Mariology of The Popes - The 20th Century - John Paul II

John Paul II

The ancient title Mary Mother of the Church was proclaimed then by Pope Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council. In 1987, Pope John Paul II repeated this title Mother of the Church in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater and at a general audience on September 17, 1997. The encyclical is a long and eloquent summary of modern Mariology, making some novel points: According to John Paul, the Mother of the Redeemer, has a precise place in the plan of salvation.

The Church teaches that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ.

If the greeting and the name "full of grace" say all this, in the context of the angel's announcement they refer first of all to the election of Mary as Mother of the Son of God. But at the same time the "fullness of grace" indicates all the supernatural munificence from which Mary benefits by being chosen and destined to be the Mother of Christ. If this election is fundamental for the accomplishment of God's salvific designs for humanity, and if the eternal choice in Christ and the vocation to the dignity of adopted children is the destiny of everyone, then the election of Mary is wholly exceptional and unique. Hence also the singularity and uniqueness of her place in the mystery of Christ.

The 2002 Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae of Pope John Paul II on the Holy Rosary further communicated his Marian focus as he explained how his personal motto "Totus Tuus" was inspired by St. Louis de Montfort's doctrine on the excellence of Marian devotion and total consecration. The Pope truly venerated the Virgin Mary, as expressed in this motto Totus Tuus.

In recent years, to emphasize the role of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church, in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II quoted Saint Louis de Montfort, and said:

“Our entire perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ. Hence the most perfect of all devotions is undoubtedly that which conforms, unites and consecrates us most perfectly to Jesus Christ.

Now, since Mary is of all creatures the one most conformed to Jesus Christ, it follows that among all devotions that which most consecrates and conforms a soul to our Lord is devotion to Mary, his Holy Mother, and that the more a soul is consecrated to her the more will it be consecrated to Jesus Christ." As the pontiff observed, Saint Louis de Montfort's approach to Mariology as presented in God Alone presents the logic of how an initially Christ centric view leads to total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The direction of the Catholic Church during the last part of the 20th century was dominated by the views of Pope John Paul II, whose perspective had a very strong Marian emphasis. He advocated "Total Consecration to Mary" more than any of his predecessors. And he deliberately reflected his Marian views within the design of his coat of arms by using a Marian Cross. According to the L’Osservatore Romano, the use of the Marian Cross on his coat of arms was a departure from traditional heraldry models and was intended to emphasize the presence of the Virgin Mary under the Cross in Calvary and her special participation in the process of redemption. Pope John Paul II issued a number of Marian encyclicals that shaped the Catholic views on Mary during the 20th century.