The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and
Spiritual Formation
Letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education
Rome, 25 March 1988
Introduction
1. The Second Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops which
was held in 1985 for "the celebration, verification and promotion of
Vatican Council II" [Synodus Episcoporum, Ecclesia sub Verbo Dei
mysteria Christi celebrans pro salute mundi. Relatio finalis (Civitas
Vaticana 1985), I, 2.], affirmed that "special attention must be
paid to the four major Constitutions of the council" [Ibid.,
I, 5.], in order to implement a programme "having as its object a
new, more extensive and deeper knowledge and reception of the
Council" [Ibid., I, 6.].
On his part, His Holiness Pope John Paul II has explained that the
Marian Year is meant "to promote a new and more careful reading of
what the Council said about the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
in the mystery of Christ and of the Church" [Ioannes Paulus PP. II,
Litt. Enc. Redemptoris Mater (25 Martii 1987) 48: AAS 79
(1987), 427].
In the light of these developments the Congregation for Catholic
Education addresses this present Circular Letter to theological
faculties, to seminaries and to other centres of ecclesiastical
studies in order to offer some reflections on the Blessed Virgin and
to emphasize that the promotion of knowledge, research and piety
with regard to Mary of Nazareth is not to be restricted to the
Marian Year, but must be permanent since the exemplary value and the
mission of the Virgin are permanent. The Mother of the Lord is a "datum
of divine Revelation" and a "maternal presence" always operative in
the life of the Church [Cf. RM, 1, 25].
I. The Virgin Mary: An
Essential datum of the Faith and the Life of the Church
The wealth of Marian doctrine
2. The history of dogma and theology bears witness to the Church's
faith about, and constant attention to, the Virgin Mary and to her
mission in the history of salvation. Such attention is already
evident in some of the New Testament writings and in a number of
pages by authors in the sub-apostolic age.
The first symbols of the faith and, successively, the dogmatic
formulas of the Councils of Constantinople (381), of Ephesus (431)
and of Chalcedon (451) are evidence of the developing appreciation
of the mystery of Christ, true God and true man, and at the same
time of the progressive discovery of the role of Mary in the mystery
of the Incarnation, a discovery which led to the dogmatic definition
of Mary's divine and virginal motherhood.
The attention of the Church to Mary of Nazareth runs through the
centuries, with many pronouncements about her being made. Without
underestimating the blossoming which Mariological reflection
produced in earlier periods of history, here we draw only on the
more recent.
3. We recall the doctrinal importance of the dogmatic Bull
Ineffabilis Deus (8 December 1854) of Pius IX, the Apostolic
Constitution Munificentissimus Deus (1 November 1950) of
Pius XII, and the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (21
November 1964), chapter VIII of which is the fullest and most
authoritative synthesis of Catholic doctrine about the Mother of the
Lord ever to have been compiled by an ecumenical council. Also to be
remembered for their theological and pastoral significance are other
documents such as Professio Fidei (30 June 1968), the
Apostolic Exhortation Signum Magnum (13 May 1967) and
Marialis Cultus (2 February 1974) of Paul VI, as well as the
Encyclical Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987) of John Paul
II.
4. It is also important to remember the influence of several
"movements" which in several ways and from various points of view
raised interest in the person of the Virgin and considerably
influenced the composition of the Constitution Lumen Gentium:
the biblical movement, which underlined the primary importance of
the Sacred Scriptures for a presentation of the role of the Mother
of the Lord, truly consonant with the revealed Word; the patristic
movement, which put Mariology in contact with the thought of the
Fathers of the Church so that its roots in Tradition could be more
deeply appreciated; the ecclesiological movement, which contributed
abundantly to the reconsideration and deepening appreciation of the
relationship between Mary and the Church; the missionary movement,
which progressively discovered the value of Mary of Nazareth, the
first to be evangelized (cf. Lk 1:26-38) and the first evangelizer
(cf. Lk 1:39-45), fount of inspiration in her commitment to the
spreading of the Good News; the liturgical movement, which initiated
a rich and rigorous study of the various liturgies and was able to
document the way the rites of the Church testified to a heartfelt
veneration towards Mary, the "ever-Virgin, Mother of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and God" [Missale Romanum, Prex Eucharistica I,
Communicantes.]; the ecumenical movement, which called for a
more exact understanding of the person of the Virgin in the sources
of Revelation, identifying more exactly the theological basis of
Marian piety.
The Marian Teaching of Vatican II
5. The importance of chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium lies in
the value of its doctrinal synthesis and in its formulation of
doctrine about the Blessed Virgin in the context of the mystery of
Christ and of the Church. In this way the Council:
- Allied itself to the
patristic tradition which gives a privileged place to the
history of salvation in every theological tract;
- Stressed that the Mother
of the Lord is not a peripheral figure in our faith and in the
panorama of theology; rather, she, through her intimate
participation in the history of salvation, "in a certain way
unites and mirrors within herself the central truths of the
faith" [Lumen Gentium (LG), 65.];
- Formulated a common
vision for the different positions about the way in which Marian
matters are to be treated.
A. In Relation to the Mystery of Christ
6. According to the doctrine of the Council, the relationship
between Mary and God the Father derives from her role in relation to
Christ. "When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born
of a woman ... so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Gal
4:4-5) [LG, 52]. Mary, therefore, who, by her condition,
was the Handmaid of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:38,48), "received the Word of
God in her heart and in her body, and gave life to the world",
becoming by grace " Mother of God."[Cf. LG, 53]. In view of
this unique mission, God the Father preserved her from original sin,
enriched her with an abundance of heavenly gifts and, in the plan of
his Wisdom "willed that consent of the predestined mother should
precede the Incarnation" [LG, 56].
7. The Council, explaining the participation of Mary in the history
of salvation, expounded, first of all the multiple aspects of the
relationship between the Virgin and Christ:
- She is "the most
excellent fruit of the redemption" [Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 103.], having been "redeemed in an especially
sublime manner by reason of the merits of her Son" [LG,
53.]; thus the Fathers of the Church, the Liturgy and the
Magisterium have called her "daughter of her Son" [Cf.
Concilium Toletanum XI, 48: Denzinger-Schoenmetzer,
Enchiridion Symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus
fidei et morum (Barcinone 1976), 536.] in the order of
grace;
- She is the mother,
who, accepting with faith the message of the Angel, conceived
the Son of God in his human nature in her virginal womb through
the action of the Holy Spirit and without the intervention of
man; She brought him to birth, she fed him, tended him and
educated him [Cf. LG, 57, 61.];
- She is the faithful
handmaid who "devoted herself totally ... to the person and
work of her Son, serving under him and with him, the mystery of
redemption" [LG, 56.];
- She is the
cooperatrix with the Redeemer: "She conceived, brought
forth and nourished Christ. She presented him to the Father in
the Temple, and was united with him in suffering as he died on
the cross. In an utterly singular way she cooperated by her
obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Savior's Work
of restoring supernatural life to souls" [LG, 61. Cf.
ibid., 56, 58.];
- She is the
disciple who, during the preaching of Christ "received his
praise when, in extolling a kingdom beyond the calculations of
flesh and blood, he declared blessed (cf. Mk 3:35; Lk 11:27-28)
those who heard and kept the word of God, as she was faithfully
doing (cf. LK 2:19,51)" [LG, 58].
8. The relationship between
Mary and the Holy Spirit is also to be seen in the light of Christ:
"She is, at it were, fashioned and formed into a new creature" [LG,
56.] by the Holy Spirit, and, in a special way, is his temple [Cf.
LG, 53.]; through the power of the same Spirit (cf. Lk
1:35) she conceived in her virginal womb and gave Jesus Christ to
the world [Cf. LG, 52, 63, 65]. During the Visitation the
gifts of the Messiah flowed through her: the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on Elizabeth, the joy of the future Precurser (cf. Lk 1:41).
Full of faith in the promise of the Son (cf. Lk 24:49), the Virgin
is present, praying in the midst of the community of disciples:
Persevering with them in one accord, we see Mary " prayerfully
imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her
in the Annunciation: [LG, 59].
B. In relation to the
mystery of the Church
9. For Christ, and therefore also for the Church, God willed and
predestined the Virgin from all eternity. Mary of Nazareth is:
- "hailed as a pre-eminent
and altogether singular member of the Church" [LG,
53.] because of the gifts of grace which adorn her and because
of the place she occupies in the mystical Body;
- mother of the
Church, since she is Mother of him who, from the first moment of
the Incarnation in her virginal womb, unites to himself as Head
his Mystical Body which is the Church [Paulus PP. VI, Allocutio
tertia SS. Concili periode exacta (21 Novembris 1964): AAS 56
(1964), 1014- 1018.];
- figure of the
Church, being virgin, spouse and mother, for the Church is
virgin because its fidelity is whole and pure, spouse by its
union with Christ, mother of the innumerable children of God
[Cf. ibid., 64.];
- virtuous model
of the Church, which is inspired by her in the exercise of
faith, hope and charity [Cf. ibid., 53, 63, 65.], and
in apostolic work [Cf. ibid., 65.];
- through her manifold acts
of intercession, continuing to obtain the gifts of eternal
salvation for the Church. By her maternal charity she cares for
the brethren of her Son on their pilgrim way. Therefore the
Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church with the titles of
Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix [Cf.
LG, 62.];
- assumed body and
soul into heaven, "the eschatological image and first
flowering" of the Church [Cf. LG, 68.] which sees and
admires in her "that which she herself wholly desires and hopes
to be" [Sacrosanctum Concilium, 103] finding in Mary "a
sign of sure hope and solace" [LG, 68.].
Post-Conciliar Marian Developments
10. During the years immediately following the Council, work by the
Holy See, by many episcopal conferences, and by famous scholars,
illustrating the teaching of the Council and responding to the
problems that were emerging gradually, gave a new relevance and
vigor to reflection on the Mother of the Lord.
The Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus and the
Encyclical Redemptoris Mater have made a particular
contribution to this Mariological reawakening.
This is not the place to list completely all the various sectors of
post-conciliar reflection on Mary. However it seems useful to
illustrate some of them in summary as example and stimulus to
further research.
11. Biblical exegesis has opened new frontiers for Mariology, ever
dedicating more attention to the inter-testamental literature. Some
texts of the Old Testament, and especially the New Testament parts
of Luke and Matthew on the infancy of Jesus and the Johannine
pericopes, have been the object of continuous and deep study, the
results of which have reinforced the biblical basis of Mariology and
considerably enriched its themes.
12. In the field of dogmatic theology, the study of Mariology has
contributed in the post-conciliar debate to a more suitable
illustration of dogmas brought about in: the discussion on original
sin (dogma of the Immaculate Conception), on the Incarnation of the
Word (dogma of the virginal conception of Christ, dogma of the
divine maternity), on grace and freedom (doctrine of the cooperation
of Mary in the work of salvation), on the ultimate destiny of man
(dogma of the Assumption). This has required critical study of the
historical circumstances in which these dogmas were defined, and of
the language in which they were formulated, understanding them in
the light of the insights of biblical exegesis, of a more rigorous
understanding of Tradition, of the questions raised by the human
sciences and with a refutation of unfounded objections.
13. The study of Mariology has
taken great interest in the problems connected with devotion to the
Blessed Virgin. There has been research into the historical roots of
the devotion, [Six International Marian Congresses, organized by the
Pontificia Accademia Mariana Internazionale, held between 1967 and
1987, systematically studied manifestations of Marian piety from the
1st to the 20th centuries], study of its doctrinal foundation, of
its place in the "one Christian devotion", [Paulus PP. VI, Adh. Ap.
Marialis Cultus, (2 Februarii 1974) Intr.: AAS 66 (1974),
114.] evaluation of its liturgical expression and its multiple
manifestations of popular piety, and a deepening appreciation of
their mutual relationship.
14. Mariology has also been
especially considered in the field of ecumenism. With regard to the
Churches of the Christian East, John Paul II has underlined " how
profoundly the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church and the ancient
Churches of the East feel united by love and praise of the
"Theotokos" [Redemptoris Mater, 31.], on his part,
Dimitrios I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, has noted that "our two
sister Churches have maintained throughout the centuries
unextinguished the flame of devotion to the most venerated person of
the all-holly Mother of God', [Dimitrios I, Homily given on 7th
December 1987 during the celebration of Vespers at St. Mary
Major(Rome): L'Osservatore Romano (Eng. Ed. 21-28 Dec. 1987),
p. 6.], and he went on to say that "the subject of Mariology should
occupy a central position in the theological dialogue between our
Churches ... for the full establishment of our ecclesial communion"
[ibid., 6.].
With regard to the Reformation
Churches, the post-conciliar period has been characterized by
dialogue and by the thrust towards mutual understanding. This has
brought an end to the centuries-old mistrust, and has led to a
better knowledge of respective doctrinal positions; it has also led
to a number of common initiatives in research. Thus, at least in
some cases, it has been possible to understand both the dangers in
"obscuring" the person of Mary in ecclesial life, and also the
necessity of holding to data of Revelation [The Ecumenical Directory
provides guidelines for a Mariological formation which is attentive
to ecumenical needs: Secretariatus ad Christianorum Unitatem
Fovendam, Spiritus Domini (16 Aprilis 1970): AAS 62 (1970),
705-724].
During these years, in the
area of inter-religious discourse, Mariology has studied Judaism,
source of the "Daughter of Sion". It has also studied Islam, in
which Mary is venerated as holy Mother of Christ.
15. Post-conciliar Mariology
has given renewed attention to anthropology. The Popes have
repeatedly presented Mary of Nazareth as the supreme expression of
human freedom in the cooperation of man with God, who "in the
sublime event of the Incarnation of his Son, entrusted himself to
the ministry, the free and active ministry of woman". [Redemptoris
Mater, 46].
In the convergence of the data
of faith and the data of the anthropological sciences, when these
turn their attention to Mary of Nazareth, one understands more
clearly that the Virgin is both the highest historical realization
of the Gospel [Cf. III Conferencia General del Episcopado
Latino-Americano (Puebla 1979), La evangelizacion en el presente
y en el futuro de America Latina (Bogota 1979), 282.], and the
woman who, through her self-control, her sense of responsibility,
her openness to others and to the spirit of service, her strength
and her love, is the most completely realized on the human level.
For example, the necessity has
been noted:
- of drawing out the
relevance of the human reality of the Virgin to people in our
own time, stressing the fact that she is an historical person, a
humble Jewish girl;
- of showing forth the
permanent and universal human values of Mary in such a way that
discourse about her throws light on discourse about man.
In this context, the subject of
"Mary and women" has been treated many times, but it is susceptible
of many different approaches, and it is a long way from being
exhausted and from yielding its finest fruits; and it awaits further
developments.
16. New themes and treatments
from new points of view have emerged in post-conciliar Mariology;
the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary; the problem of
inculturation of Marian doctrine and forms of Marian piety; the
value of the via pulchritudinis for advancing in knowledge
of Mary and the capacity of the Virgin to stimulate the highest
expressions of literature and art; the discovery of the significance
of Mary in relation to some urgent pastoral needs in our time
(pro-life, the option for the poor, the proclamation of the Word
...); the revaluation of the " Marian dimension of the life of a
disciple of Christ". [Redemptoris Mater, 45.]
The Encyclical
"Redemptoris Mater" of John Paul II
17. In the wake of Lumen
Gentium and of the magisterial documents which followed the
Council comes the Encyclical Redemptoris Mater of John Paul
II, which confirms the Christological and ecclesiological approach
to Mariology that clearly reveals the wide range of its contents.
Through a prolonged meditation
on the exclamation of Elizabeth, "Blessed is she who believed" (Lk
1:45) the Holy Father thoroughly studies the multiple aspects of the
"heroic faith" of the Virgin, which he considers "a kind of key
which unlocks for us the innermost reality of Mary" [ibid.,
19.], and he illustrates the "maternal presence" of the Virgin in
the pilgrimage of faith according to two lines of thought, one
theological, the other pastoral and spiritual:
- the Virgin was actively
present in the life of the Church at its beginning (the mystery
of the Incarnation), in its being set up (the mystery of Cana
and of the Cross) and in its manifestation (the mystery of
Pentecost)
- she is an "active
presence" throughout the Church's history, being "at the centre
of pilgrim Church", [Title of part II of the Encyclical
Redemptoris Mater], performing a multiple function: of
cooperation in the birth of the faithful in the life of grace,
of exemplarity in the following of Christ, of "maternal
mediation" [Title of part III of the Encyclical Redemptoris
Mater];
- the deed by which Christ
entrusted the disciple to the Mother and the Mother to the
disciple (cf. Jn 19:25-27) has established the very closest
relationship between Mary and the Church. The will of the Lord
has been to assign a "Marian note" to the physiognomy of the
Church, its pilgrimage, its pastoral activity; and in the
spiritual life of each disciple, says the Holy Father, a "Marian
dimension" is inherent [Cf. Redemptoris Mater, 45-46].
Redemptoris Mater as
whole can be considered the Encyclical of the "maternal and active
presence" of Mary in the life of the Church: [Cf. ibid., 1,
25.] in the pilgrimage of faith, in the worship of the Lord, in the
work of evangelization, in progressive configuration to Christ, in
ecumenical endeavour.
The Contribution of
Mariology to Theological Research
18. 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 [Cf. Lumen Gentium, 65.].
Similarly, the close link of the Virgin with Christ, with the Church
and man throws light on the truth about Mary of Nazareth.
19. In Mary in fact
"everything is relative to Christ". [Marialis Cultus, 25].
In consequence, "only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully
made clear". [Redemptoris Mater, 4; cf. ibid.,
19]. The more the Church deepens her appreciation of the mystery of
Christ, the more it understands the singular dignity of the Mother
of the Lord and her role in the history of salvation. But, in a
certain measure, the contrary is also true: the Church, through
Mary, that "exceptional witness to the mystery of Christ", [Ibid.,
27.], has deepened its understanding of the mystery of the kenosis
of the "Son of God" (Lk 3:38; cf. Phil 2:5-8) who became in Mary
"Son of Adam" (Lk 3:38), and has recognized more clearly the
historical roots of the "Son of David" (cf. Lk 1:32), his place
among the Hebrew people, his membership in the "poor of Yahweh".
20. Everything about Mary --
privileges, mission, destiny -- is also intrinsically referable to
the mystery of the Church. In the measure in which the mystery of
the Church is understood the more distinctly does the mystery of
Mary become apparent. Contemplating Mary, the Church recognizes its
origins, its intimate nature, its mission of grace, its destiny to
glory, and the pilgrimage of faith which it must follow [Cf.
ibid., 2.].
21. Finally, in Mary
everything is referable to the human race, in all times and all
places. She has a universal and permanent value. She is "our true
sister", [Marialis Cultus, 56.], and "because she belongs
to the offspring of Adam she is one with all human beings in their
need for salvation" [Lumen Gentium, 53]. Mary does not
disappoint the expectations of contemporary man. Because she is the
"perfect follower of Christ" [Marialis Cultus, 35.] and the
woman most completely realized as a person, she is a perennial
source of fruitful inspiration.
For the disciples of the Lord
the Virgin is a great symbol: a person who achieves the most
intimate aspirations of her intellect, of her will and of her heart,
being open through Christ in the Spirit to the transcendence of God
in filial dedication, taking root in history through hardworking
service of others.
As Paul VI wrote,
"Contemplated in the episodes of the gospels and in the reality
which she already possesses in the City of God, the Blessed Virgin
Mary offers a calm vision and a reassuring word to modern man, torn
as he often is between anguish and hope, defeated by the sense of
his own limitations and assailed by limitless aspirations, troubled
in his mind and divided in his heart, uncertain before the riddle of
death, oppressed by loneliness while yearning for fellowship, a prey
to boredom and disgust. She shows forth the victory of hope over
anguish, of fellowship over solitude, of peace over anxiety, of joy
and beauty over boredom and disgust, of eternal vision over earthly
ones, of life over death" [Ibid., 57].
22. "Among all believers she
is like a 'mirror' in which are reflected in the most profound and
limpid way 'the mighty works of God' (Acts 2:11)", [Redemptoris
Mater, 25.], which theology has the task of illustrating. The
dignity and importance of Mariology, therefore, derive from the
dignity and importance of Christology, from the value of
ecclesiology and pneumatology, from the meaning of supernatural
anthropology and from eschatology: Mariology is closely connected
with these tracts.
II. The Virgin Mary in
Intellectual and Spiritual Formation
Research in Mariology
23. The data expounded in the
first part of this Letter show that Mariology is alive and active in
relevant questions in matters doctrinal and pastoral. However it is
necessary that the study of Mariology, together with attention to
the pastoral problems which are emerging gradually, attend to
rigorous research, conducted according to scientific criteria.
24. The words of the Council
apply: "Sacred theology rests on the written word of God, together
with sacred Tradition, as its primary and perpetual foundation. By
scrutinizing in the light of faith all truth stored up in the
mystery of Christ, theology is most powerfully strengthened and
constantly rejuvenated by that word". [Dei Verbum, 24]. The
study of the sacred Scriptures, therefore, must be the soul of
Mariology [Cf. ibid., 24; Optatam Totius, 16].
25. Further, the study of
Tradition is essential to research in Mariology because, as Vatican
II teaches, "sacred Tradition and sacred Scripture form one sacred
deposit of the word of God, which is committed to the Church". [Dei
Verbum, 10]. The study of Tradition shows how particularly
fruitful in quality and quantity is the Marian patrimony of the
various Liturgies and of the Fathers of the Church.
26. Research into Scripture
and Tradition, conducted according to the most fruitful methods and
with the most reliable instruments of critical enquiry, must be
guided by the Magisterium since "the task of authentically
interpreting the word God, whether written or handed on, has been
entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church"
[Cf. ibid., 10]. This research must also integrate and be
strengthened by the more secure fruits of learning in anthropology
and the human sciences.
The Teaching of Mariology
27. Considering the importance
of the Virgin in the history of salvation and in the life of the
people of God, and after promptings of Vatican Council II and of the
Popes, it would be unthinkable that the teaching of Mariology be
obscured today: it is necessary therefore that it be given its just
place in seminaries and theological faculties.
28. Such teaching, consisting
of a "systematic treatment" will be:
- organic, that
is, inserted adequately in the program of studies of the
theological curriculum;
- complete, so
that the person of the Virgin be considered in the whole history
of salvation, that is in her relation to God; to Christ, the
Word incarnate, Saviour and Mediator; to the Holy Spirit, the
Sanctifier and Giver of life; to the Church, sacrament of
salvation; to man -- in his origins and his development in the
life of grace, and his destiny to glory;
- suited to
the various types of institution (centres of religious culture,
seminaries, theological faculties ...) and to the level of the
students: future priests and teachers of Mariology, animators of
Marian piety in the dioceses, those who are responsible for
formation in the religious life, catechists, those who give
conferences, and the many who want to deepen their knowledge of
Mary.
29. Teaching thus given will
avoid one-sided presentations of the figure and mission of Mary,
presentations which are detrimental to the whole vision of her
mystery. Sound teaching will be a stimulus to deep research -- in
seminaries and through the writing of licence and doctoral
theses-into the sources of Revelation and the documents.
Mariological study can also profit from interdisciplinary teaching.
30. It is necessary,
therefore, that every centre of theological study -- according to
its proper physiognomy -- plan that in its Ratio studiorum
the teaching of Mariology be included, having the characteristics
listed above; and, consequently, with the teachers of Mariology
being properly qualified.
31. With regard to this latter
point, we would draw attention to the Norms of the Apostolic
Constitution Sapientia Christiana which provide for
licences and doctorates in theology, specializing in Mariology.
[This Congregation has been pleased to note the dissertations for
the licence or doctorate in theology which have treated Mariological
themes. Persuaded of the importance of such studies and desiring
their increase, in 1979 the Congregation instituted the "licence or
doctorate in theology with specialization in Mariology" (cf. Ioannes
Paulus PP. II, Const. Ap. Sapientia Christiana (15 Aprilis
1979), Appendix II ad art. 64 "Ordinationum", n. 12: AAS71 (1979),
520. Two centres offer this specialization: the Pontifical "Marianum"
Faculty of Theology in Rome, and the International Marian Research
Institute, University of Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. which is linked to the
"Marianum".].
Mariology and Pastoral
Service
32. Like every other
theological discipline, Mariology has a precious contribution to
make to pastoral life. Marialis Cultus affirms that
"devotion to the Blessed Virgin, subordinated to worship of the
divine Saviour and in connection with it, also has great pastoral
effectiveness and constitutes a force for renewing Christian living"
[Marialis Cultus, 57]. Also, Mariology is called to make
its contribution to the work of evangelization [Cf. Sapientia
Christiana, 3].
33. Mariological research,
teaching and pastoral service tend to promotion of the authentic
Marian piety which should characterize the life of every Christian,
especially those who are dedicated to theological studies and who
are preparing for the priesthood.
The Congregation for Catholic
Education draws the attention of seminary educators to the necessity
of promoting an authentic Marian piety among seminarians who will
one day be principal workers in the pastoral life of the Church.
Vatican II, treating the
necessity of seminarians having a profound spiritual life,
recommended that seminarians "should love and honour the most
Blessed Virgin Mary, who was given as a mother to his disciple by
Christ Jesus as he hung dying on the cross" [Optatam Totius,
8].
For its part, this
Congregation, conforming to the thought of the Council, has
underlined many times the value of Marian piety in the formation of
seminarians:
- in the Ratio
fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis the Congregation
requests the seminarian "to have a fervent love for the Virgin
Mary, Mother of Christ, who was in a special way associated with
the work of Redemption" [Congregatio Pro Institutione Catholica,
Ratio fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis (Romae
1985) 54 e.];
- in the circular
letter concerning some of the more urgent aspects of spiritual
formation in seminaries the Congregation noted that "there
is nothing better than true devotion to Mary, conceived as an
ever more complete following of her example, to introduce one to
the joy of believing" [Id., Circular letter concerning some
of the more urgent aspects of spiritual formation in seminaries,
II, 4.], which is so important for anyone who will spend the
rest of his life in the continual exercise of faith.
Conclusion
The Code of Canon Law,
treating of the formation of candidates for the priesthood,
recommends devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary so that, nourished by
the exercises of piety, the student may acquire the spirit of prayer
and be strengthened in their vocation [Cf. Codex Iuris Canonici,
can. 246, par. 3].
34. With this letter the
Congregation for Catholic Education wishes to reaffirm the necessity
of furnishing seminarians and students of all centres of
ecclesiastical studies with Mariological formation which embraces
study, devotion and life-style. They must:
- acquire a complete
and exact knowledge of the doctrine of the Church about the
Virgin Mary which enables them to distinguish between true and
false devotion, and to distinguish authentic doctrine from its
deformations arising from excess or neglect; and above all which
discloses to them the way to understand and to contemplate the
supreme beauty of the glorious Mother of Christ;
- nourish an authentic
love for the Mother of the Saviour and Mother of mankind,
which expresses itself in genuine forms of devotion and is led
to "the imitation of her virtues" [Lumen Gentium, 67.],
above all to a decisive commitment to live according to the
commandments of God and to do his will (cf. Mt 7:21; Jn 15:14);
- develop the
capacity to communicate such love to the Christian people
through speech, writing and example, so that their Marian piety
may be promoted and cultivated.
35. There are numerous
advantages to be derived from an adequate Mariological formation in
which the ardour of faith and the commitment to study are
harmoniously composed:
- on the intellectual
level, so that the truth about God, about Man, about Christ
and about the Church are understood the more in understanding
the "truth about Mary";
- on the spiritual
level, so that such information will help a Christian to
welcome the Mother of Jesus and "bring her into everything that
makes up his inner life" [Redemptoris Mater, 45.];
- on the pastoral
level, so that the Mother of the Lord may be strongly felt
as a presence of grace among the Christian people.
36. The study of Mariology
holds as its ultimate aim the acquisition of a sound Marian
spirituality, an essential aspect of Christian spirituality. On his
pilgrim way to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
(Eph 4:13), knowing the mission which God has entrusted to the
Virgin in the history of salvation and in the life of the Church,
the Christian takes her as "mother and teacher of the spiritual
life" [Cf. Marialis Cultus, 21; Collectio missarum de
b. Maria Virgine, form. 32.]; with her and like her, in the
light of the Incarnation and of Easter, he impresses on his very
existence a decisive orientation towards God through Christ in the
Spirit, in order to express by his life in the Church the radical
message of the Good News, especially the commandment of love (cf. Jn
15:12).
Your Eminence, Your
Excellencies, Reverend Rectors of Seminaries, Reverend Presidents
and Deans of Ecclesiastical Faculties, we trust that these brief
guidelines will be responsibly received by teachers and students and
will bring forth welcome fruits.
Wishing you the abundance of
God's blessing, we remain,
Yours devotedly in Our Lord,
William Cardinal Baum
Prefect
Antonio M. Javierre Ortas
Tit. Archbishop of Meta
Secretary
