Catholic Mariology is the systematic study of the person of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and of her place in the economy of salvationThe Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2005) defines Mariology as "the systematic study of the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of her place in the economy of the Incarnation"Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia ( page 649) defines Mariology as "The study of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Christian theology, especially in the Catholic Church"Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints page 917 defines Mariology as "Branch of theology that focuses on the Blessed Virgin. It examines her life, virtues, and important role in the economy of salvation." in Catholic theology. According to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception taught by the Catholic Church, Mary was conceived and born without original sin, hence she is seen as having a singular dignity above the saints, receiving a higher level of veneration than all angelic spirits and blessed souls in heaven. Catholic Mariology thus studies not only her life but also the veneration of her in daily life, prayer, hymns, art, music, and architecture in modern and ancient Christianity throughout the ages.Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions by Wendy Doniger, 1999 page 696Symbolic Scores: Studies in the Music of the Renaissance by Willem Elders 1997 page 151Maiden and Mother: Prayers, Hymns, Devotions, and Songs to the Beloved Virgin Mary Throughout the Year by Margaret M. Miles 2001 page vii
The basis of Mariology are the four Marian dogmas: Mary being the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, and her assumption into Heaven. However, a number of other Catholic doctrines about the Virgin Mary have been developed by reference to Sacred Scripture, theological reasoning and church tradition. The development of Mariology is ongoing and since the beginnings it has continued to be shaped by theological analyses, writings of saints, and papal statements, e.g. while all four of the dogmas are ancient in their origin, two were not defined until the 19th and 20th centuries; and papal teachings on Mary have continued to appear in recent times.Mary in the New Testament by Raymond E. Brown 1978 page 28, "in the course of centuries, Mariology has had an enormous development"Luigi Gambro in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons , 2008 edited by M. Miravalle, pages 142-145Trent Pomplun in The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism by James Buckley, Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun (Dec 21, 2010) pages 319-320
In parallel to the traditional views, since the late 19th century, as Marian devotion became more pronounced in the Catholic Church, a number of other perspectives have been presented as a challenge to Catholic Mariology. Some other Christian views see Catholic Mariology as unbiblical and a denial of the uniqueness of Christ as redeemer and mediator, and some modern psychological interpretations see Mary as similar to polytheistic goddesses ranging from Diana to Guan Yin.Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion: L - Z by David Adams Leeming 2009 page 900 Nonetheless, Christians in the Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East, the Independent Sacramental Movement, Anglo-Catholicism, and other High church Protestants continue to revere Mary as the greatest saint.
Study of Mary and her place in the Catholic Church
Context and components The study of Mary and her place in the Catholic Church has been undertaken from a number of perspectives and within a number of contexts, and in his address to the 2012 Mariological congress, Pope Benedict XVI stated that this study must be "understood and deeply examined from different and complementary viewpoints".Vatican website: Benedict XVI Address to the 23 Mariological Congress, September 8, 2012 Benedict also emphasized that the study of Mary cannot be performed in isolation from other disciplines and that Mariology is inherently related to the study of Christ and of the church, and expresses the inner coherence of these disciplines.
Pope Benedict XVI has stated that Marian studies have three separate characteristics: first personalizing the church so it is not seen just as a structure but as a person, secondly the incarnational aspect and the relation to God, and third Marian piety which involves the heart and the emotional component.
Mary's position in the church can be compared to the aspect of the Petrine office in a dual sense.Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ: A Model Theologian, by Patrick W. Carey (September 1, 2010) page 553 This perspective on the duality of the roles of Mary and Peter highlights the subjective holiness of the heart and the holiness of the structure of the church. In this duality, the Petrine office logically examines the charisms for their theological soundness, while the Marian dual provides a balance in the spiritual and emotional sense via the service of love that the office can never encompass. Mariology and the doctrine of office are thus not "side chapels" in Catholic teachings, but are central and integrating elements of it. As referenced in Pope Pius XII's 1943 the encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi, her fiat gave consent for a spiritual marriage between the Son of God and human nature, thus giving humanity the means to salvation. Mary's rights (wedding feast at Cana), and Mary's love (fiat) are essential to salvation.
Maximalism and minimalism Mariology is a field in which deeply felt pious beliefs of the faithful and hagiography may conflict with theological and critical historical reviews of beliefs and practices.Michael Schmaus in the Encyclopedia of Theology: a Concise Sacramentum Mundi edited by Karl Rahner (31 Dec 1999) pages 900-904 This conflict was recognized as early as the year 1300 by William of Ware who described the tendency of some believers to attribute almost everything to Mary.C. Balic, "The Marian rules of Dun Scotus", Euntes Docete, 9, 1956, 110 Bonaventura warned against Marian maximalism: "One has to be careful as to not to minimize the honour of our Lord, Jesus Christ."Bonaventura, Opera VI, 497 Both minimalist and maximalist have always seen in Mary a sign of the Catholic Church and viewed her as a model for all Catholics.The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism by James Buckley, Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun (December 21, 2010) page 324
In the 20th century, Pope Pius XII, "the most Marian pope in Church history",Bäumer, Kirchenlexikon, Pius XII warned against both exuberant exaggerations and timid minimalism in the presentation of Mary.Edward Sri "Advocate and Queen" in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons, Queenship Publishing pages 498-499 The Vatican II dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium was specifically written in 1964 to avoid both Marian maximalism and minimalism.Contemporary Catholic Theology by Liam Gearon and Michael A. Hayes (Mar 1, 1999) page 283 Pope John Paul II was also careful to avoid both maximalism and minimalism in his Mariology and avoided taking personal positions on issues which were subject to theological debate.Church and Society: The Laurence J. McGinley Lectures by Avery Dulles (March 14, 2008) page 256
Mariology and Christology
Mariology is related to Christology (the study of Christ) and in the Catholic theological and papal writings has been viewed as interwoven with the mystery of Christ.See John Henry Newman: "Mariology is always christocentric", in Michael Testa, Mary: The Virgin Mary in the Life and Writings of John Henry Newman 2001; "Mariology Is Christology", in Vittorio Messori, The Mary Hypothesis, Rome: 2005 Pope John Paul II discussed the "precise place of Mary" in the plan of salvation in the encyclical Redemptoris Mater and stated: "Following the line of the Second Vatican Council, I wish to emphasize the special presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and his Church. For this is a fundamental dimension emerging from the Mariology of the Council".Encyclical Redemptoris Mater, by Pope John Paul II, items 1, 48 and 51 Text at the Vatican web site
Catholic theologians have also explored the necessary connection of Mariology with Christology. According to John Henry Newman: "Mariology is always christocentric".Mary: The Virgin Mary in the Life and Writings of John Henry Newman (Philip Boyce, ed.) Gracewing Publishing, 2001 Messori, Vittorio. "Mariology Is Christology", The Mary Hypothesis, Rome: 2005 Pope Benedict XVI characterized the relationship by stating that "Christology and Mariology are inseparably interwoven" from their very beginnings. In his view, Mariology underscores the nexus of the mysteries of Christology and ecclesiology, and reflects they are intrinsically interwoven.
Early Christians and numerous saints focused on this connectionMsgr. Charles Mangan in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons , 2008 edited by M. Miravalle, pages 520–529 and popes highlighted the inner link between Marian doctrines and a fuller understanding of Christological themes.see Pius XII, Mystici corporis, also John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater: The Second Vatican Council, by presenting Mary in the mystery of Christ, also finds the path to a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Church. Mary, as the Mother of Christ, is in a particular way united with the Church, "which the Lord established as his own body."11 "one cannot think of the reality of the Incarnation without referring to Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word." Redemptoris Mater item 44 Given the Catholic perspective that the Church lives in its relation to Christ, being the Body of Christ, it also has a relation to his mother, whose study is the subject of Catholic Mariology."If we look at the Church, we have to consider the miraculous deeds which God performed with his mother." (Pope Paul VI, Vatican II, November 21, 1964) Pope Pius X in Ad diem illum stated: "there is no more direct road than by Mary for uniting all mankind in Christ."Pope Pius X, in Ad diem illum, section 5, 1904
In Catholic theology the study of Mary, while contributing to the study of Christ, is also a separate discipline in its own right, with an understanding of the figure of Mary contributing to a fuller understanding of who Christ is and what he did.Paul Haffner, 2004 The Mystery of Mary Gracewing Press page 17 The Congregation for Catholic Education has characterized the situation as follows: "The history of theology shows that an understanding of the mystery of the Virgin contributes to a more profound understanding of the mystery of Christ, of the Church and of the vocation of man."The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, Congregation for Catholic Education Rome, March 25, 1988, item 18 Referring to this, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke stated that the promotion of a fuller knowledge of the Virgin Mary is the "constant work of the Church".Raymond Leo Burke, in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons 2008 edited by M. Miravalle, pages xvii-xx "The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, issued during the heart of the Marian Year, on the first anniversary of the publication of Redemptoris Mater, reminds us that the promotion of the fuller knowledge of and more fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the constant work of the Church."
History and development
Early Christians focused their piety at first more upon the martyrs; but following that, they saw in Mary a bridge between the old and the new.Michael Schmaus, Katholische Dogmatik: Mariologie, 1955, p. 174 The earliest recorded prayer to Mary, the Sub tuum praesidium, is dated to around the year 250.