HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
 1
|
"Our Lady" redirects here. For other uses, see Our Lady (disambiguation).
A modern popular Roman Catholic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, displaying her Immaculate Heart
The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title specifically used by Roman Catholics, some Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
The term carries not merely belief in the virginity of Mary but of her continuing role within the church and in the life of all Christians. In the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (21 November 1964), passed during the Second Vatican Council, Mary was also given the title Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. Mary is often referred to informally as Our Lady.
Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy focus on Mary as a living person -- that is, currently, in heaven -- who can hear prayers spoken on Earth and intercede in the heavenly realms to 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, insofar 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 obedienceBible - Luke 1:38 is contrasted with Eve\'s disobedience,Bible - Genesis 3:6 an idea with roots in the writings of the Church Fathers. (All Christians can share in the mediation of Christ in a secondary sense by interceding through prayer for their fellow believers).
Mary herself required redemption, as stated in Romans 3 ("all have sinned" and "none is righteous"), and is not divine or equal to Jesus in Catholic theology. Yet the Biblical narrative suggests that in the salvation offered exclusively through Jesus as Christ, Mary may be said to have been the first to believe that Jesus was the "Son of the Most High" in Luke 1:26-33 and have faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
Nonetheless her role was pivotal, as emphasized by Jerome, Irenaeus 180–199 (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 and Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. While many of the traits attributed to her and devotions given her within Western Catholicism are not found among the Eastern Orthodox & Catholics, the opposite is also true. For instance, in the Paraklesis service of the Byzantine liturgy, Eastern Christians appeal to her: "O most holy Theotokos, save us!"The Blessed Virgin Mary Fervent Defender of Christians by Bishop Alexander (Mileant) This appeal to her to save us is not used in Western Christianity, but it is explained by the Eastern Orthodox as "ask(ing) the Most Holy Theotokos to \'save us\' not in the sense of the eternal salvation found only through Christ, but in the sense that those drowning call out to those on dry land for assistance in their plight."St. Mary Orthodox Church For more on the place of Mary in Eastern Orthodox tradition and theology, see The Ever-Virgin Mother of God by Archpriest George Florovsky.
Marian theology or Mariology is the area of Christian theology concerned with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It not only deals with her life but her veneration through Roman Catholicism, and her aspect in modern and ancient Christianity.
St. Irenaeus of Lyon called Mary the second Eve because through Mary and her willing acceptance of God\'s choice, God undid the harm that was done through Eve\'s choice to eat the forbidden fruit.
The Roman Catholic tradition has a well established philosophy for the study and veneration of the Virgin Mary via the field of Mariology with Pontifical schools such as the Marianum specifically devoted to this taskMariology Society of America http://mariologicalsocietyofamerica.usCenters of Marian Study http://www.servidimaria.org/en/attualita/promotori2/promotori2.htmPublisher’s Notice in the Second Italian Edition (1986), reprinted in English Edition, Gabriel Roschini, O.S.M. (1989). The Virgin Mary in the Writings of Maria Valtorta (English Edition). Kolbe\'s Publication Inc. ISBN 2-920285-08-4.
In Roman Catholicism , there are currently four dogmas about the Blessed Virgin Mary: Mother of God (Theotokos), Perpetual Virginity, Immaculate Conception, and Assumption into Heaven.
Three of these dogmas are accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Churches - mainly, all except the Immaculate Conception. However, this is formally accepted by the Old Believers who broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church. The Immaculate Conception is similar, although not identical, to Eastern Orthodox beliefs about Mary\'s purity, and both stem from patristic traditions. None of these dogmas are formally accepted within Protestant communities, except perhaps in some Anglo-Catholic congregations; although few Protestants would deny the practical implications of the belief that Mary was "Mother of God", as they would accept Mary gave birth to Jesus who was fully God, however they would never refer to her by that title. A debate with them concerning the truth of these dogmas goes on.[citation needed]
The dogma that declared Mary as the Mother of God or Theotokos is the central dogma within Mariology. This dogma was declared by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431. The first of twelve anathemas proposed by Cyril of Alexandra and accepted by the Council of Ephesus declares:
1.If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is God in truth, and therefore that the holy virgin is the mother of God (for she bore in a fleshly way the Word of God become flesh, let him be anathema.
The Council of Ephesus also declared:
Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy virgin to be the mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her.
This is the oldest of all dogmas concerning the Blessed Virgin. It is not only essential in Marian Theology but also in the Theology of Christ. For if Mary was not Mother of God, then Jesus was in fact not God.
This dogma is based in part on the scripture in which Elizabeth greets Mary stating:
"And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43)
The Catholic dogma concerning the Immaculate Conception of Mary teaches that Mary -- unique among all human beings in history -- was born without sin, was free from Original Sin, and never sinned throughout her life. The doctrine was promulgated by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854. The official language of the Papal Bull entitled Ineffabilis Deus states:
We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."
Hence, if anyone shall dare--which God forbid!--to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment; that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith; that he has separated from the unity of the Church; and that, furthermore, by his own action he incurs the penalties established by law if he should are to express in words or writing or by any other outward means the errors he think in his heart.
Note that this doctrine should not be confused with the miraculous conception of Jesus, in which the Bible states that Mary conceived by the power of God before being married to Joseph and "before they came together." Nearly all Christian churches consider the miraculous conception of Jesus within Mary\'s womb as not only literally true, but as being among the most important doctrines of Christianity. Yet, despite the similarity, the "Immacculate Conception" refers to Mary\'s own conception and birth -- not to the famous miracle by which Jesus was conceived much later within her.
Catholic teaching holds that Mary was granted grace, which all Christians agree is necessary for salvation, from the first moment of her conception. Mary still needed a savior, as without Christ she would not have been preserved from original sin. Mary shared in the gifts of Christ\'s crucifixion prior to his death by way of God.
Our Lady of Lourdes pronounced herself as the Immaculate Conception in February of 1858 to Saint Bernadette Soubirous. She and her parish Priest were unfamilar with the phrase and took it to their local Bishop who explained that only 4 years prior the Pope had declared Mary was Immaculately Conceived.
Scripture verse sometimes used to show her Immaculate Conception include Luke 1:28 and
"So I made an ark of boards of incorruptible wood, and I hewed tables of stone like the first, and I went up to the mountain, and the two tables were in my hand." (Deuteronomy 10:3 Breton LXX)
Other translations use the words "setim," "acacia," "indestructible," and "hard" to describe the wood used. In any case, Moses used this wood because it was regarded as very durable and "incorruptible." The Ark of the Covenant has been regarded by Catholic and Orthodox Christians as being the "type" in typological terms in the Old Testament of Mary and therefore it would seem fitting that the New Ark likewise be made "incorruptible" or "immaculate."
This belief dates back to the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church. The inclusion of the feast of an individual\'s birthday indicated that they were regarded as sanctified from the womb. Only three figures in the Christian tradition have their birthdays celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, Jesus, John the Baptist - both of whom are described as sanctified before their birth in Luke\'s Gospel - and Mary.
Protestant and Orthodox Christians alike denounce the dogma for different reasons, and such differences have had major effects on history through the Great Schism and the Reformation. They view it as an example of Papal hubris. Protestants hold that the dogma means that Mary has no need for a savior, and is in violation of Romans 3 where it is declared that all have sinned and that no one is righteous (unless saved by Jesus).
The concept of Mary as born sinless is driven by various views of Original Sin. Given that Catholics believe in Original Sin as placing actual guilt upon human beings for the sins of their ancestors, including Adam and Eve, Catholics conclude that Mary also would be stained by the actual guilt of sin. They believe that Jesus could not have been born into a sinful vessel. Thus, a sinless Mary becomes necessary to accommodate Jesus\' birth. And therefore Mary must have been without sin.
Yet Protestant Churches hold that Jesus\' mission to Earth was to overcome sin and do not recognize the difficulty in Jesus being born to an ordinary woman which Catholics view as impossible. Protestants argue that conquering sin and cleansing the world from sin was Jesus\' purpose in entering a fallen and sinful world, and do not view Jesus as needing a birth mother to be anything but an ordinary woman. What Catholics categorically reject does not gather much attention from Protestants, who readily dismiss the problem with the idea that "with God all things are possible."
Meanwhile, Orthodox Christians and many Protestants view the dogma as erroneous and unnecessary because they do not see Original Sin, or First Sin, as a stain on one\'s soul. Most Protestant Christians and Orthodox Christians view Original Sin as imposing a tendency toward evil and an inclination to sin, drawing people towards sin. But they believe a person is actually guilty only for his own actions. They agree that all mankind is under the curse and wretched condition of a sinful world through Adam\'s sin, and suffer the consequences, including death, but believe each person is responsible only for his own individual actions.
The dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary defines that Mary was always a virgin, even after giving birth to Christ-in fact, Christ\'s birth sanctified his mother\'s virginity.
The Second Council of Constantinople stated in the Fourteen anathemas:
2. If anyone will not confess that the Word of God has TWO nativities, that which is before all ages from the Father, outside time and without a body, and secondly that nativity of these latter days when the Word of God came down from the heavens and was made flesh of holy and glorious Mary, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin, and was born from her: let him be anathema.
The scripture verse commonly cited for her perpetual virginity is
"Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut." (Ezekiel 44:2)
This represents a point of divergence within the Christian world, with Protestant Christians teaching that Mary did in fact have other children, described in the Bible as Jesus\' brothers and sisters, in verses such as Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3. The meaning of the word adelphos in the original Greek texts is disputed, viewed on the one hand as literally meaning brethren/brother, or by Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches as meaning male cousin, male friend, etc. Within the New Testament the word appears over 346 times. Alternatively, many Eastern (and some Western) Christians (both Catholic and Orthodox) teach that the "brothers and sisters" of Jesus referenced in the Scriptures were children of Joseph from a previous marriage.
While the perpetual virginity of Mary is seen as having immense importance to Catholic teaching, Protestants\' rejection of the doctrine is not considered spiritually significant for them. Although they object to what they see as extra-Biblical traditions, it is of no consequence to Protestant Christianity whether Mary did or did not have other children after Jesus. Protestant theology teaches that God intended Mary and Joseph as husband and wife "to become one flesh" (Genesis 2) and that the New Testament commanded Mary to fulfill her marital role to her husband Joseph. (1 Corinthians 7:5)
The Assumption of Mary -- meaning that, at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken directly into Heaven -- is held infallibly by both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. However, it was not until 1950 that it was officially pronounced a dogma by Pope Pius XII in his Papal Bull Munificentissimus Deus. Pope Pius deliberately left open the question of whether Mary died before her Assumption but the more common teaching of the early Fathers is that she did.
The official language states:
"We pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith"
The Orthodox share in the belief of the Assumption though believe it was unnecessary to officially pronounce it, seeing this as another sign of Papal hubris..
As the Virgin Mary remained an ever-virgin and sinless, it is viewed that the Virgin Mary could not thus suffer the consequences of Original Sin, which is chiefly Death. The Virgin Mary was defined as declared not only perpetual virgin but sinless by the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicea:
"..we also confess the two natures of the one who became incarnate for our sake from the God-bearer without blemish (immaculate), Mary the ever-virgin.."Nicea II Session 6 DecreeNicaea II Definition, "without blemish"
Jesus and Mary are both considered sinless by Catholic and Orthodox. Sinlessness is not unique to Christian, in Judaism there is traditionally four men that are regarded as never having committed sin of their own, and only died due to the Sin of Adam. They are exceptions to the norm that all men have sinned, they are as follows: Benjamin, the son of Jacob; Amram, the father of Moses; Jesse, the father of David; and Kileab, the son of David.Sin, Original SinShabbath fol. 55, col. 2.
The title, Mother of the Church, was proclaimed by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council in an address ending the third session of the Council on November 21, 1964. The title was further affirmed at a general audience by Pope John Paul II on September 17, 1997. http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2bvm63.htm
The title, Mother of the Church is a parallel to a more ancient title, Mary, Mother of all Christians which is based on a traditional Catholic interpretation of John 19:25-27:
Jesus\' mother stood near his cross. His mother\'s sister was also standing there with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower that he loved very much standing there. He said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." Then Jesus said to the follower, "Here is your mother." So after that, this follower took Jesus\' mother to live in his home.
The traditional Catholic interpretation is that the "beloved disciple" is a type for all Christians who are beloved disciples. Thus, Jesus gives all Christians his mother as their own. As Mother of all Christians, Mary is Mother of the Church. An alternative interpretation is that Jesus was referring only to the Apostle John, asking John to fulfill a son\'s duty of financial support to a mother in her old age that Jesus would not be on Earth to fulfill.
While this has never been declared officially a dogma of the Catholic Church, there is a feast day devoted to Mary the Queen of Heaven, which is celebrated on August 22 (May 31 in the traditional liturgical calendar).
In the first of his so called Rosary encyclicals, Supremi Apostolatus (1883), Pope Leo XIII calls Our Lady the guardian of our peace and the dispensatrix of heavenly graces.
The following year, 1884, his encyclical Superiore Anno speaks of the prayers presented to God through her whom He has chosen to be the dispenser of all heavenly graces.
But it was in Octobri Mense (1891) that Leo XIII gave the most forceful exposition of this doctrine:
"With equal truth can it be affirmed that, by the will of God, nothing of the immense treasure of every grace which the Lord has accumulated, comes to us except through Mary.... How great are the wisdom and mercy revealed in this design of God.... Mary is our glorious intermediary; she is the powerful Mother of the omnipotent God.... This design of such dear mercy realized by God in Mary and confirmed by the testament of Christ (Jn. 19:26‑27), was understood from the beginning and accepted with the utmost joy by the holy Apostles and the earliest believers. It was also the belief and teaching of the venerable Fathers of the Church. All the Christian peoples of every age accepted it unanimously.... There is no other reason for this than a divine faith."
Early image of the Virgin and child from the Roman catacombs, 4th century.
The Council of Ephesus in 431 formally sanctioned devotion to the Virgin as Theotokos, Mother of God, (more accurately translated as God bearer) allowing the creation of icons bearing the images of the Virgin and Child. Devotion to Mary was, however, already widespread by this point. The early Church Fathers saw Mary as the "new Eve" who said "yes" to God as Eve had said no. The non-canonical Gospel of James, written around 150, is an example of early devotion to Mary, advocating her perpetual virginity. 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). Elizabeth\'s praise of Mary "blessed art thou among women" and "who am I that the mother of my Lord would visit me?" in Luke 2 are also cited, among other passages of Scripture.
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.
Coronation of the virgin by Fra Angelico
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 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), came 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.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Modern popular image of the Lourdes Apparition.
Beginning with the Reformation led by Martin Luther, most Protestants accuse some or all Catholics and Eastern Orthodox of idolatry or "Mariolatry," suggesting that Catholics worship the Virgin Mary, or otherwise view Mary as divine, in breach of the Ten Commandments, which condemn keeping "false gods." This point was offered especially by John Calvin. Catholic references to Mary as the "Queen of Heaven" are compared to the condemnation of a pagan goddess by that name by the Prophet Jeremiah.
Catholics, meanwhile, draw a sharp distinction between worship or 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" (Luke 1:28), a phrase they see as having momentous theological impact.
Proclamations by the Catholic Church, have fueled such accusations, along with Catholics calling Mary the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of the World, and the Mother of God, which translates the term Theotokos. This latter term was instituted by an Ecumenical Council and contrasts with calling Mary merely the mother of the human body of Jesus, which may echo the term Christotokos. However, this was specifically condemned as Nestorian by an Ecumenical Council.
Much of the controversy, and the doctrine, originates with the core Christian doctrine that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. In His role as God, He has eternally existed and of course has no mother. However, all Christians fundamentally hold that God chose to visit the Earth and take on the form of a man in order to interact with humanity and to demonstrate how we are to live. Christians universally believe that to do this God actually entered a human body.
Thus, to the extent that Jesus was an actual human male, he shared in our humanity in all respects including having a mother, brothers, sisters, cousins. But to the extent that Jesus was also God visiting the Earth, God of course has no mother and no brothers or sisters or cousins. This fundamental dichotomy concerning Jesus is a rich source of debate, divergent doctrine, and confusion.
The alternative view is that Mary was the mother of the man named Jesus, but was a perfectly ordinary woman in all respects (though devoted to God). Protestants hold that God has no mother and that the term "Mother of God" proclaims Mary as a goddess. Many Protestants actually view the term as blasphemous and fundamentally encouraging idolatry and worship of Mary. They draw a sharp distinction between the mother of Jesus as a man, and the eternally-existing God who entered into that human body at conception, this being, in essence, Nestorianism.
However, Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that Mary is the Mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary, as the Mother of Christ, who is King, is naturally and logically declared Queen Mother. This follows the ancient custom in Israel (and in modern monarchies) in which the mother of the reigning king is honored as the mother of the King (e.g. 1 Kings 2:19). Meanwhile, a reigning king would have also his own bride who holds the official position of the reigning queen, and the Bible proclaims the Church (that is, all Christians collectively) as the "Bride of Christ."
All Christian churches believe in giving honor to great men and women of God, both those mentioned in the Bible and those coming after. Contrasting views exist as to whether Mary is one of those faithful persons who deserve great respect or whether Mary uniquely deserves honor somehow different from saints such as Moses, Elijah, Elishah, Abraham, or Noah.
Yet the sheer enormity of numbers within the Catholic Church around the world renders uniformity problematic and difficult. Non-Catholic Christians contend that even if the Vatican officially disavows worship of Mary as a goddess or as having divine qualities, and many Catholics understand the distinction, idolatry of Mary as a goddess remains epidemic around the world nevertheless.
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 worshipped Mary as a goddess, 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 Roman Catholic Tradition (Eastern Catholics and Orthodox do not distinguish hyperdulia from dulia).
Since Protestants refuse to call Mary the Mother of God Catholics respond by stating that some Protestants have fallen into the Nestorian heresy[citation needed] 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. This contributes to the disagreement between Catholics and Protestants.
The fifth Marian dogma is not dogmatically defined (unlike the other four Marian dogmas). It has been proposed, and is subject to discussion.
It would dogmatically define that Mary co-operated in the Redemption, because of her free participation in the birth of Christ. Should she have refused participation, there would have been no birth of Christ, and consequently no redemption. Thus she was an alternative Eve, who of her own free will carried out the will of God, and so doing contributed as a necessary, but not in itself sufficient, instrument in the redemption process of Christ.
However, it is quite important to remember that the Catholic Church does not view Mary as a member of the Holy Trinity or as a goddess. The term Co-Redemptrix would not imply that Mary is equal to Christ the Redeemer, but instead she is Co-Redemptrix "with" Christ. She chose to allow herself to be Mother of Our Lord, it was not forced upon her. 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 such an act would drive a wedge in relationships with other Christian faiths, notably the Orthodox Church and Anglicanism, neither of whom would accept such a designation. While not dogmatic, the belief is accepted by Catholics.
It is a fundamental Catholic and Orthodox teaching that Mary remained a virgin her entire life. She conceived Jesus solely through the power of the Holy Spirit. 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 Encyclopedia 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 MaryThe Protoevangelium of JamesLiturgy 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. Catholics and Orthodox Christians, as well as some Early Church Fathers such as St Jerome, cite Ezekiel 44:2 as evidence for Mary\'s perpetual virginity:
He said to me: This gate is to remain closed; it is not to be opened for anyone to enter by it; since the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it, it shall remain closed.
This teaching is rejected by the majority of Protestant theologians and some academic New Testament scholars, who interpret "adelphoi" in the usual sense of "brother."
Since the Middle Ages, Roman 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 Roman 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 (cf. Luke 1:28), 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 Roman Catholicism to refer to the Virgin Mary.
The Assumption of Mary into Heaven by GB Piazzetta
In 1950, speaking ex cathedra, 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 Roman Catholics. No pope since has issued an infallible dogma. This doctrine is based on the vision of John in Revelation 12:1: A great sign appeared in the sky a Woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Some 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 Anglican Church, 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-Redemptrix 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.
In support, Mary herself said in Luke 1:48, "...for behold, henceforth ALL GENERATIONS \'SHALL\' CALL ME BLESSED".
Some Biblical scholars, as well as some Jewishhttp://www.outreachjudaism.org/matthew.html and even Christian commentators, claim that the tradition that the Messiah would be born of a virgin arose from a mistranslation of a prophetic text in Isaiah 7:14. The original Hebrew stated that an almah ("young girl" or "virgin") would give birth to a figure called Emmanuel (whom Christians traditionally identify with Jesus), but the Septuagint translated almah into Greek as parthenos ("virgin"). The Peshitta text (Aramaic)of Isaiah also states a "virgin."Isaiah 7 with lexicon Catholics and Orthodox, on the other hand, accept that the translation of the Septuagint is inspired, and refer to its citation in the Gospel of Matthew as proof.
The tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church is thus: one of the translators of the Septuagint hesitated over the translation of Isaiah 7:14 "Behold a virgin (almah) shall conceive", doubting the possibility of a virginal conception. Instead of translating \'almah\' with \'parthenos\' (virgin), he translated it with \'gyne\' (young woman) - also admissible from the Hebrew . According to this same tradition, an angel appeared to him and advised him that \'virgin\' was the correct translation, and that he would not die until he had seen the Christ born of a virgin. Thus the scholar-translator remained in the Temple of Jerusalem for over three hundred years, awaiting the sign. This was the Simeon the Righteous, the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to Luke 2:25-35, met the Virgin Mary and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the eighth day from Jesus\' birth. On taking Jesus into his arms he uttered the prayer Nunc dimittis, about having finally seen the promised salvation.
Rosary beads
The earliest known Marian prayer is the Sub tuum praesidium, or Beneath Thy Protection, dating from late 2nd century. A papyrus dated to c. 250 containing the prayer in Greek was discovered in Egypt in 1917, and is the earliest known reference to the title Theotokos. 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 SalvationBeneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Mother of God: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble: but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one.
A popular Marian devotional is the Rosary (erroneously attributed to Saint 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". The rosary as a "devotional path" to the Virgin Mary has been a source of inspiration for a number of Roman Catholic figures. For instance, in his encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae Pope John Paul II discusses the inspiration of the rosary and how his motto "Totus Tuus" was inspired by the writings of Saint Louis de MontfortPope John Paul II\'s encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html .
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 traditionally seen within Roman 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.
Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary are specific prayers to the Blessed Virgin in reparation for insults and blasphemy.
The central role of Mary in the belief and practice of Catholicism is reflected in the fact that many Roman 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.
Byzantine icon adopted into Roman Catholicism as Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Among the most prominent Marian titles in the Roman Catholic Calendar are:Among the most prominent Marian titles in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic liturgical calendars are:
San Albino Church, Mesilla Village, Las Cruces, New Mexico (January, 1985).
Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the ordinary Roman Catholic Calendar areMemorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
In the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, the Visitation is observed on July 2. Its modern date, May 31 is instead the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is commemorated on August 22 (which in the modern calendar is the Queenship). Friday in Passion Week (the week prior to Holy Week) is observed as the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on September 15, and the Motherhood of the BVM is October 11. The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, does not exist in the extraordinary calendar.
Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic liturgical calendars are:
Our Lady of Lebanon, Harissa, Lebanon
Many of the shrines have acquired a symbolic value for patriotism and nationalism in their area.
Among the shrines considered most significant for their apparitions:
For the Greek Orthodox the major Marian Shrine is the Church of Our Lady of Tinos, at Tinos island in Greece which constitutes the most important Christian pilgrimage in the Aegean.
A major Anglican pilgrimage site is the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, at Walsingham, in Norfolk, England.
Mary\'s special position within God\'s purpose of salvation as "God bearer" (theotokos) is recognised in a number of ways in the Anglican Church. The Church affirms in the historic creeds that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and celebrates the feast days of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple; the Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin; the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin; and the Birth of the Blessed Virgin.
The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is kept in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. In certain Anglo-Catholic parishes this feast is called the Immaculate Conception. Again, the Assumption of Mary is believed in by most Anglo-Catholics, but is in considered a pious opinion by moderate Anglicans.
Although these feasts are officially celebrated in the Anglican Church, Protestant minded Anglicans often neglect them.
Prayer to and with the Blessed Virgin Mary varies according to churchmanship. Low Church Anglicans rarely invoke the Blessed Virgin except in certain hymns, such as the second stanza of Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones. Anglo-Catholics, however, frequently pray the rosary, the Angelus, Regina Caeli, and other litanies and anthems of Our Lady. The Anglican Society of Mary maintains chapters in many countries. The purpose of the society is to foster devotion to Mary among Anglicans.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
"The Blessed Virgin Mary". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
