Mary (Aramaic, Hebrew: מרים, Maryām Miriam Arabic:مريم, Maryam), usually
referred to by Christians as the Virgin Mary or
Saint Mary, was a Jewish
woman of Nazareth
in Galilee, identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Muslims also refer to her as the
Virgin
Mary or
Syeda Mariam which means Our
Lady Mary. In Islam she is the mother of the Prophet Jesus, Issa
عيسى in the Arabic language. The New Testament describes her as a
virgin (Greek
parthénos)
Christians believe that she conceived her son
miraculously by the agency of the
Holy
Spirit. This took place when she was already the
betrothed wife of
Saint
Joseph and was awaiting the concluding rite of
Jewish marriage, the formal
home-taking ceremony. Mary is also described in the Qur'an, the
19th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an
Sura
Maryam ( ,
Sūratu Maryam. It is named after
Maryām, the Semitic name for Mary, Mother of Jesus (Issa).
The New Testament begins its account of Mary's life with the
Annunciation, the appearance to her of
the angel
Gabriel heralding her divine
selection to be mother of Jesus. However, early non-biblical
writings state that she was the daughter of Joachim and
Saint Anne. The Bible records Mary's role in key
events of the life of Jesus from his
virgin birth to his
crucifixion. Other apocryphal writings tell of
her subsequent death and bodily
assumption into heaven.
A number of important doctrines concerning Mary are held by
Christian churches. Primary among these
are that Mary lived a sinless life, and that as mother of Jesus,
she became
Theotokos, literally the
"God-bearer", or "Mother of God". This doctrine was confirmed by
the Ecumenical
Council of
Ephesus in the year 431. Christians of the major ancient
traditions including the
Catholic
and the
Orthodox offer
prayers to God through Mary and
venerate
her as intercessor and mother of the church. Many
Protestants, however, do not follow these
devotions. Mary is also honoured in
Islam as
the virgin mother of Jesus. In Jewish
Toledot Yeshu Jesus was recorded as the son of
Mary and
Joseph ben
Pantera.
In ancient sources
New Testament
The New Testament tells little of Mary's early history. Her parents
are not named in the canonical texts; however,
apocryphal sources, widely accepted by later
tradition, give their names as
Joachim and
Anne. Mary was a relative of
Elizabeth, wife of the priest
Zechariah of the priestly
division of
Abijah, who was herself part of
the
lineage of Aaron and so of the
tribe of Levi. In spite of this, some speculate that Mary, like
Joseph to whom she was betrothed, was of the House of David and so
of the tribe of Judah, and that the genealogy presented in Luke was
hers, while Joseph's is given in Matthew.
She resided at
Nazareth in Galilee, presumably with her parents and during her
betrothal - the first stage of a Jewish marriage - the angel Gabriel announced to her that she was to be the
mother of the promised Messiah by conceiving
him through the Holy Spirit. When Joseph was told of her
conception in a dream by "an angel of the Lord", he was surprised;
but the angel told him to be unafraid and take her as his wife,
which Joseph did, thereby formally completing the wedding
rites.
Since the angel Gabriel had told Mary (according to Luke) that
Elizabeth, having previously been barren, was now miraculously
pregnant, Mary hurried to
visit Elizabeth, who was living with
her husband Zechariah in a city of Judah "in the hill country".
Once Mary arrived at the house and greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth
proclaimed Mary as "the mother of [her] Lord", and Mary recited a
song of thanksgiving commonly known as the
Magnificat from its first word in
Latin. After three months, Mary returned to her house.
According
to the Gospel of Luke, a decree of the Roman emperor Augustus required that Joseph and his
betrothed should proceed to Bethlehem
for a census. While they were there,
Mary gave birth to Jesus; but because there was no place for them
in the inn, she had to use a
manger as a
cradle.
After eight days, the boy was
circumcised and named Jesus, in
accordance with the instructions that the "angel of the Lord" had
given to Joseph after the Annunciation to Mary.
These customary
ceremonies were followed by Jesus' presentation to the Lord at the
Temple in Jerusalem in accordance with the law for firstborn males,
then the visit of the Magi, the family's flight
into Egypt
, their
return after the death of King Herod the
Great about 2/1 BC and taking up residence in Nazareth.
Mary apparently remained in Nazareth for some thirty-four years.
She is
involved in the only event in Jesus' adolescent life that is
recorded in the New Testament: at the age of twelve Jesus, having
become separated from his parents on their return journey from the
Passover celebration in Jerusalem
, was found among the teachers in the
temple.
After Jesus'
baptism by
John the Baptist and his temptations by the
devil in the desert, Mary was present when, at her intercession,
Jesus worked his first public miracle during the marriage in
Cana by
turning water into wine.
Subsequently there are events when Mary is present along with
James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, called Jesus' brothers, and unnamed
"sisters". This passage is sometimes introduced to challenge the
doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, however both Catholic
and Orthodox churches interpret the words commonly translated
"brother" and "sister" as actually meaning close relatives (see
Perpetual
virginity). There is also an incident in which Jesus is
sometimes interpreted as rejecting his family. "And his mother and
his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent in a message
asking for him... And looking at those who sat in a circle around
him, Jesus said, 'These are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does
the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"
Mary is also depicted as being present during the
crucifixion standing near "the disciple whom
Jesus loved" along with Mary of Clopas and
Mary Magdalene (John 19:25-26), to which list
adds "the mother of the sons of Zebedee", presumably the
Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40. Mary,
cradling the dead body of her Son, while not recorded in the Gospel
accounts, is a common motif in art, called a "
pietà" or "pity".
In
Acts (1:12-26, especially v.
14), Mary is the only one to be mentioned by name - other than the
twelve Apostles and the candidates -
of about 120 people gathered, after the
Ascension, in the
Upper Room on the occasion of the election of
Matthias to the vacancy of
Judas. (Though it is said that "the women"
and Jesus' brothers were there as well, their names are not given.)
From this time, she disappears from the Biblical accounts, although
it is held by Catholics (as well as other Christian groups) that
she is again portrayed as the heavenly Woman of
Revelation (Revelation 12:1).
Her death is not recorded in scripture; however, tradition has her
assumed (taken bodily) into
Heaven. Belief in the
corporeal assumption of Mary is universal to
Catholicism, in both
Eastern and
Western Churches, as well as the
Eastern Orthodox Church.
Later Christian writings and traditions
According to the
apocryphal Gospel of James Mary was the daughter of
St Joachim and
St
Anne. Before Mary's conception St Anna had been barren.
Mary was
given to service as a consecrated virgin in the Temple in
Jerusalem
when she was three years old, much like Hannah took Samuel to the Tabernacle as recorded in the Old Testament.
According
to Sacred Tradition, Mary died
surrounded by the apostles (in either Jerusalem or Ephesus
) between
three and fifteen years after Christ's ascension. When the apostles later
opened her tomb it was found to be empty and they concluded that
she had been
assumed into
Heaven.
The
House of the
Virgin Mary
near Ephesus in Turkey
is
traditionally considered the place where Mary lived until her
assumption. The Gospel of John states that Mary went to live
with the
Disciple whom Jesus
loved, identified as
John the
Evangelist.
Irenaeus and
Eusebius of Caesarea wrote in their
histories that John later went to Ephesus, which may provide the
basis for the early belief that Mary also lived in Ephesus with
John.
"Mary's Tomb
", an empty tomb in Jerusalem, is attributed to
Mary.
Mary in the Qur'an
And We Made the son of Mary and his mother a Sign
...
( )
Mary, mother of Jesus, is mentioned more in the Qur'an than in the
entire
New Testament. She enjoys a
singularly distinguished and honoured position amongst
women in the Qur'an. A chapter
in the
Qur'an is titled "Maryam" (Mary),
which is the only chapter in the Qur'an named after a woman, in
which the story of Mary and Jesus is recounted according to the
Islamic view of Jesus.
She is the only woman directly named in the Qur'an; declared
(uniquely along with Jesus) to be a
Sign of God to mankind
; as one who "
guarded her chastity" ; an
obedient
one ;
chosen of her mother and dedicated to God
whilst still in the womb ; uniquely (amongst women)
Accepted
into service by Allah ; cared for by (one of the prophets as
per Islam)
Zakariya (Zacharias) ; that in
her childhood she resided in the
Temple and
uniquely had access to Al-
Mihrab (understood
to be the
Holy of Holies), and was
provided with heavenly 'provisions' by God ; a
Chosen One
; a
Purified One ; a
Truthful one ; her child
conceived through
"a Word from God" ; and
"exalted
above all women of The Worlds/Universes" .
The Qur'an relates detailed narrative accounts of Maryam (Mary) in
two places
Sura 3 and
Sura
19 .
The account given in
Sura 19 of the Qur'an is
nearly identical with that in the
Gospel
according to
Luke, and both of
these (Luke, Sura 19) begin with an account of the visitation of an
angel upon Zakariya (Zecharias) and
Good News of the birth of
Yahya (John), followed by the account of the
annunciation.
Titles
The name "Mary" comes from the Greek
Μαρία, which is a
shortened form of
Μαριάμ. This is a transliteration of the
Hebrew/Aramaic/Arabic name Maryam. During the Middle Ages Hebrew
vowel systems were formed and the Hebrew vowel "a" changed
(regularly) to "i" in a closed unaccented syllable, so that by the
time the Jews began to use vowel points, they wrote it as Miryam.
Mary's most common titles include
The Blessed Virgin Mary
(also abbreviated to "BVM"),
Our Lady (
Notre Dame,
Nuestra Señora, Nossa Senhora, Madonna),
Mother of God, and the
Queen of Heaven (
Regina Caeli)
(see
Litany of the
Blessed Virgin Mary).
Mary is referred to by the
Eastern Orthodox Church,
Oriental Orthodoxy, the
Anglican Church, and all
Eastern Catholic Churches as
Theotokos, a title recognized at the
Third Ecumenical Council (held at
Ephesus to address the teachings of
Nestorius, in 431). Theotokos (and its Latin
equivalents, "Deipara" and "Dei genetrix") literally means
"Godbearer". The equivalent phrase "Mater Dei" (Mother of God) is
more common in Latin and so also in the other languages used in the
Western Catholic Church, but this same
phrase in Greek, in the abbreviated form of the first and last
letter of the two words (ΜΡ ΘΥ), is the indication attached to her
image in Byzantine icons. The Council stated that the Church
Fathers "did not hesitate to speak of the holy Virgin as the Mother
of God", so as to emphasize that Mary's child, Jesus Christ, is in
fact God.
The title,
Queen Mother, was given to Mary in early
Christianity, since Mary was the mother of Jesus, who was sometimes
referred to as the "King of Kings" due to His lineage of King
David. The Biblical basis for this understanding is found in 1
Kings 2:19-20, where King Solomon made his mother, Bathsheba, his
queen mother present in his royal court. This governmental practice
is also found throughout 1 and 2 Kings and in Jeremiah 13:18-19. In
ancient Middle Eastern cultures, it was common for a king to have
more than one wife; however, the king only had one mother and was
an integral part of each royal court.
Mary is also sometimes referred to as the
New Eve, as her
obedience to God's command (contrasted with Eve's disobedience)
led, according to this system of belief, to the salvation of
mankind through Jesus.
Christian Doctrines
According to mainstream Christian doctrine Mary remained a
virgin at least until Jesus was born. and
Most Protestants do not specifically claim that Mary remained a
virgin after the birth of Jesus, but the Roman Catholic, Eastern
Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and many in the Anglican
Church maintain that Mary also
remained a virgin throughout the
rest of her life.
The New Testament recounts her presence at important stages during
her son's adult life (e.g., at the
Wedding at Cana and at his
crucifixion). Also, she was present at
communal prayers immediately after Jesus'
Ascension. Narratives of her life are
further elaborated in later Christian
apocrypha,
who give the names of her parents as
Joachim
and
Anne. Christian churches teach
various doctrines concerning Mary, and she is the subject of much
veneration. The area of
Christian
theology concerning her is known as
Mariology. The conception of her Son Jesus is
believed to have been an act of the
Holy
Spirit, and to fulfill the
prophecy of
Isaiah that a virgin would bear a son who
would be called
Emmanuel ("God with us").
The
Roman Catholic Church, the
Anglican Church, and the
Eastern Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox Churches venerate her
as the
Ever-Virgin
Mother of God (
Theotokos), who was
specially favored by God's grace (Catholics hold that she was
conceived without original sin) and who, when her earthly life had
been completed, was
assumed bodily
into Heaven. Some Protestants, including certain
Lutherans and
Methodists,
embrace veneration of Mary and also hold some of these doctrines.
Others, especially in the
Reformed
tradition, question or even condemn the devotional and doctrinal
position of Mary in the above traditions. Mary also holds a
revered position in
Islam.
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 task.
Primary doctrines on Mary
Immaculate conception of Mary
Roman Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception of Mary,
namely that she was filled with grace from the very moment of her
conception in her mother's womb and preserved from the stain of
original sin. The
Latin Rite of the
Roman Catholic Church has a
liturgical
feast by
that name, kept on 8 December. Mary, under title of the
Immaculate Conception, is the patroness of the United States. (This
doctrine is often confused with the Virgin Birth of Jesus and the
Perpetual Virginity of Mary, both discussed below.)
The corresponding feast in other rites may go by other names, such
as, in the
Byzantine Rite, the Feast
of
the
Conception by St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos. However, the
dogma of the Immaculate Conception is part of
the teaching of the Catholic Church, and the title of "The
Immaculate Conception" has been given to many
Eastern Catholic church buildings,
including the
cathedral in
Detroit of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic
Church.
Eastern Orthodox tend to reject the
Immaculate Conception, principally because their understanding of
ancestral sin (the Greek term corresponding to the Latin "original
sin") differs from that of the Roman Catholic Church, but also on
the basis that without original sin (i.e. fallen human nature),
Mary would have likewise been separated from the rest of us by a
special condition. Some Orthodox believe that Mary was conceived
like any one of us, inherited the sin of Adam, but was cleansed
from it when Christ (God incarnate) took form within her. This,
coupled with the belief that she never committed any sin made her
the perfect vessel. Nevertheless, this remains an area on which the
Orthodox Church has not made any definitive statement, so a variety
of views may be found.
Calvinist and Lutheran Protestants reject the idea that Mary was
preserved from original sin from her very first moment. However,
many Protestants of the Pentecostal tradition, especially those
influenced by
Charles Finney, do not
believe in original sin in the sense that Catholics do, if they
affirm the doctrine at all . This renders the Immaculate Conception
a non-question for them.
This doctrine must be contrasted with the more widely held doctrine
that Mary committed no sin in her life. The doctrine of the
Immaculate Conception proclaims not only that Mary committed no
actual sin, but that she was preserved from original sin, and this
from the moment of her conception. Many may highly venerate Mary
(as do many Protestants, Anglicans, and certainly Eastern
Orthodox), but do not thereby indicate their acceptance of the
doctrine of the Immaculate Conception as taught by the
Roman Catholic Church.
Virgin birth of Jesus
The
Apostles' Creed and
Nicene Creed both refer to Mary as "the Virgin
Mary". This alludes to the belief that Mary conceived Jesus through
the action of God the Holy Spirit, and not through intercourse with
Joseph or anyone else. That she was a virgin at this time is
affirmed by Eastern Christianity, Roman Catholicism and many
Protestants. Rejection of this is considered
heretical by many, but not all, traditional Christian
groups.
The
Gospel of Matthew describes
Mary as a virgin who fulfilled the prophecy of
Isaiah 7:14. The Hebrew word
almah
that appears in this verse, and the Greek word
parthenos
that Jews used to translate it in the Greek Septuagint that Matthew
quotes here, have been the subjects of dispute for almost two
millennia, since
almah simply means
young woman,
rather than
virgin (in Hebrew, the word
betulah
would be an unambiguous translation). This disagreement is related
to the question of whether Isaiah 7:14 is a prophecy of Jesus'
birth. Regardless of the meaning of this verse, it is clear that
the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and
Luke consider Jesus' conception not the
result of intercourse and assert that Mary had "no relations with
man" before Jesus' birth.
In the second century, the polemicist
Celsus
(recorded in Origen's
Contra
Celsum 1.28-32) claimed that Mary had sex with a Roman
soldier and then married Joseph who protected her from the harsh
Jewish laws of the time which otherwise would have sentenced her to
death by stoning for such an act.
Some scholars of the
historical
Jesus do not believe in the Virgin Birth, regarding the
nativity of Jesus to be an early Christian story created to liken
Jesus to Moses (the
Massacre
of the Innocents) and to show him fulfilling prophecy (the
return from Egypt, etc.), or speculate that the father could have
been "Joseph or some unknown male who either seduced or raped the
young Mary".
Other scholars, such as
Bart D.
Ehrman, suggest the
historical method can never comment on the
likelihood of supernatural occurrences. While
parthenogenesis (virginal conception) is not
unknown in lower animals, it does not occur naturally in human
beings or other mammals, and produces females only, genetical
clones of the mother.
Virgin birth of Jesus in the Qur'an
The
Qur'an says that Jesus was the result of
a virgin birth. The most detailed account of the annunciation and
birth of Jesus is provided in
Sura 3 and 19 of
The Qur'an wherein it is written that God sent an angel to announce
that she could shortly expect to bear a son, despite being a
virgin:
(Remember) When the angels said O
Mary!
Allah Gives thee Good News of a son through a Word
from Him!
His name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary,
honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who Are
Granted Nearness to Allah!
(3.45)
And he shall speak to the people in the cradle, and when of
middle age, and he shall be of The Righteous (3.46)
She said My Lord!
How shall I have a son when no man has touched
me?
He Said, That is as it shall be.
Allah Creates what He Pleases.
When HE decrees a thing HE says to it "Be" and it
is!
(3.47)
Perpetual virginity
The perpetual virginity of Mary, a doctrine of
Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox, and
Oriental Orthodox Christianity affirms
Mary's "real and perpetual
virginity even
in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made Man." According
to this Church
dogma, Mary was ever-virgin
(Greek ) for the remainder of her life, making Jesus her biological
and only son, whose
conception and
birth are held to be miraculous.
Matthew 13:55-56 raises the possibility that
Jesus had siblings; however since the
Desert Fathers these individuals have been
interpreted by some as possibly cousins or relatives of
Jesus.
Dormition and assumption
For both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches Mary's
assumption into heaven is seen as an instance of the
resurrection of the body.
Christian views of Mary
Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox,
Anglican, and
Lutheran, as well as some
Methodist Christians
venerate Mary. This veneration especially takes
the form of
prayer for intercession with her
Son, Jesus Christ. The
Hail Mary prayer is
one such example. Additionally it includes composing poems and
songs in Mary's honor, painting icons or carving statues of her,
and conferring titles on Mary that reflect her position among the
saints. She is also one of the most highly venerated
saints in both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox
Churches; and several major feast days of the
liturgical year are devoted to her.
By contrast, certain documents of the Second Vatican Council, such
as chapter VIII of the Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen Gentium
[11254] describe Mary as higher than all other
created beings, even angels: "she far surpasses all creatures, both
in heaven and on earth"; but still in the final analysis, a created
being, solely human - not divine - in her nature. On this showing,
Catholic traditionalists would argue that there is no conflation
[11255] of the human and divine levels in their
veneration of Mary.
The major origin and impetus of veneration of Mary comes from the
Christological controversies of the early church - many debates
denying in some way the divinity or humanity of Jesus Christ. So
not only would one side affirm that Jesus was indeed God, but would
assert the conclusion that Mary was "Mother of God", although some
Protestants prefer to use the term "God-bearer". Catholics and
Protestants agree however, that "Mother of God" is not intended to
imply that Mary in any way gave Jesus his Divinity.
Both Catholics and Orthodox, and especially Anglicans, make a clear
distinction between such veneration (which is also due to the other
saints) and
adoration which is due to God
alone. (The term
worship is used by
some theologians to subsume both sacrificial worship and worship of
praise,
e.g. Orestes
Brownson in his book
Saint Worship.
The word "worship",
while commonly used in place of "adoration" in the modern English vernacular, strictly speaking implies nothing
more than the acknowledgement of "worth-ship" or worthiness, and
thus means no more than the giving of honor where honor is due
(e.g. the use of "Your Worship" as a form of address to
judges in certain English
legal
traditions). "Worship" has never been used in this sense
in Catholic literature when referring to the veneration of the
Blessed Virgin). Mary, they point out, is not divine, and has only
such powers to help as are granted to her by God in response to her
prayers. Such miracles as may occur through Mary's intercession are
ultimately the result of God's love and omnipotence. Traditionally,
Catholic theologians have distinguished three forms of honor:
latria, due only to God, and usually
translated by the English word
adoration;
hyperdulia, accorded only to the Blessed
Virgin Mary, usually translated simply as
veneration; and
dulia, accorded to the rest of the
saints, also usually translated as
veneration. The
Orthodox distinguish between worship and veneration but do not use
the "hyper"-veneration terminology when speaking of the Theotokos.
Protestants tend to consider "dulia" too similar to "latria".
The surge in the veneration of Mary in
the High Middle Ages owes some of its initial impetus to
Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard expanded
upon
Anselm of Canterbury's
role in transmuting the sacramental ritual Christianity of the
Early Middle Ages into a new, more personally held, faith, with the
life of Christ as a model and a new emphasis on the Virgin Mary. In
opposition to the rationalist approach to divine understanding that
the schoolmen adopted, Bernard preached an immediate faith, in
which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary; "the Virgin that is the
royal way, by which the Savior comes to us." Bernard played the
leading role in the development of the Virgin cult, which is one of
the most important manifestations of the popular piety of the
twelfth century. In early medieval thought the Virgin Mary had
played a minor role, and it was only with the rise of emotional
Christianity in the eleventh century that she became the prime
intercessor for humanity with the deity. (Cantor 1993 p 341)
The major figures of the Reformation honored Mary. Martin Luther
said Mary is "the highest woman", that "we can never honour her
enough", that "the veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very
depths of the human heart", and that Christians should "wish that
everyone know and respect her". John Calvin said, "It cannot be
denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of
his Son, granted her the highest honor." Zwingli said, "I esteem
immensely the Mother of God", and, "The more the honor and love of
Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to
Mary should grow". Thus the idea of respect and high honour was not
rejected by the first Protestants; but they criticized the
Catholics for blurring the line, between high admiration of the
grace of God wherever it is seen in a human being, and religious
service given to another creature. The medieval Catholic practices
of celebrating saints' days, making intercessory requests addressed
to Mary and other departed saints, petitioning Mary for grace and
protection, and various cultic elements such as the bearing of
scapulars they have always considered to be
idolatry. Protestantism usually follows the
reformers in rejecting the practice of directly addressing Mary and
other saints in prayers of admiration or petition, as part of their
religious worship of God. Protestants do not call the respect or
honor that they may have for Mary
veneration because of
the special religious significance that this term has in the
Catholic practice.
Following the Magnificat in the
Gospel of
Luke, Protestants have always acknowledged that Mary is
"blessed among women" (Luke 1:42) but they do not agree that Mary
is to be given cultic veneration. She is considered to be an
outstanding example of a life dedicated to God. Indeed the word
that she uses to describe herself in Luke 1:38 (usually translated
as "bond-servant" or "slave") refers to someone whose will is
consumed by the will of another - in this case Mary's will is
consumed by God's. Rather than granting Mary any kind of "dulia",
Protestants note that her role in scripture seems to diminish -
after the birth of Jesus she is hardly mentioned. From this it may
be said that her attitude paralleled that of John the Baptist who
said "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30)
Roman Catholic view
The "
Blessed Virgin Mary",
sometimes shortened to "The Blessed Virgin" or "The Virgin Mary" is
a traditional title specifically used by
Roman Catholics,
Anglicans,
Eastern
Orthodox and
Eastern
Catholics, and some others to describe
Mary, the mother of
Jesus Christ.
The belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary was formally
declared to be dogma by
Pope Pius XII
in 1950. Pope Pius XII states in
Munificentissimus Deus: "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." This is an example of an invocation of
papal infallibility.
The dogma does not state if Mary's
assumption occurred before or after any
physical death. As stated by
Ludwig Ott
(Bk. III, Pt. 3, Ch. 2, §6) "the fact of her death is almost
generally accepted by the Fathers and Theologians, and is expressly
affirmed in the Liturgy of the Church", to which he adduces a
number of helpful citations, and concludes that "for Mary, death,
in consequence of her freedom from original sin and from personal
sin, was not a consequence of punishment of sin. However, it seems
fitting that Mary's body, which was by nature mortal, should be, in
conformity with that of her Divine Son, subject to the general law
of death." In keeping with the historical consensus of the Church,
Pius XII himself almost certainly rejected the notion of Mary's
"immortality" (the idea that she never suffered death), preferring
the more widely accepted understanding that her assumption took
place
after her physical death. The Feast of the
Assumption is celebrated on August 15.
In a less dogmatic context, the Roman Catholic tradition also has a
more pronounced emphasis on
Acts of Reparation and
the
Sorrows of Mary and a number of
prayers for this purpose appear in the official
Raccolta Catholic prayer book.
Eastern Orthodox view
In the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Oriental Orthodox
traditions, the Ever-Virgin Mary, the
Theotokos, died, after having lived a holy life.
Eastern Orthodox do not believe in the immaculate conception, with
the exception of some
Old Believers,
on the contrary believing that she was the best example of a human
lifestyle. The surviving apostles were present at and conducted her
funeral. However Thomas was delayed and arrived a few days later.
He said that he would not believe this had happened unless he saw
the body of Mary. Peter expressed dismay that Thomas continued to
doubt what the other apostles told him. Upon opening the tomb,
Thomas revealed that he had witnessed the absent body of the
Theotokos being taken to heaven by angels. While many Orthodox
Christians believe this to be true, the Orthodox have never
formally made it a doctrine. It remains a holy mystery. The Eastern
Orthodox and Greek-Catholics celebrate this event on the 15th of
August. The Oriental Orthodox celebrate it on August 22. The feast
day of the
Dormition ("falling
asleep") of the Theotokos is preceded by a two week fasting
period.
Anglican view
Mary's special position within God's purpose of salvation as "God
bearer" (theotokos) is recognised in a number of ways by some
Anglican Christians. 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. This feast is called in older
prayer books the
Purification of the
Blessed Virgin Mary on 2 February. The
Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin
on March 25 was from before the time of
Bede
until the 18th century New Year's Day in England. The Annunciation
is called the "Annunciation of
our Lady" in
the 1662
Book of Common
Prayer. Anglicans also celebrate in the
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin on
May 31, though in some provinces the traditional date of July 2 is
kept. The feast of the St. Mary the Virgin is observed on the
traditional day of the Assumption, August 15. The
Nativity of the Blessed
Virgin is kept on September 8.
The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is kept in the 1662 Book
of Common Prayer, on December 8. 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 considered a
pious opinion by moderate Anglicans. Protestant minded
Anglicans reject the celebration of these feasts.
Prayer 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.
Following the 19th century
Oxford
Movement,
Anglo-Catholics
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.
Joint Anglican-Roman Catholic document
On May 16, 2005, the Roman Catholic and
Anglican churches issued a joint 43-page statement,
"
Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ" (also known as
the Seattle Statement) on the role of the Virgin Mary in
Christianity as a way to uphold ecumenical cooperation despite
differences over other matters.
The document was released in Seattle,
Washington
, by Alexander Brunett, the local Catholic Archbishop, and Peter
Carnley, Anglican Archbishop of Perth,
Western Australia
, co-chairmen of the Anglican—Roman
Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
The joint document is said to seek a common understanding to help
both churches agree on the theological reasoning behind the
Catholic dogmas, despite Anglicans not accepting the papal
authority that underpins them. Carnley has reportedly said that
Anglican concerns that dogmas about Mary are not provable by
scripture would "disappear", with the document discussing that
Anglicans would stop opposition to Roman Catholic teachings of the
Immaculate Conception (defined in 1854) and the
Assumption of Mary (defined in 1950) as
being "consonant" with the Biblical teachings.
Names and titles of Mary
In the Christian churches, Mary has been bestowed many titles and
names. Of these include:Saint Mary,
Blessed Virgin Mary,
Virgin Mary,
Queen Mother,
Queen of Heaven, Holy Mary,
Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, Holy Virgin,
Christ Mary, and
Mother of God.
Cinematic portrayals
Mary has been portrayed in various films, including:
- Linda Darnell, The Song of Bernadette,
1943
- Angela Clarke, The Miracle of Our Lady of
Fatima, 1951
- Siobhán McKenna,
King of Kings,
1961
- Dorothy McGuire, The Greatest Story Ever
Told, 1965
- Olivia Hussey, Jesus of Nazareth,
1977
- Verna Bloom, The Last Temptation of
Christ, 1988
- Sinéad O'Connor,
The Butcher Boy, 1998
- Pernilla August, Mary, Mother of Jesus,
1999 (TV)
- Maia Morgenstern, The Passion of the Christ,
2004
- Keisha Castle-Hughes,
The Nativity Story,
2006
- Penelope Wilton, The Passion, 2008 (TV)
- Shabnam Gholikhani,
Saint Mary
(Maryam Moghaddas), Iranian director Shahriar Bahrani’s “Saint Mary”
See also
Footnotes
- Matthew 1:23 uses Greek parthénos 'virgin', whereas
only the Hebrew of Isaiah 7:14, from which the New Testament
ostensibly quotes, has ‘almah 'young maiden'. See article
on parthénos in Bauer/(Arndt)/Gingrich/Danker, "A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature", Second Edition, University of Chicago Press,
1979, p. 627.
- An event described by Christians as the Annunciation .
- , 31-35
- De Obitu S. Dominae, as noted in; Holweck, F. (1907).
The Feast of the Assumption. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New
York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Irenaeus,
Adversus
haereses III,1,1; Eusebius of Caesarea, Church
History, III,1
- Joan E. Taylor, Christians and the Holy Places: The Myth of
Jewish-Christian Origins, Oxford
University Press, 1993, p. 202, ISBN 0198147856 (Google Scholar:
[1]).
- Mary and Angels
- Denziger §111a
- This Rock, December 1998,
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812fea2.asp
- The Second Eve
- Catholic Encyclopedia: The Annunciation
- Catholic Encyclopedia: The Blessed Virgin Mary
- The Hebrew text is ambiguous as to whether the woman in
question is a "young woman" or a "virgin"; Matthew, following the
Jewish Septuagint
translation into Greek gives "virgin" unambiguously.
- Mariology Society of America
http://www.mariologicalsociety.com
- Centers of Marian Study
http://www.servidimaria.org/en/attualita/promotori2/promotori2.htm
- Publisher’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
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Immaculate Conception
- For other Eastern Catholic churches dedicated to the Immaculate
Conception in Pennsylvania alone, see The Unofficial Directory of Eastern Catholic Churches in
Pennsylvania
- Orthodox Wiki: Conception of the Theotokos
- Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church (Penguin Books,
1963, ISBN 0-14-020592-6), pp. 263-4.
- Religious Tolerance comparison of Roman Catholic
and Protestant beliefs
- [2]
- , ,
- Also see: Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological
Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives (Biblical Seminar
Series, No 28), Jane Schaberg, ISBN 1-85075-533-7.
- Robert W. Funk and the Jesus Seminar. The Acts of Jesus:
The Search for the Authentic Deeds of Jesus.
HarperSanFrancisco: 1998. p. 533
- Catechism of the Catholic Church §499
- Revue biblique, 1895, pp. 173-183
- Doulos - Strong's Concordance
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/aug/18/religion.news
featured in ITV documentary
- The Muslim Jesus, ITV - Unreality Primetime
Further reading
- Brownson, Orestes, Saint Worship and the Worship of
Mary, Sophia Institute Press, 2003, ISBN 1-928832-88-1
- Cronin, Vincent, Mary
Portrayed, London: Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., 1968,
ISBN 0-87505-213-4
- Epie, Chantal. The Scriptural Roots of Catholic
Teaching, Sophia Institute Press, 2002, ISBN 1-928832-53-9
- Fox, Fr. Robert J., Catechism on Mary,
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mary Through the Ages
Fatima Family
Apostolate
- Glavich, Mary Kathleen, The Catholic Companion to Mary, ACTA
Publications, 2007
- Graef, Hilda. Mary: A History of Doctrine and
Devotion, London: Sheed & Ward, 1985, ISBN
0-7220-5221-9
- Groeschel, Benedict, A Still, Small Voice: A Practical
Guide on Reported Revelations, San Francisco: Ignatius Press,
1993 ISBN 0-8987-0436-7
- Hahn, Scott, Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the
Word of God, Doubleday, 2001, ISBN 0-3855-0168-4
- Marley, Stephen, The
Life of the Virgin Mary, Lennard Publishing, 1990, ISBN
1852910240
- Mills, David. Discovering Mary: Answers to Questions About
the Mother of God, Servant Books, 2009, ISBN 0-8671-6927-3
- Miravalle, Mark. Introduction to Mary, Queenship
Publishing, 1993, Second Edition 2006, soft, 220 pages ISBN
1-882972-06-6
- Newman, Barbara. God and the Goddesses, Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003, ISBN 0812219112
- Pelikan, Jaroslav. Mary Through the Centuries: Her Place in
the History of Culture, Yale University Press, 1998, hardcover, 240
pages ISBN 0-300-06951-0; trade paperback, 1998, 240 pages, ISBN
0-300-07661-4
- Corner, Dan. Is This The Mary Of The Bible?,
Evangelical Outreach, 2004, 249 pages ISBN 0-96390-767-0
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