of Sorrows*
October 7 Feast of the Most Holy Rosary
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December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
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December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
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Immaculate Conception*
Immaculate Heart of Mary*
The Virgin Mary shrines*
Anglo-Catholicism*
Marian apparitions |
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
A famous mediæval icon. |
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Rosary - a small windows program that teaches you how to pray the rosary
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The Mary Page â€" maintained by The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton in Ohio*
Mariology.com*
site containing long list of other Marian sites*
Pope John Paul's Encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae*
Anglo-Catholic (Church of England) website for the "Society of Mary"*
Apologetics Index research resources on Mariology*
Website mentioning use of the image of Mary by US tobacco companies to promote cigarettes*
Anno Domini â€" Link on the designation of Mary as 'Our Lady' in the late middle ages in an era of 'courtly love'*
Religious Tolerance webpage on Mary*
Catholic Apologetics of America
