The Council's
Teaching on Mary is Rich and Positive
H.H. Pope John Paul II
General Audience
December 13, 1995
1. Today I
would like to reflect on the particular presence of the
Mother of the Church at what was certainly the most
important ecclesial event of our century; the Second Vatican
Ecumenical Council, opened by Pope John XXIII on the morning
of 11 October 1962 and closed by Pope Paul VI on 8 December
1965.
An
extraordinary Marian tone actually marked the Council from
its indiction. In the Apostolic Letter Celebrandi
Concilii Oecumenici, my venerable predecessor, the
Servant of God John XXIII, had already recommended recourse
to the powerful intercession of Mary, "Mother of grace and
heavenly patroness of the Council" (11 April 1961, AAS
53 [1961] 242).
Treatment of
Mary placed in Constitution on the Church
Subsequently,
in 1962, on the feast of the Purification of Mary, Pope John
set the opening of the Council for 11 October, explaining
that he had chosen this date in memory of the grant Council
of Ephesus, which precisely on that date had proclaimed Mary
"Theotokos", Mother of God (Motu proprio Concilium,
AAS 54 [1962] 67-68). Later, in his opening address,
the Pope entrusted the Council itself to the "Help of
Christians, Help of Bishops", imploring her motherly
assistance for the successful outcome of the Council's work
(AAS 54 [1962] 795).
The Council
Fathers also turned their thoughts expressly to Mary in of
their message to the world at the opening of the Council’s
sessions, saying, "We successors of the Apostles, joined
together in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, form one
apostolic body" (Acta Synodalia I, I, 254), thus
linking themselves, in communion with Mary, to the early
Church awaiting the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).
2. At the
second session of the Council, it was proposed that the
treatment of the Blessed Virgin Mary be put into the
Constitution on the Church. This initiative, although
expressly recommended by the Theo logical Commission,
prompted a variety of opinions.
Some, who
considered this proposal inadequate for emphasizing the very
special mission of Jesus' Mother in the Church, maintained
that only a separate document could express Mary's dignity,
pre-eminence, exceptional holiness and unique role in the
Redemption accomplished by the Son. Furthermore, regarding
Mary as above the Church in a certain way, they were afraid
that the decision to put the Marian teaching in the
treatment of the Church would not sufficiently emphasize
Mary's privileges and would reduce her role to the level of
other members of the Church (Acta Synodalia, II, III,
338-342).
Others,
however, spoke in favour of the Theological Commission's
proposal to put the doctrinal treatment of Mary and the
Church in a single document. According to them, these
realities could not be separated at the Council which, in
aiming to rediscover the identity and mission of the People
of God, had to show its close connection with her who is the
type and exemplar of the Church in her virginity and
motherhood. Indeed, as an eminent member of the ecclesial
community, the Blessed Virgin has a special place in the
Church's doctrine. Furthermore, by stressing the link
between Mary and the Church, Christians of the Reformation
could better understand of the Marian teaching presented by
the Council (Acta Synodalia, II, III, 343-345).
The Council
Fathers, moved by the same love for Mary, thus tended, in
their expression of different doctrinal positions, to favour
various aspects of her person. Some reflected on Mary
primarily in her relationship to Christ, others considered
her more as a member of the Church.
3. After an
intense doctrinal discussion attentive to the dignity of the
Mother of God and to her particular presence in the Church's
life, it was decided that the treatment of Mary would be
situated in the Council's document on the Church (cf.
Acta Synodalia, II, III, 627).
The new
schema on the Blessed Virgin, drafted so as to be included
in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, shows real
doctrinal progress. The stress placed on Mary's faith and a
more systematic concern to base Marian doctrine on Scripture
are significant and useful elements for enriching the piety
and esteem of the Christian people for the Blessed Mother of
God.
Moreover,
with the passing of time the danger of reductionism, feared
by some Fathers, proved to be unfounded: Mary's mission and
privileges were amply reaffirmed: her co-operation in the
divine plan of salvation was highlighted; the harmony of
this co-operation with Christ's unique mediation appeared
were evident.
For the first
time, the conciliar Magisterium offered the Church a
doctrinal exposition of Mary's role in Christ's redemptive
work and in the life of the Church.
Thus, we must
consider the Council Fathers' choice, which proved very
fruitful for later doctrinal work, to have been a truly
providential decision.
4. During the
Council sessions, many Fathers wished further to enrich
Marian doctrine with other statements on Mary's role in the
work of salvation. The particular context in which Vatican
II's Mariological debate took place did not allow those
wishes, although substantial and widespread, to be a
accepted, but the Council's entire discussion of Mary
remains vigorous and balanced, and the topics themselves,
though not fully defined, received significant attention in
the overall treatment.
A balanced
presentation of Marian doctrine
Thus, the
hesitation of some Fathers regarding the title of Mediatrix
did not prevent the Council from using this title once, and
from stating in other terms Mary's mediating role from her
consent to the Angel's message to her motherhood in the
order of grace (cf. Lumen gentium, n. 62).
Furthermore, the Council asserts her co-operation "in a
wholly singular way" in the work of restoring supernatural
life to souls (ibid., n. 61). Lastly, even if it avoided
using the title "Mother of the Church", the text of Lumen
gentium clearly underscores the Church's veneration for
Mary as a most loving Mother.
The entire
exposition in the eighth chapter of the Dogmatic
Constitution on the Church clearly shows that terminological
precautions did not prevent a very rich and positive
presentation of basic doctrine, an expression of faith and
love for her whom the Church acknowledges as Mother and
Model.
On the other
hand, the Fathers' differing points of view, as they emerged
during the conciliar debate, turned out to be
providential, because, on the basis of their
harmonious relationship, they have afforded the faith and
devotion of the Christian people a more complete and
balanced presentation of the marvelous identity of the
Lord's Mother and of her exceptional role in the work of
Redemption.
Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
20/27 December 1995
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