RC Mariology - History and Development

History and Development

Main article: History of Roman Catholic Mariology See also: Mariology of the popes and Mariology of the saints

The history of Mariology goes back to the 1st century. Early Christians focused their piety at first more upon the martyrs around them; but following that they saw in Mary a bridge between the old and the new. The earliest recorded prayer to Mary, the sub tuum praesidium, is dated in its earliest form to around the year 250.

In Egypt the veneration of Mary had started in the 3rd century and the term Theotokos was used by Church Father Origen. In the 5th century, the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus declared Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer). Churches dedicated to Mary were constructed across the Christian world, among the most famous being Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. After the 5th century, the celebration of the Assumption of Mary began to spread across the Christian world. The Middle Ages saw growth and development for Mariology and prayers to Mary such as the Ave Maria, and chants such as Ave Maris Stella and the Salve Regina emerged and became staples of monastic plainsong.

The Renaissance period witnessed a dramatic growth in Marian art. Masterpieces by Boticelli, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael were produced in this period. In the 16th century, the Council of Trent confirmed the Catholic tradition of paintings and artworks in churches, resulting in a great development of Marian art and Mariology during the Baroque Period. During the Reformation, the Catholic Church defended its Mariology against Protestant views. With the victory at Battle of Lepanto (1571) accredited to her, it "signified the beginning of a strong resurgence of Marian devotions." The baroque literature on Mary experienced unforeseen growth. More than 500 pages of Mariological writings were published during the 17th century alone.

Popes have been an important element in shaping both the theological and the devotional aspects of the Roman Catholic perspective on the Virgin Mary. Theologically, popes have highlighted the inner link between Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, the encyclicals Mystici Corporis, Lumen Gentium and Redemptoris Mater being examples. Furthermore, popes have fostered the veneration of the Blessed Virgin through the promotion of Marian devotions, feast days, prayers, initiatives, the acceptance and support of Marian congregations, and, the formal recognition of Marian apparitions such as in Lourdes and Fátima. Popes have at times followed on paths initiated by previous popes, for instance popes Alexander VII and Clement X both promulgated the veneration of the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary, a concept which was embraced by pope John Paul II in the 20th century as the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The two Marian dogmas of Immaculate Conception and Assumption were established by popes in the 19th and 20th century. In 1904 at the 50th anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Pope Pius X with the encyclical Ad diem illum encouraged the entire Church to honor the Virgin Mary. Pope Pius XII issued the Dogma of the Assumption and the Second Vatican Council declared Mary to be the Mother of the Church. In his 2002 Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, Pope John Paul II emphasized Saint Louis de Montfort's approach of viewing the study of Mary as a path to gaining a better understanding of the mystery of Christ.