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The Blessed Virgin Mary, was born of Sts Anne and Joachim. Her conception within the womb of St. Anne is referred to as the Immaculate Conception and contrary to popular belief, the Immaculate Conception does not refer to the conception of Jesus (or any “fatherless?? conception). Some say the word blessed found in her title is idolatry (Mariolatry). The word blessed comes from the Greek markariousin. This term is found throughout the bible and has been in use for nearly 2000 years. Its use as an adjective in no way detracts from the holiness or divine worship of God. Jesus himself used it in his Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3-12). Essentially, it is important to note that the use of the word blessed isn??t reserved exclusively to divinity.
The Third General Council held at Ephesus in 431 taught that Mary was the Mother of God (Theotokos “God Bearer??). This was to counter the heretical teachings of Nestorius who referred to Our Lady as Christotokos (Mother of Christ).
Scripture implicitly affirms Mary’s Divine motherhood by attesting, on the one hand, the true Divinity of Christ, and on the other hand, Mary’s true motherhood. Thus Mary is called: “Mother of Jesus?? (John 2:1)… “Mother of the Lord?? (Luke 1:43). Mary’s true motherhood is clearly foretold by the Prophet Isaiah: “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel?? (Isaiah 7:14)??. The woman who bore the Son of God is the Progenitress of God, or the Mother of God [see also Matt. 1:18, 12:46, 13:55; Luke 1:31,35; Gal. 4:4] Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 196-197.
Two truths can be known about the dogma of Mary’s motherhood of God; Mary is truly a mother, she contributed everything to the formation of the human nature of Christ, and that Mary is truly the Mother of God as she conceived and bore the second person of the Trinity.
On December 8th, 1854, Pope Pius IX defined infallibly (papal authority) that “the doctrine which declares that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of Original Sin, is a doctrine revealed by God, and therefore must be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.?? Her conception took place in the natural way, but from the first moment of her existence she was free from Original Sin.
It is Catholic teaching that Our Lady was always sinless. The Council of Trent defined; “If anyone says that man once justified can during his whole life avoid all sins, even venial sins, as the Church holds that the Blessed Virgin did by special privilege of God, let him be anathema.?? [Sess. VI., cent. 23]. “The divine influence, safeguarding her against all sin??rested on the very singular and personal relation of Mary to God which makes her the bride and vesture of God. Because of this relation God owed it to His own dignity and holiness to safeguard Mary against sin, lest her sin should be imputed to Him, or lest it should appear that He had a share in it. Because of this relation also, all graces necessary to preclude sin are virtually ensured and guaranteed to Mary in and through the principle of this grace.?? [Scheeben, Mariology, II, 135]. Though physically capable of sin, by possessing free will, Mary became morally incapable of any offense through grace from God.
Mary was virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. Having a human mother gave Jesus His humanity while having no human father but by the power of the Holy Spirit being conceived in the womb of Mary gave Him His divinity. On November 1st, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined as a truth revealed by God that, when the course of her life on earth was finished, Our Lady was taken up body and soul into Heaven.
A special kind of honor is due to Mary as Mother of God. This honor is known as hyperdulia (cultus hyperduliae). The angels and saints are also given honor. The honor reserved for them is referred to as dulia (cultus duliae) and is a lesser honor than that paid to Mary. The highest honor is reserved to God alone. This honor is referred to as latria (cultus latriae). “Immediately next to being God is being the Mother of God,?? says St. Albert the Great [Mary, Canice p.36]. “The humanity of Christ, from the fact that it is united to the Godhead; and created happiness, from the fact that it is the fruition of God; and the Blessed Virgin, from the fact that she is the Mother of God; have all a certain infinite dignity from the Infinite Good, which is God. And on this account there cannot be anything better than these; just as there cannot be anything better than God,?? St Thomas Aquinas [Pt. 1, Q. 25, Art. 6, Reply to Obj. 4]. The Catholic Church, from the beginning, has given Mary the highest form of honor (hyperdulia) below that which is reserved for God alone (latria). Mary, therefore, is not adored or worshiped and cannot be honored to excess. St Epiphanius (A.D. 403) noted, “Mary should be honored, but the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost should be adored. Nobody should adore Mary.??
It should be clear then that the term “Mariolatry?? is a fabrication of malformed or uninformed minds. And for those women seeking power within the Church they need only look to their Mother and follow her example. Hers is a unique role as Queen of both Heaven and Earth, the Mediatrix of all graces!
References:
Armstrong, D. (2003). A Biblical Defense of Catholicism. NH: Sophia Institute Press.
Brighenti, K. & Trigilio, J. (2003). Catholicism for Dummies. NJ: Wiley Publishing.
Ott, L. (1955). Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. UK: Mercer Press
Ripley, F.J. (2002). This is The Faith, 3rd ed. T.A. Nelson publisher.
