The answer to the title question should be apparent to the Catholic. But today, unfortunately, not for everyone.
The fight against alleged Marian maximism continues. It is conducted by theologians who appreciate Mary's function in the past of salvation, but fearing a mythical “exaggeration” as well as by specified hoarders who would like to see only a “ordinary girl” in it – just the same as each of us.
For progressive Catholics believe that the faithful bound to Tradition or to folk piety worship Mary “too much.” They even propose that her worship can “shadow the fact of Christ’s unique salvation.” These absurd fears have late compounded nobody's request for a doctrinal note, published by the controversial prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of religion – Cardinal Fernandez – and dedicated to any Marian titles. It criticised the usage of, among others, the title of Co-emptor or the All Mediator of Grace.
One of the comments to this paper was, erstwhile again, the accusations of "mary maximism". Let us remind – for progressive Catholics, “martial maximism” is simply a form of mariology and piety which, in their opinion, is besides much to make the function of Mary, allegedly at the expense of the central place of Christ and “the simplicity of faith”.
It is worth remembering, however, that if it were not for specified a "mary maximism" of any of the erstwhile generations, we would not have many dogmas and many titles associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary. But it is thanks to the “meximalists” centuries ago that Mary enjoys appropriate reverence and extraordinary standing in the Church.
Mother of God or “ordinary girl”?
On the first day of all calendar year we celebrate in the Church the Celebration of the Holy parent of God, the parent of God. Let us recall, then, that this title had already caused controversy and confusion, and that it had to be explained to the faithful (we are talking about the 5th century), so that they would realize it well. If Cardinal Fernandez had exercised doctrinal authority in the Church, he would most likely have felt that Mary's title was not appropriate – precisely due to the fact that she is creating confusion! After all, specified arguments were forbidden from calling her Co-Cordator.
A dispute over whether Mary can be called the parent of God (TheotokosIn fact, it was not so much about Mary as the questions of who Jesus Christ is, and how in Him the divine and human natures combine.
Adversary of the title Theotokos was Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople. He argued that God as an eternal being cannot have a beginning or "be born," so Mary could only bear Jesus-man. So he offered the title Christotokos ("Mother of Christ"), emphasizing the clear discrimination between the nature of God and man in Christ. He feared that calling Mary the parent of God leads to confusion of nature and suggests that Christ's divinity is subject to human limitations, specified as birth or suffering.
Supporter of the title Theotokos There was Cyril Alexandria, who came out of the presumption of unity of the individual of Christ. He claimed that Jesus was 1 person, the Divine Son, who accepted human nature. Since Mary bore the individual of Jesus Christ, not a "separate man," she can be called the parent of God, not in the sense of the origin of divinity, but in the sense of the individual she bore. Cyril argued that the rejection of the title Theotokos It leads to Christ's actual "distribution" into 2 persons, which threatens the doctrine of salvation itself: if God did not truly become man, then man was not truly saved.
The dispute besides had a political and ecclesiastical dimension, as it afraid the rivalry between the main centres of Christianity (Aleksandria and Constantinople) and the authority of bishops. It lasted respective years and ended in 431 at the Ephesian Council, where the title was officially recognized Theotokos for the expression of the rightful doctrine of Christ, and Nestorius' teaching was condemned. This decision has permanently entered into the doctrine of the Church, and the title “Mother of God” has become primarily a Christological alternatively than just a Marian creed.
Was Cyril Jerusalem not, for his time, a Marian Maximalist? This is simply a rhetorical question, but let his destiny be evident by the fact that he was declared holy by the Church and then father and doctor of the Church.
An immaculate or “ordinary girl”?
The same is actual of the word “Indefiled” (in the sense of Mary's freedom from first sin from the first minute of its existence), which Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe almost continually used. It besides developed for a very long time and caused controversy. In early Christianity, all recognized Mary’s unique holiness, but there was no agreement whether it was preserved from first sin before or after conception. In the mediate Ages, the dispute became acute: the Dominican theologians were mainly opposed, following the authority of Thomas of Aquinas, who feared that the doctrine of Immaculate Conception undermines the universality of redemption by Christ. The Franciscans advocated, especially John Duns Scots, who argued that Mary was besides redeemed by Christ, but in an earlier and more perfect way (preserved from sin and not cleansed from it).
In the 16th century, the dispute was so harsh that for the pontificate of Pius V – despite his individual Marian piety and the promotion of the rosary – the public usage of the word "Undefiled" was prohibited, but at the same time the usage of formulas suggesting a definitive solution was refrained. In practice, the title “Indefamable” was treated as a theologically risky, and any preachers and authors (especially Franciscan) were punished erstwhile they preached it besides strongly. The Church did not negate the thought itself, but deliberately abstained from its approval in order not to break the doctrinal unity.
Gradually, however, the opinion “for” gained the advantage: Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries increasingly supported it, allowing the cult and feast of the Immaculate Conception. yet in 1854 Pius IX solemnly concluded a centuries-old dispute, dogmaticizing the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception by the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus. From that minute on, the title “Indefiled” not only became full accepted but entered the centre of Catholic marijuana.
And Our woman herself confirmed this title respective times in private apparitions, specified as Lourdes or Gietrzwald.
Our Lady, according to many modern-day progressive Catholics, is most likely besides a “mary maximist”, although her modesty and humility would not indicate that. The Marian Maximalist was most likely Pius IX, but 1 of the namesakes preceding him – Pius V – is no longer so easy qualified. He blocked the usage of the word "Indefiled" but after the large conflict of Lepanto, erstwhile at his call the full Church at the rosary prayed for triumph through... Mary, the same Pope announced the feast of Our woman of Victory, later renamed Our woman of Rosary.
Well, individual would say partial maximism.
Co-recipient or “ordinary girl”?
Controversy was aroused by another titles that the faithful worshipped the parent of God. The Mediator, Queen of Heaven, fresh Eve, and parent of the Church were feared. The second title existed in theology, but it was not authoritative for a long time – part of the fathers of the Second Vatican Council feared that it would weaken Christianity and ecclesiology. But the title was yet proclaimed by Paul VI, contrary to these fears.
Has the last sixty years of the usage of the word parent Church for Mary truly taken distant anything from Christ? Have you encountered specified a phenomenon?
Now, I do not want to re-describe the dispute over the title of Co-emptor – adequate has been said and written about it over the last 2 months. I just wanted to remind the dear readers that the titles which Our woman deserves, in the past of the Church, sooner or later, come to her with appropriate luminaire and reverence, even if it must last many years or centuries and arouse considerable controversy.
At the same time, on the feast of the Holy parent of God, I would like to share 1 of the arguments heard from a prominent theologian: and all man in the planet in any way suffers or will suffer—for sins, his own, for each was born with first sin. Christ, as we know, was born without sin and lived without sin, but suffered and died for sins. Whose? People. He has redeemed their sins, he is our Redeemer.
What about the parent of God? Mary, as we know, is immaculately conceived and is the only 1 but her boy to live without sin. Did she suffer? Yes, the sword of pain was announced to her only 8 days after she came to the planet of the Savior. We besides worship her as the Painful Mother. Why did Mary suffer? For your sins. Whose? It's not yours as the Immaculate One.
So who's it for?
There are only 2 possible answers: either Our woman co-ordinated besides for the sins of humanity, or is the only individual in the past of the planet who suffered without meaning...
There's no 3rd option.
Pray for us, Holy Parent.
Holy Virgin over the virgins, parent of Christ, parent of the Church, parent of mercy, parent of God's grace, parent of hope, parent of the purest, parent of the virgin, parent of the intact, parent of the beloved, parent of the strangest, parent of good advice, parent of the Creator, parent of the Savior, Virgin of understanding, Virgin of venerable, Virgin of grace, Virgin of faithfulness, Mirror of righteousness, Capital of wisdom, origin of our joy, Shrine of the Holy Spirit, The glorious tabernacle, the celebrated shrine of godliness, the spiritual rose, the David Tower, the ivory tower, the golden house, the Ark of the Covenant, the blue gate, the morning star, the healing of the sick, the escape of the sinful, the comfort of migrants, the comfort of the troubled, the aid of the faithful, the Queen of Angels, the Queen of Patriarchs, the Queen of Prophets, the Queen of Apostles, the Queen of Martyrs, the Queen of Confessors, the Queen of Virgins, the Queen of All Saints, Queen of the first born, Queen of the Assumption, Queen of the Rosary, Queen of families, Queen of Peace, Queen of Poland, pray for us.
Krystian Kratiuk
Celebration of the Holy Parent
A. D. 2026
