History of Catholic Mariology
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The history of
Throughout history, Catholics have continued to build churches to honor the Blessed Virgin. Today, many Catholic churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin exist on all continents and, in a sense, their evolving architecture tells the unfolding story of the development of Catholic Mariology. Throughout Catholic history, the veneration of the
Mary in the Early Church
"Many centuries were necessary to arrive at the explicit definition of the revealed truths concerning Mary," said Pope John Paul II during his papacy in 1995.[1] The importance of Mary and of Marian theology can be seen in the Church after the third century. The New Testament Gospels, composed during the late 1st century, contain the first references to the life of Mary; the New Testament Epistles, composed earlier, make no mention of her by name. There are, however, references to Mary in the Epistles, most notably in Galatians.[2][3] In the 2nd century, St. Irenaeus of Lyons 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 earliest recorded prayer to Mary is the sub tuum praesidium (3rd or 4th century) and the earliest depictions of her are from the Priscilla catacombs in Rome (early 3rd century).
In the 5th century, the
Thus, while the debate was over the proper title for Mary, it was primarily a
Medieval Mariology
The Middle Ages saw a growth and development of Mariology. Belief in the
The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception developed within the Catholic Church over time. Conception of Mary was celebrated as a liturgical feast in England from the 9th century, and the doctrine of her "holy" or "immaculate" conception was first formulated in a tract by Eadmer, companion and biographer of the better-known St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury (1033–1109), and later popularized by the archbishop's nephew, Anselm the Younger.[10] The Normans had suppressed the celebration, but it lived on in the popular mind. It was rejected by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Alexander of Hales, and St. Bonaventure (who, teaching at Paris, called it "this foreign doctrine", indicating its association with England), and by St. Thomas Aquinas who expressed questions about the subject, but said that he would accept the determination of the Church. Aquinas and Bonaventure, for example, believed that Mary was completely free from sin, but that she was not given this grace at the instant of her conception.[10]
The majority of Western Marian writers during this period belonged to the monastic tradition, particularly the
Western types of the Virgin's image, such as the twelfth-century “
Theologically, one major controversy of the age was the Immaculate Conception. Anthony of Padua (1195–1231) supported Mary's freedom from sin and her Immaculate Conception.[15][16] His many sermons on the Virgin Mary shaped the Mariological approach of many Franciscans who followed his approach for centuries after his death.[17]
By the end of the Middle Ages, Marian feasts were firmly established in the calendar of the liturgical year. Pope Clement IV (1265–1268) created a poem on the seven joys of Mary, which in its form is considered an early version of the Franciscan rosary[20]
Renaissance to Baroque
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Beginning in the 13th century, the
Some was specifically produced to decorate the Marian churches built in this period.Major Italian artists with Marian motifs include:
With the
As a reflection of this theological opposition, Protestant reformers destroyed much religious art and Marian statues and paintings in churches in northern Europe and England. Some of the Protestant reformers, in particular
At the same time, the Catholic world was engaged in ongoing
The baroque literature on Mary experienced unforeseen growth with over 500 pages of Mariological writings during the 17th century alone.
This popularity was at times accompanied with Marian excesses and alleged revelations of the Virgin Mary to individuals like
Baroque Mariology was supported by several popes during the period:
Popular Marian piety was more colorful and varied than ever before: Numerous Marian
Mariology during the Enlightenment
During the
Nonetheless, in this period a number of significant
Many
During this time, Mariologists looked to The Glories of Mary and other Mariological writings of Alphonsus Liguori (1696–1787), an Italian, whose culture was less affected by the Enlightenment. "Overall, Catholic Mariology during the Enlightenment lost its high level of development and sophistication, but the basics were kept, on which the 19th century was able to build."[39]
Mariology in the 19th century
Mariology in the 19th century was dominated by discussions about the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception and the First Vatican Council. In 1854, Pope Pius IX, with the support of the overwhelming majority of Roman Catholic bishops whom he had consulted between 1851 and 1853, proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which had been a traditional belief among the faithful for centuries.[40]
Eight years earlier, in 1846, the Pope had granted the unanimous wish of the bishops from the United States, and declared the Immaculata the patron of the US.
Many French Catholics supported making dogma both Papal infallibility and the assumption of Mary in the forthcoming ecumenical council.[43] During the First Vatican Council, nine Mariological petitions favored a possible Assumption dogma. It was strongly opposed by some council fathers, especially those from Germany. On 8 May, a majority of the fathers voted to reject making the Assumption a dogma, a position shared by Pope Pius IX. The concept of Co-Redemptrix was also discussed but left open. In its support, Council fathers highlighted the divine motherhood of Mary and called her the mother of all graces.[44]
"
John Henry Newman, wrote of the Eve-Mary parallel in support of Mary's original state of grace (Immaculate Conception), her part in redemption, her eschatological fulfilment and her intercession.[46]
Popular opinion remained firmly behind the celebration of Mary's immaculate conception. The doctrine itself had been endorsed by the Council of Basel (1431–1449), and by the end of the 15th century was widely professed and taught in many theological faculties. The Council of Basel was later held not to have been a true General (or Ecumenical) Council with authority to proclaim dogma. Such was the influence of the Dominicans, and the weight of the arguments of Thomas Aquinas (who had been canonised in 1323 and declared "Doctor Angelicus" of the Church in 1567) that the Council of Trent (1545–63) – which might have been expected to affirm the doctrine – instead declined to take a position. It simply reaffirmed the constitutions of
But it was not until 1854 that Pope Pius IX, with the support of the overwhelming majority of Roman Catholic bishops, whom he had consulted between 1851 and 1853, proclaimed the doctrine in accordance with the conditions of papal infallibility that would be defined in 1870 by the First Vatican Council.
Mariology in the 20th century
In 1904, in the first year of his pontificate,
Mariology in the 20th century reflected an increased membership in
Prior to Vatican II, the French Mariological Society held a three-year series of Marian studies on the theme of Mary in relation to the Church.[48]
Second Vatican Council
Mariological issues were included in the discussions at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), although the Council indicated that it had not addressed all Marian issues. The Council members had in depth discussions regarding the question of whether to treat Mary within the Constitution of the Church or outside it in a separate document.[49] The final decision, by a vote of 1114–1074, resulted in the treatment of Marian issues within the Church Constitution, as chapter eight of Lumen gentium.[49] This chapter provides a "pastoral summary" of Catholic doctrines on Mary but does not claim to be complete.[50]
At the conclusion of the
Mariologists had hoped for a dogma on Mary as
- For having been the Associate of Christ on earth
- For being a Heavenly mother to all members of the Church in the order of grace
- For having been the model disciple, a model which every member of the Church should aim to imitate.[54]
Calling Mary "our mother in the order of grace", Lumen gentium referred to Mary as a model for the Church and stated that:[55][56]
By reason of the gift and role of divine maternity, by which she is united with her Son, the Redeemer, and with His singular graces and functions, the Blessed Virgin is also intimately united with the Church. As St. Ambrose taught, the Mother of God is a type of the Church in the order of faith, charity and perfect union with Christ.[57]
The Marian chapter has five parts which link Mary to the salvation mysteries which continue in the Church, which Christ has founded as his mystical body. Her role in relation to her son is a subordinate one. Highlighted are her personality and fullness of grace. The second part describes her role in salvation history. Her role as a mediator is detailed, as Mary is considered to secure our salvation through her many intercessions after her assumption into heaven. The Council refused to adopt the title mediator of all graces and emphasized that Christ is the one mediator.[58] Pope Paul VI declared Mary Mother of the Church during the Vatican Council.
Late 20th century
Following Vatican II, the perception that Marian devotions had decreased was expressed by several authors. Other authors have indicated that the continued strength of devotion to Mary within Catholicism following Vatican II has been manifested in multiple forms worldwide.[59] Examples of this are the increase in Marian pilgrimages at major Marian shrines and the construction of major new Marian Basilicas since Vatican II.[59]
At the end of the 20th century, two of the top three most visited Catholic shrines in the world were Marian, with the
The perceived impact of concessions to ecumenism made at Vatican II did not impact the fundamental loyalties to Mary among Catholics and their attachment to Marian veneration.[54] A 1998 survey among young adult Catholics in the United States provided the following results:
- Devotion to Mary had not been reduced in any significant manner since Vatican II, despite the various statements made about its perceived impact on Catholics.
- Young Catholics stated that in their view the "passionate love of God" is revealed through Mary, possibly as a result of the Marian emphasis of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.
- Mary continues to be a "distinctive marker" of the Catholic identity.[54]
Papal extensions and enhancement to the Mariology of Vatican II continued shortly thereafter, with Pope
Marian devotions were the hallmark of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II and he reoriented the Catholic Church towards the renewal of Marian veneration.[65][66] In March 1987 he went further than Paul VI in extending the Catholic views on Mary beyond Vatican II by issuing the encyclical Redemptoris Mater.[49][67] Rather than being just a new presentation of the Marian views of Vatican II, Redemptoris Mater was in many aspects a re-reading, re-interpretation and further extension of the teachings of Vatican II.[49][68]
In 1988 in
The Marian Magisterium of John Paul II may well constitute his single most important contribution to the Catholic legacy he left behind.[66] By 2005, when he died, he had inspired a worldwide renewal of Marian devotions, that was reflected upon on the occasion of his death within non-Catholic media such as U.S. News & World Report.[54]
21st century
Pope
- You became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in his footsteps.[75]
Benedict journeyed to Marian shrines such as
See also
- Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary
- Mariology (Roman Catholic)
- Mariology of the popes
- Mariology of the saints
- Mariology Ecumenical views
- Protestant views of Mary
Notes
- ^ Pope John Paul II, "General Audience", 8 November 1995
- ^ Sr. M. Danielle Peters, "An Overview of New Testament References," The Mary Page, retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law" (NASB)
- ISBN 978-1-57918-355-4page 587
- ISBN 0-89870-396-4page 83
- ^ Lumen gentium, Chapter 8 Archived 6 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Blessed Virgin is Mother of the Church". L'Osservatore Romano. 24 September 1997. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ISBN 0-8028-2266-5p. 84
- ISBN 0-86012-257-3pp. 140-141
- ^ a b Mary's Immaculate Conception
- ^ a b "Met Museum". metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Pope Benedict XVI. "General Audience", 21 October 2009, L'Osservatore Romano, 28 October 2009, p. 24
- ISBN 978-1-61530-143-0
- ^ Hom. II super "Missus est," 17; Migne, P. L., CLXXXIII, 70-b, c, d, 71-a. Quoted in Doctor Mellifluus 31
- ISBN 1-4367-1275-0p. 31
- ^ Huber, Raphael M. “The Mariology of St. Anthony of Padua,” in Studia Mariana 7, Proceedings of the First Franciscan National Marian Congress in Acclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption, October 8–11, 1950 Burlington, Wisconsin
- ISBN 0-415-93930-5p. 40
- ^ a b "Fastiggi, Robert. "11 questions answered about Mary", OSV Newsweekly, April 29, 2015". Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ^ Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Mercier Press Ltd., Cork, Ireland, 1955
- ^ Otto Stegmüller Clemens IV in Marienkunde, 1159
- ISBN 0-19-280354-9pages 103-104
- ISBN 9780521760430
- ISBN 0719549264
- ISBN 9780199887378
- ^ "Ecclesiological History of Mariology : University of Dayton, Ohio". udayton.edu. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ Otto Stegmüller, Barock, in Marienkunde, 1967 566
- ^ A Roskovany, conceptu immacolata ex monumentis omnium seculrorum demonstrate III, Budapest 1873
- ^ Otto Stegmüller, Mariologisches Schrifttum in der Barockzeit, 1967 568
- ^ who was placed on the Index of forbidden book of the Church in 1681.
- ^ although in 1673, the Holy Office itself acted against his book on slavery. (Stegmüller, 573)
- ^ F Zöpfl, Barocke Frömmigkeit, in Marienkunde, 577
- ^ Zöpfl 579
- ^ RG Giessler, die geistliche Lieddichting im Zeitalter der Aufklärung. 1928, 987
- ^ Narr Zoepfl Mariologie der Aufklärung, 1967, 411
- ^ Benedict Werkmeister, 1801
- ^ such as Anton Weissenbach SJ, Franz Neubauer SJ,
- ^ a b D Narr 417
- ^ In 1790, monastery schools outlawed the praying of the rosary during mass as a distraction. (D Narr 417).
- ^ Otto Stegmüller, 1967
- ^ Vatican website Archived 10 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Pius IX in Bäumer, 245
- ^ Bauer 566
- ^ Civilta Catolica, 6 February 1869.
- ^ Bäumer 566
- ^ Lauretanische Litanei, Marienlexikon, St. Ottilien: Eos, 1988, p.41
- ^ Newman, John Henry. The Letters and Diaries of John Henry Newman, ed. C. S. Dessain, Birmingham Oratory, 31 vols. (London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1972), Vol. XII
- ^ Bäumer 534
- ^ "Marie et l’Eglise", ÉtMar 9-11 (1951-53), 3 Vols
- ^ ISBN 0-85244-651-9-page 66
- ^ a b c Leo Cardinal Scheffczyk, Vaticanum II, in Marienlexikon 567
- ^ a b What Happened at Vatican II, John W. O’Malley. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. London, 2008.
- ^ The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism. Richard P. McBrien. HarperOne. 2008
- ^ Vatican Council II: The Basic Sixteen Documents. Rev. Austin Flannery, O.P. Costello Publishing Company, 1996
- ^ ISBN 1-4415-1051-6-page 30-32
- ^ "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church – Lumen gentium, 61". Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-882972-06-7, pp 119–124
- ^ "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church – Lumen gentium, 63". Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ Leo Cardinal Scheffczyk, Vaticanum II, in Marienlexikon 569
- ^ ISBN 0-8091-4069-1-page 46
- ^ "Shrine of Gualdalupe Most Popular in World". ZENIT International News Agency. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
- ISBN 0-8059-2328-4-page 235
- ISBN 1-57607-004-2page 38
- ^ a b "Marialis Cultus (February 2, 1974) | Paul VI". vatican.va. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Magisterial Documents: Marialis Cultus : University of Dayton, Ohio". udayton.edu. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ ISBN 1-58051-142-2page 26
- ^ ISBN 978-1-57918-355-4pages 392
- ^ "Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987) | John Paul II". vatican.va. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ISBN 0-8146-5309-Xpage 251
- ISBN 0-87973-578-3page 81
- ^ Vatican website: Mulieris Dignitatem Archived 7 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae Archived 9 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 978-1-882972-06-7, pages 13 and 99
- ISBN 978-1-57918-355-4page xxi
- ^ "Missing Page Redirect". cwnews.com. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Vatican website
- ^ "12 September 2008: Celebration of Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons gathered at Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris) | BENEDICT XVI". vatican.va. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ Vatican website: Pope Beneict XVI at Fatima Archived 14 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
References
- Michael Schmaus, Mariologie, Katholische Dogmatik, München Vol V, 1955
- K Algermissen, Boes, Egelhard, Feckes, Michael Schmaus, Lexikon der Marienkunde, Verlag Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg, 1967
- Mariology Society of America https://web.archive.org/web/20170925082500/http://mariologicalsocietyofamerica.us/
- The Marian Library at University of Dayton https://udayton.edu/imri/marian-library/index.php
- Pope Pius IX, Apostolic Constitution
- [Pope Pius XII], encyclicals and bulls
- Pope John Paul II, encyclical, apostolic letters and addresses
Further reading
- Gambero, Luigi. Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought, trans. Thomas Buffer (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1999).
External links
- Rubin, Miri, Mother of God, Yale University Press, 2009 ISBN 9780300156133