MOTHER MARY, MOTHER OF

CHRIST AND MOTHER OF THE

CHURCH
From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Nos. 196-199

 The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church because she
gave birth to Jesus, the son of God, the head of the Church.
After the Ascension of Jesus, Mary aided the start of the church with
her prayers.
She continues to intercede for her children to be a model of faith and
charity for all and to exercise a salutary influence from the
superabundant merits of Christ.
The Faithful see in Mary an image and anticipation of the resurrection
that awaits them.
They invoke her as advocate, helper, benefactress and mediatrix.

 The devotion to the Virgin Mary is one kind of devotion which differs
essentially from the adoration given to the Holy Trinity.
The special veneration to Mary finds particular expression in the
liturgical feasts dedicated to the mother of God and to Marian
Prayers.

Divine Motherhood
Perpetual
Virginity DOGMAS
THE FOUR
MARIAN
from
theImmaculate
Catholic News
Agency
The
Conception
The Assumption

Dogma
A doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally
stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05089a.htm

DIVINE MOTHERHOOD (Mary, the Mother of

God)
While Mary is honored by the Greco-Romans more than other early
saints, the reality is that early writings had more positive titles for the
original apostles, than they did for Mary.
The expression Mother of God is never used by early church fathers
nor is it found in scriptures.
Several centuries after Mary died, (Pre-328 )Alexander of Alexandria
calls Mary Theotokos or Birthgiver of God which translates to
Mother of God.

 Nestorianism is the doctrine that Jesus existed as two persons, the

man Jesus and the divine Son of God, rather than a unified person.
This doctrine is identified by Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople.

Nestorius argued against calling Mary the Mother of God.

Mary was the mother of Christ only in respect to His humanity.

 Mary's divine motherhood was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus

in 431.
The Council attributed to Mary the title, Mother of God.
According to the council the holy virgin is the Mother of God since
she begot according to the flesh the Word of God made flesh.

The Decision was further explained by the Council of Chalcedon

whose principal purpose was to assert the orthodox Catholic Doctrine
against the heresies.

 Mary's Divine Motherhood was not the object of an independent or

exclusive dogmatic declaration. The statement is embedded in texts
defining the person and natures of Jesus Christ.
The dogma of Divine Motherhood becomes an integral part of the
Christological dogma.

The semi-official adoption in the fifth century of the Theotokos title,

was an innovation as it is not from sacred scripture nor the earliest
traditions of the Christian church.

PERPETUAL VIRGINITY (Mary, Ever-Virgin)

The expression Perpetual Virginity, Ever-Virgin, or simply "Mary
the Virgin" refers primarily to the conception and birth of
Jesus. From the first formulations of faith, especially in
baptismal formulas or professions of faith, the Church
professed that Jesus Christ was conceived without human seed
by the power of the Holy Spirit only.

 . Here lies the decisive meaning of expressions such as

"conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary," "Mary's virginal
conception," or "virgin birth." The early baptismal formula
(since the 3rd century) state Mary's virginity without further
explaining it, but there is no doubt about its physical meaning.
Later statements are more explicit. Mary conceived "without
any detriment to her virginity, which remained inviolate even
after his birth"

 Although never explicated in detail, the Catholic Church holds

as dogma that Mary was and is Virgin before, in and after
Christ's birth. It stresses thus the radical novelty of the
Incarnation and Mary's no less radical and exclusive dedication
to her mission as mother of her Son, Jesus Christ. Vatican II
reiterated the teaching about Mary, the Ever-Virgin, by stating
that Christ's birth did not diminish Mary's virginal integrity but
sanctified it

 The Catechism of the Catholic Church ponders the deeper

meaning of the Virgin Bride and Perpetual Virginity (499-507).
It also maintains that Jesus Christ was Mary's only child. The
so-called "brothers and sisters" are close relations.

 Jesus brothers are mentioned in several Bible verses.Matthew

12:46,Luke 8:19, andMark 3:31say that Jesus mother and brothers
came to see Him. The Bible tells us that Jesus had four brothers:
James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). The Bible also
tells us that Jesus had sisters, but they are not named or numbered
(Matthew 13:56). InJohn 7:1-10, His brothers go on to the festival
while Jesus stays behind. InActs 1:14, His brothers and mother are
described as praying with the disciples.Galatians 1:19mentions that
James was Jesus brother.

The Immaculate Conception

The solemn definition of Mary's Immaculate Conception is like Divine

Motherhood and Perpetual Virginity, part of the Christological
doctrine, but it was proclaimed as an independent dogma by Pope
Pius IX in his Apostolic Constitution "Ineffabilis Deus" (December 8,
1854).

"Ineffabilis Deus"-God Ineffable

- Highlighting Marys privilege

- It stresses the dignity and holiness required to become "Mother of
God." The privilege of the Immaculate Conception is the source and
basis for Mary's all-holiness as Mother of God.
- The dogma declares that from her beginning Mary was exceptionally
holy and in constant union with the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit.

The Positive and Negative Meaning

of this Dogma

POSITIVE MEANING consequence of the

absence of original sin.

NEGATIVE MEANING stresses Mary's freedom

from original sin thanks
to the anticipated or
Mary's life is
retroactive (here called
permanently and
preventive) grace of
intimately related to
Christ's redemptive act.
God, and thus she is the By the same token, the
all-holy
dogma suggests Mary's
all-holiness

Ascension vs Assumption

ASCENSION
- a sign of divine power,
just like what Jesus Christ
did

ASSUMPTION
- refers to the taking up,
body and soul, of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
through the power and
grace of God

The Assumption

Proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 on his Encyclical

Munificentissimus Deus

The dogma states that Mary, 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.

Did Mary die? Was she assumed to heaven without prior separation
of soul and body?

The opinion that Mary passed through death as her Son did, has the
stronger support in tradition.

Glorified in body and soul, Mary is already in the state that will be
ours after the resurrection of the dead.

The Assumption

But this dogma has no direct basis in scripture. So why make it a

dogma?

Because the Vicar of Christwas inspired to do so to bring forth a

new outpouring of grace for the Church through the intercession of
the Queen of Heaven (Zenit News Agency)

The Assumption may be seen as a consequence of Divine

Motherhood.

The Assumption

In heaven, Marys active involvement in salvation history continues:

Taken up to heaven, she did not lay aside her salvific duty By her
maternal love she cares for the brothers and sisters of her Son who
still journey on the earth (Lumen Gentium)

Mary is the eschatological icon of the Church (Catechism of the

Catholic Church 972)