Victor R. Claveau, MJ
- Mary’s Divine Motherhood – Council of Ephesus 431
Mother of God! What an ineffable title! The grace of the divine maternity is the key which opens up to the weak, human scrutiny the untold riches of Mary’s soul; as it is likewise a challenge commanding for her the utmost reverence of every creature. “She alone by her dignity transcends heaven and earth. None among created beings visible or invisible can compare with he in excellence. She is at once the handmaid and the Mother of God, a Virgin and yet a Mother.”[1]
But when the little maid of Nazareth uttered her fist to the message of the angel and the Word was made flesh in her womb, she became not only the Mother of God in the physical order of nature, but also in the supernatural order of grace she became the Mother of all who through the Holy Spirit, would be made one under the headship of her divine Son. The Mother of the head would be the Mother of the members.”[2] The Mother of the Vine would be the Mother of the branches.
The Church proclaimed that Mary is truly Mother of God, “Theotokos” at the Council of Ephesus.
The Virgin Mary’s true motherhood of the Son of God is set forth in the first formulas of faith. Our Lady appears in the first pages of the Gospel as the Mother of Jesus with the same right and clarity her maternal office is mentioned in the earliest creeds of the Church. The first symbol listed in the Enchiridion Symbolorum, that of Rufinus, the old Roman Creed form has: I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, Our Lord, who was born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate….”
The Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.)
“The starting point is the fundamental mystery of Mary’s life, that she was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, to become a true and exact sense the “Mother of God”. Every believing Christian knows how to understand this: Mary is the human mother in whose womb that human nature was formed, which from the first moment of its existence was united to the second person of the Godhead, the everlasting word. ‘Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’[3] If Mary therefore from the earliest times was called the ‘Mother of God’, this was simply a proclamation of the fundamental belief in the one and only Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the divine and the human are indivisible, unmixed, and inseparable. And when in the fifth century, under the influence of the speculations of the Greeks the title came to be denied her, the faithful conscience of the whole Church of the East rose up, and at the General Council of Ephesus in 431 the truth of Mary’s dignity as Mother of God was solemnly proclaimed. In every Ave Maria we greet our Lady as ‘Mother of God’, and when in 1931 the Church celebrated the fifteenth centenary of Ephesus, Pope Pius XI wrote an encyclical to mark the occasion and said:
‘And, indeed, if the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary is God, assuredly she who bore him is rightly and deservedly to be called the Mother of God. If there is only one person in Christ, and this is Divine, without any doubt Mary ought to be called, by all, not the mother of Christ the man only, but Theotokos, or God-bearer. Let us all, therefore, venerate the tender Mother of God, whom her cousin Elizabeth saluted as “the Mother of my Lord”,[4] who, in the words of Ignatius Martyr, brought forth God;[5] and from whom, as Tertullian professes, God was born; whom the Eternal Godhead has gifted with the fullness of grace and endowed with such great dignity.’[6]
“This is the faith of the Church from the beginning until now.” [7]
There is no doubt that the first Christians who heard or read the story of the Annunciation gave to the expression Son of God the literal meaning, the full meaning of Second Person of the most Holy Trinity, and that, therefore, Mary was for them, in keeping with the announcement of the divine messenger, Mother of God.
- Mary: Virgin and Ever Virgin
“In the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her,[g] “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”[8]
“… Who for us men and because of our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.”[9]
Roman Catholics and many other Christians also believe that Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life.
The term “virgin” may be used in various senses. It may mean an unmarried woman, or a person who has not had sexual intercourse. Again, it may be applied to things unused or unsullied, as when we speak of a “virgin field” or the “virgin snow.” Virginity, or the state of being a virgin, when applied to persons, may be either internal or external. Internal virginity is a virtue which consists in a firm purpose of avoiding all venereal pleasure, even though licit as in legitimate marriage. External or bodily virginity refers to the natural condition of physiological integrity with which we are born into the world. It is lost either by sexual intercourse, or, in the case of women, by some natural or accidental act causing the breaking of the hymen.
All Christians believe that Mary was a virgin before and at the time of the birth of her son Jesus.
The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.[10]
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.[11]
3) The Immaculate Conception of Mary, a Revealed Truth (Mary’s freedom from original sin) – Pius IX, 1854
On December 1, 1854, Pope Pius IX, delivered an address at the Secret Consistory, when, having been repeatedly and most earnestly implored by the Catholic world for the solemnity of a definition, the Holy Father designated December 8 for the sacred proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
He declared: “Truly, nothing in this life could make Us more happy. For this decree will serve to increase and to foster, ever more and more on this earth, the honor, the glory, and the veneration of that most glorious Virgin, who exalted above the choirs of the angels and the countless legions of the saints, never ceases in heaven to make most efficacious intercession with her Son for all the faithful on earth.”
Widespread Devotion to the Immaculate Conception
The Holy Father went on to say,
“Well do you know how, day after day, love and veneration toward the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God have steadily grown in the Catholic world; and how alertly the Church and Our Predecessors have gloried in preserving, fostering, and promoting that same love, veneration, and teaching. As you know, not only the bishops of the Church but even the heads of civil governments have repeatedly requested that the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God be defined as a dogma of Faith by the Apostolic See.”
An Infallible Definition
“Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete. Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honor of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith, and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own:
“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.”[12]
In teaching that Mary was conceived immaculate, the Catholic Church teaches that from the very moment of her conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from all stain of original sin. This simply means that from the beginning, she was in a state of grace, sharing in God’s own life, and that she was free from the sinful inclinations which have beset human nature after the fall.
Liturgical Argument
“The Catholic Church, directed by the Holy Spirit of God, is the pillar and base of truth and has ever held as divinely revealed and as contained in the deposit of heavenly revelation this doctrine concerning the original innocence of the august Virgin—a doctrine which is so perfectly in harmony with her wonderful sanctity and preeminent dignity as Mother of God—and thus has never ceased to explain, to teach and to foster this doctrine age after age in many ways and by solemn acts. From this very doctrine, flourishing and wondrously propagated in the Catholic world through the efforts and zeal of the bishops, was made very clear by the Church when she did not hesitate to present for the public devotion and veneration of the faithful the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin. By this most significant fact, the Church made it clear indeed that the conception of Mary is to be venerated as something extraordinary, wonderful, eminently holy, and different from the conception of all other human beings—for the Church celebrates only the feast days of the saints.”[13]
4) Mary’s Assumption (body and soul) into heaven – Pius XII, 1950
What is the proof or the testimony for the Assumption? On what grounds can Catholics say this is a truth revealed by God?
Scripture is silent about the final destiny of Mary. The last reference it makes of her is that she was present with the Apostles after the resurrection of Jesus as they were united in prayer awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture has a very important part to play for Christians in their approach to the doctrine of the Assumption. This has always been true and the Holy Father in the document of definition not only refers to the use of Scripture by the Doctors of the Church and the theologians in their defense of the doctrine, but he himself states clearly that the reality of the Assumption is based on the Scriptures as its ultimate foundation.
But if there is no explicit statement in Scripture proclaiming the Assumption, do we have testimony to the event during apostolic times? Unfortunately, no. There is no evidence of the first five centuries of Christianity supporting the Assumption. In other words, we do not have a positive oral tradition of apostolic origin regarding the final end of Mary.
Because there is no scriptural statement or apostolic tradition in the early Church, the Holy Father in his definition of the dogma was not able to appeal to those sources. In fact, he did not even refer to this matter. He looked elsewhere for his proof.
However, it would be wrong to conclude that complete silence existed in the early Church concerning the final end of Mary. As a matter of fact, there was a whole body of apocryphal literature in the early Church. As history, this material has little value, but it does have some theological value. Some would say that we should study this literature more carefully, for it may contain some valuable historical information. Be that as it may, here we can look at it from a theological point of view. It is probably the oldest written testimony of Mary’s Assumption. It was used by the homilists of the seventh and eighth centuries. However, since it contains many inaccuracies both historical and theological, it is not even alluded to in the papal Bull of the definition. Nevertheless, it bears witness to a widespread belief in the Assumption among Christians from at least the fifth century. The apocryphal literature supposes a faith already existing among at least some of the faithful concerning the glorious end of Mary. It is an attempt, often bizarre, to explain her last days, her burial, and her bodily Assumption. Faith gave rise to legends. These in turn influenced the preaching of the homilists.
From the foregoing, it is clear that notwithstanding the relative influence of apocryphal literature, there is no explicit reliable proof in Scripture or early tradition in favor of the Assumption. Does it necessarily follow that the Assumption is not revealed truth? Must we say that it is either a new doctrine, an invention, a conclusion from theological reasoning, or perhaps a dogmatic fact connected with revealed truth to which it is related? None of these conclusions is valid. For there is such a thing as implicit revelation, namely one truth can be hidden and contained in others, and only gradually come to our understanding. Just as there are many truths in nature that only gradually come to light, for example, that the earth is round and moves around the sun, so in the realm of God’s revelation to man a truth is uncovered rather than discovered. For example, the consubstantiality of the Word of God with the Father is implied in the truth that is the Word of God, but it was explicitly stated and proclaimed a dogma only in the fourth century at the Council of Nicaea. It is important to recall that there is one central mystery revealed to us, Jesus Christ, and all other mysteries are contained in him.
When God chose to reveal his plan of salvation, he did not even speak in words; he sent his Son, Jesus Christ. He revealed a person. Christ is the messenger and the message. Revelation is not only what Christ taught by words, but what he taught by his actions, by his very presence among us.
Often, the Apostles would learn by being with Christ without forming clear concepts and judgments. They were open to the mystery of Christ, and would learn only gradually and would see him in different ways. For St. Paul, he was the Redeemer, for St. John, the Word, the truth, and the light. It is the totality of all the impressions Christ made that forms the deposit of faith. In this would be included his mother Mary. The Apostles witnessed the unique relationship of Jesus and Mary and her mediation at Cana, her faith, her fidelity to Christ as she stood at the foot of the Cross, and her association with them as they prayed waiting for the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension. They were in some way aware of her place in his life and mission. The mystery of Mary is contained in the mystery of Christ.
With the death of the last Apostle, the deposit of faith came to a close. This deposit is rich but no detailed inventory of all the truths revealed and referred to was ever made by the Apostles. Some truths, more evident than others were quickly formulated and proclaimed in the Church, but even more would be formulated and proclaimed in the future because of the richness of the mystery of Christ. As time goes by, the understanding of Christ and his mission will become even more perfect in the Church.
To express this another way, and specifically in relation to the subject at hand, the Assumption is not a core doctrine of the Christian faith, but is implicitly contained in Mary’s unique relationship with Jesus her son, with whom she was intimately associated in his mission of redemption. Only after the Church came to a more profound understanding of Jesus and his mission could it consider more explicitly Mary and her role in the work of salvation. From this study and contemplation, a better understanding of Mary in God’s plan of salvation gradually developed. And so we should not be surprised that the Second Vatican Council speaks of a hierarchy of truths in which some are closer to the heart of the faith than others, although all are revealed. The Council states; “When comparing doctrines, they [i.e. Catholics engaged in ecumenical considerations, etc.] should remember that in Catholic teaching there exists an order or ‘Hierarchy of truths’ since they vary in their relationship to the foundation of the Christian faith’” (Decree on Ecumenism, 11.).
Consequently, we readily admit a development in the understanding of the truths revealed by God. We acknowledge that only with time do we come to perceive some truths that are less central than others. Among these truths is the Assumption. Another observation of the Council is helpful here. “There is growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers…For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her” (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 8).
I hope that these observations will help you to understand the argument the Holy Father offered in the document of the definition to demonstrate that the Assumption is a revealed truth. He did not present explicit texts from Scripture or apostolic Tradition from the very beginning of the Church because there was none to offer. He did not appeal to the Apocrypha because of their doubtful and suspect character. How then, did the Holy Father prove that the Assumption is a revealed truth contained in the deposit of faith given to the Apostles?
His approach is very positive and in no way defensive. He first presents his strongest argument for the belief in the Assumption, and then offers other testimonies, that confirm it.
What was his first principle argument? It is the universal faith of all the Church, that is the unanimous belief of the whole Church, the faithful and their pastors. In this faith they cannot be in error. In his own words: “From the universal agreement of the Church’s ordinary teaching that the Blessed Virgin Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven…is a truth that has been revealed by God and consequently something that must be firmly and faithfully believed by all children of the Church” (Munificentissimus Deus, 68).
But does this prove that the Assumption is a revealed reality, a fact? Could not the Church be in error? No. For their pastors (moral unanimity is understood), the Church is protected from error. It is infallibly assisted by the Holy Spirit that preserves it in truth. The same Holy Spirit that inspired the Apostles in their preaching directs the Church to the full understanding of what is contained in the deposit of faith. In the words of Yves Congar, O.P.: “What the body of the Church together with its pastors, agreed in holding as of faith is part of revelation, since the Church filled and assisted by the Holy Spirit, cannot be wrong on a matter of faith. This has always been the conviction of the Catholic Church both Eastern and Western” (Tradition and Traditions, [1966] 203, London and New York).
If you ask how this common faith developed only gradually in the consciousness of the people in the beginning, it is answered that the pastors first instructed the faithful from the Scriptures that included reference to the place of Mary. The people understood the close relationship of the Mother of Jesus from the moment of the Incarnation until his death on the Cross. Gradually they began to believe that the Mother of God who was intimately associated with her son in his mission of salvation, who was sinless and virginal, would not be subject to corruption after death. Close to Jesus in life, she would be with him after death. Thus, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, belief in the Assumption of Mary slowly grew. Pius XII explained: “Christ’s faithful, through the teaching and the leadership of their pastors have learned from the sacred books that the Virgin Mary, throughout the course of her earthly pilgrimage, led a life troubled by cares, hardships and sorrow, and that, moreover, what the old holy man Simeon had foretold actually came to pass, that is, that a terribly sharp sword pierced her heart as she stood under the cross of her divine son, our Redeemer. In the same way, it was not too difficult for them to affirm that the great Mother of God, like her only begotten Son, had actually passed from this life. But this in no way prevented them from believing and from professing openly that her sacred body had never been subject to the corruption of the tomb, and that the august tabernacle of the Divine Word had never been reduced to dust and ashes” (MD 69)
That this faith existed among the people can be proven from the many testimonies and traces that have come down through the ages. For example, we have many churches both in the East and the West that have been dedicated to our Lady under the title of the Assumption. There are also the countless images of our Lady that appeared in churches in many lands that tell the story of her death and Assumption. A vast body of literature, especially homilies, began to proclaim the praises of the Lady taken up to heaven, not to mention the liturgical celebrations that have been continuous since the sixth century.
In heaven she belongs to the communion of saints, although the most perfect member. Moreover, she is exalted as a woman who takes her place at the side of Christ.
The strongest proof for the Assumption according to Munificentissimus Deus is the unanimous faith of the people and their pastors. This remarkable accord of the Catholic bishops and faithful enlightened by the Holy Spirit existed in the Church for centuries. In a matter of so great importance that Church cannot make a mistake or be deceived for the Lord himself promised to be with the Church until the end of time. Pope Pius XII, therefore, did not receive or claim to receive a new revelation from above, nor did he invent a new doctrine of the Church. He simply declared in his definition what the faithful and the bishops had already believed. In a word, he was dependent on the lived faith of the people. It would be more accurate to say the Pope defined the Assumption because Catholics believed in it, than to say Catholics believed in it because the Pope defined it.
For further information, I would recommend:
Munificentissimus Deus, “The Assumption of Mary” by Killian Healy, O. Carm., from which I quoted in the above post. Queen of the Universe, An Anthology on the Assumption and Queenship of Mary, Mathews, Stanley. Grail 1957 St. Meinrad Indiana; and The Glorious Assumption of the Mother of God,Duhr, Joseph, S.J., NY: P.J. Kennedy & Sons c. 1950.
[1] Roman Breviary, Office B.M.V., lect. 5.
[2] Saint Augustine, De Sancta Virginitate, c. 6.
[3] Luke 1:35.
[4] Ibid., 1:43.
[5] Ad Ephes. vii. 18-20.
[6] On the Council of Ephesus, Lux Veritatis, Encyclical of Pope Pius XI promulgated on December 25, 1931.
[7] Hugo Rahner, S.J., Our Lady and the Church, (New York: Pantheon Books) 961, pp. 34-35.
[8] Luke 1:26–31.
[9] Nicene Creed.
[10] Isaiah 7:14.
[11] Matthew 1:18–25.
[12] Pope Pius IX, Apostolic Letter, Ineffabilis Deus, (Defining the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception) December 8, 1954.
[13] Ibid.