Ecumenical meetings and documents on Mary, involving
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
commissions and working groups, have reviewed the status of
Mariology
Mariology is the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Chri ...
in the
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
,
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
,
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Churches.
Ecumenical meetings with Eastern Orthodoxy
Marian views
The Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
churches believe in Mary having a continuing role within the church and in the life of all Christians. The focus is upon Mary as a living person – that is, currently, in heaven – who can hear prayers uttered on Earth and intercede in the heavenly realms to her Son,
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, on behalf of humanity.
Ecumenical dialogue
Mariology
Mariology is the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Chri ...
is not at the centre of Catholic–Orthodox ecumenical discussions. Catholics and Orthodox, while very close to one another in the faith, have difficulties in understanding each other culturally and mentally. In the East, there is a highly developed culture, but one with neither the Western separation between Church and State nor the modern Enlightenment in its background, and one perhaps marked most of all by the
persecution of Christians under Communism.
[Walter Kasper 2005]
Positive results dialogues have been reciprocal visits and regular correspondence between the Pope and the Patriarchs, frequent contacts at the local church level and – importantly for the strongly monastic Oriental Churches – at the level of the monasteries.
Several meetings between Popes and Patriarchs took place since the Vatican Council. In their ''Common Declaration of
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
and the Ecumenical Patriarch His Holiness
Bartholomew I
Bartholomew I ( el, Βαρθολομαῖος Αʹ, , tr, I. Bartholomeos; born 29 February 1940) is
the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, since 2 November 1991. In accordance with his title, he is regarded as the '' ...
(July 1, 2004)'', they agree that in the search for full communion, it would have been unrealistic not to expect obstacles of various kinds. They identify doctrine, but mainly the conditioning by a troubled history. New problems emerged from the radical changes in the East. The dialogue was made more and not less difficult after the fall of communism. The
Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and all the Orthodox Churches produced three between 1980 and 1990, which show a deep community in the understanding of faith, church and sacraments. Mariology and Marian issues were not even addressed in any of the joint documents, because mariological differences are seen as minor. The only seriously debated theological issue, besides the "
Filioque
( ; ) is a Latin term ("and from the Son") added to the original Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly known as the Nicene Creed), and which has been the subject of great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. It is a term ...
"-clause in the Creed, which is still a motive of separation for most Orthodox, is the question of Roman primacy, the role of the pontiff.
As far as relations between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople are concerned,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
and Patriarch Bartholomew agreed in 2007, that the memory of the ancient anathemas for centuries had a negative effect on relations between the Churches, So far, no mariological commissions have been formed, according to one Orthodox specialist, because there are really no major differences in mariology itself. The last two dogmas are rejected because they were issues "by the Western Patriarch" but not because of content.
Lutheranism
Lutheran Mariology
The
Lutheran Church
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
es, with respect to Lutheran Mariology, teach the doctrines of the
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
and the
virgin birth, as summarized in the
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord (1577) (German, ''Konkordienformel''; Latin, ''Formula concordiae''; also the "''Bergic Book''" or the "''Bergen Book''") is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith (called a confession, creed, or "symbol") that, in its t ...
in the Solid Declaration, Article VIII.24:
The
Smalcald Articles
The Smalcald Articles or Schmalkald Articles (german: Schmalkaldische Artikel) are a summary of Lutheran doctrine, written by Martin Luther in 1537 for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League in preparation for an intended ecumenical Council of the C ...
, a
confession of faith
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
of the Lutheran Churches, affirm the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary.
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
, the founder of the Lutheran theological tradition, honoured Mary as “the most blessed Mother of God, the most blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ,” and “the Queen of Heaven.”
Ecumenical dialogue
Lutheran–Catholic dialogue
The Lutheran – Roman Catholic dialogue began in the 1960s and resulted in a number of covergering reports before the group discussed mariology. The first dialogues between the Lutheran and Catholic Churches dealt with The Status of the Nicene Creed as Dogma of the Church; One Baptism for the Remission of Sins; and, The Eucharist as Sacrifice).
''* Church as Koinonia: Its Structures and Ministries'' is the final report of the Tenth Round of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue.
* ''Justification by Faith through Grace'' was prepared by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
* ''Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ)'' - This official common statement by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church is the result of decades of dialogue on a key Lutheran view.
* ''Condemnations of the 16th Century on Justification: Do They Still Apply Today?''
* Justification by Faith: Do the 16th Century Condemnations Still Apply? (Edited by Karl Lehmann, Michael Root, and William G. Rusch) - This text discusses the proposal between the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches that the mutual condemnations made in the 16th century no longer apply today.
* Unity of the Churches: An Actual Possibility - Eight theses exploring the achievements of ecumenical dialogues, particularly those between Lutherans and Catholics. Of particular interest: text deals with mutual recognition of the ordained ministry and the problem of teaching authority manifested in the "infallibility" of the papacy.
* Lutheran-Catholic Quest for Visible Unity: A paper prepared by the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Coordinating Committee outlining hopes for full reconciliation. A summation of theological discussions and conclusions brought out by the dialogue.
* The Common Statement on Justification by Faith: The common statement resulting from the US Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue VII; a fundamental consensus on the Gospel. Includes the history of the issue, reflection and interpretation, and perspectives for reconstruction.
* Papal Primacy and the Universal Church: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue V - This dialogue centered on the major theological issue of the primacy of the pope. Presents background, meaning and future implications of the Common Statement on papal primacy as developed by the Lutheran-Catholic dialogue panel.
* Teaching Authority and Infallibility in the Church: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VI - Essays building on the foundations laid by dialogue V explore the biblical, historical, and theological background surrounding traditional assumptions and theological interpretations regarding
papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope when he speaks ''ex cathedra'' is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "initially given to the aposto ...
and the teaching authority of the church.
* Scripture and Tradition: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue IX: Details the dialogue's journey through the issue of the authority and use of scripture and tradition through discussion of the major theological and historical differences between the two bodies.
Mariological dialogue
''The One Mediator, the Saints, and Mary: Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VIII'' is the result of a 7-year dialogue surrounding the issues of Christ as the one mediator, the Saints, and Mary. The Common statement on Mary has an "Introduction" and two major sections: "Part One: Issues and Perspectives" and "Part Two: Biblical and Historical Foundations."
Mediatrix
The key issue for the Lutheran participant was the role of Mary as
Mediatrix
Mediatrix is a title given to Mary, mother of Jesus in Christianity. It refers to the intercessory role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mediator in the salvific redemption by her son Jesus Christ and that he bestows graces through her. Mediatrix i ...
in the Catholic Church. The Marian
dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
s of the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
and the
Assumption
Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven.
Assumption may also refer to:
Places
* Assumption, Alberta, Canada
* Assumption, Illinois, United States
** Assumption Town ...
, the Lutheran participants thought that these need not divide the
two churches as long as the sole mediatorship of Christ is safeguarded and in
a case of more unity, Lutherans would not be asked to accept these two dogmas. There was an impression that the Mariology of Vatican Two included a strong description of Mary's mediator role. ''
Lumen gentium
''Lumen gentium'', the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. This dogmatic constitution was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 21 November 1964, following approval by the assembled bishop ...
'' was quoted: "in a wholly
singular way
ary ARY may stand for:
* Abdul Razzak Yaqoob, a Pakistani expatriate businessman
* Andre Romelle Young, real name of Dr. Dre
* Ary and the Secret of Seasons, an action adventure video game
* ARY Digital, a Pakistani television network
* ARY Digital Net ...
cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning
charity in the work of the Savior in restoring supernatural life to souls." "Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her
manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation." While ''Lumen gentium'' also stated that "is so understood that it
neither takes away anything from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficacy
of Christ the one Mediator." some Lutheran participants questioned whether these quote reduce the sole role of Jesus Christ as saviour.
Anglicanism
Anglican mariology
Anglican Mariology has a long tradition and rich history. Anglican Marian piety is close to Roman Catholic devotion: ''Never think about Mary, without thinking about God, and never think about God without thinking about Mary.'' From a Roman Catholic perspective, the closeness of the Anglican and Roman Catholic mariologies is overshadowed by the fact that Marian teachings have no binding doctrinal implications on Churches in the Anglican Communion.
Ecumenical dialogue on Mariology
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) claims to have illuminated in a new way the place of Mary. The joint study led to the conclusion that it is impossible to be faithful to Scripture without giving due attention to the person of Mary.
Mariological consensus
Developments in the Anglican and Catholic communities opened the way for a new re-reception of the place of Mary in the faith and life of the Church.
Consensus was reached regarding the role of Mary:
* The teaching that God has taken the Blessed Virgin Mary in the fullness of her person into his glory as consonant with Scripture, and only to be understood in the light of Scripture
* That in view of her vocation to be the mother of the Holy One, Christ's redeeming work reached ‘back’ in Mary to the depths of her being and to her earliest beginnings
* That the teaching about Mary in the two definitions of the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception, understood within the biblical pattern of the economy of hope and grace, can be said to be consonant with the teaching of the Scriptures and the ancient common traditions
* That this agreement, when accepted by our two Communions, would place the questions about authority which arise from the two definitions of 1854 and 1950 in a new ecumenical context
* That Mary has a continuing ministry which serves the ministry of Christ, our unique mediator, that Mary and the saints pray for the whole Church and that the practice of asking Mary and the saints to pray for us is not communion-dividing
Marian devotions
The growth of devotion to Mary in the medieval centuries, and the theological controversies associated with them included some excesses in late medieval devotion, and reactions against them by the Reformers, contributed to the breach of communion between us, following which attitudes toward Mary took divergent paths.
The commission agreed, that doctrines and devotions which are contrary to Scripture cannot be said to be revealed by God nor to be the teaching of the Church. We agree that doctrine and devotion which focuses on Mary, including claims to ‘private revelations’, must be moderated by carefully expressed norms which ensure the unique and central place of Jesus Christ in the life of the Church, and that Christ alone, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is to be worshipped in the Church.
[(ARCIC) 79] The Commission did not to clear away all possible problems, but deepened a common understanding to the point where remaining diversities of devotional practice may be received as the varied work of the Spirit amongst all the people of God.
[(ARCIC) 80] Issues concerning doctrine and devotion to Mary need no longer be seen as communion-dividing, or an obstacle in a new stage of growing together. The Commission hopes, that, “in the one Spirit by which Mary was prepared and sanctified for her unique vocation, we may together participate with her and all the saints in the unending praise of God.
Joint Anglican – Roman Catholic document
On May 16, 2005, the Roman Catholic and
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
churches issued a joint 43-page statement,
Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ (also known as the Seattle Statement) on the role of the Virgin Mary in Christianity as a way to uphold ecumenical cooperation despite differences over other matters. The document was released in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, by Alexander Brunett, the local Catholic
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
, and
Peter Carnley
Peter Frederick Carnley (born 17 October 1937) is a retired Australian Anglican bishop and author. He was the Archbishop of Perth from 1981 to 2005 and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia from 2000 until May 2005. He ordained the fir ...
, Anglican Archbishop of
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, co-chairmen of the
Anglican—Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
The joint document is said to seek a common understanding to help both churches agree on the theological reasoning behind the Catholic dogmas, despite Anglicans not accepting the papal authority that underpins them. Carnley has reportedly said that Anglican concerns that dogmas about Mary are not provable by scripture would "disappear", with the document discussing that Anglicans would stop opposition to Roman Catholic teachings of the Immaculate Conception (defined in 1854) and the
Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
(defined in 1950) as being "consonant" with the biblical teachings.
Roman Catholicism
Notes
References
* ANGLICAN - ROMAN CATHOLIC INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION (ARCIC), 2004
* Karl Barth, ''Die kirchliche Dogmatik,'' Zollikon, Vol. I-IV, 1932–1955
* Eric Gritsch, in: H. George Anderson, J. Francis Stafford, Joseph A. Burgess (editors) ''The One Mediator, The Saints, and Mary, Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VII'' (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1992)
* Brown, Raymond E. et al. Mary in the New Testament (Fortress and Paulist, 1978)
* Brown, Raymond E. The Virginal Conception and Bodily Resurrection of Jesus (Paulist,
1973)
* Common Declaration of Pope John Paul II and the Ecumenical Patriarch His Holiness Bartholomew I (July 1, 2004)
* Crichton, J. d. Our Lady in the Liturgy (Liturgical Press, 1997)
* Cunnen, Sally, In Search of Mary: The Woman and the Symbol (Ballentine, 1996)
*
Gaventa, Beverly Roberts, Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus (Fortress, 1999)
* Johnson, Elizabeth. Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of
Saints (Continuum Paperback 2005)
* J. Karmiris, A Synopsis of the Dogmatic Theology of the Orthodox Catholic Church, trans. Rev. G. Dimopoulos, Scranton (Christian Orthodox Edition), 1973
Cardinal Walter Kasper, Current Problems in Ecumenical Theology, Rome, 2005
* Cardinal Walter Kasper Homily in honour of the Mother of God of Karzan August 26, 2004
* Die Kirche Jesu Christi. Der reformatorische Beitrag zum ökumenischen Dialog über die kirchliche Einheit (Leuenberg Texts, 1), Frankfurt a. M. 1995,
* Vl. Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, London (J. Clarke), 1968.
* Johnson, Maxwell E. The Virgin of Guadalupe: Theological Reflections of an Anglo-
* Lutheran Liturgist (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002)
* Levine, Amy-Jill, ed. A Feminist Companion to Mariology. (Pilgrim Press, 2005)
* Limberis, Vasiliki, Divine Heiress: The Virgin Mary and the Creation of Christian
Constantinople (Routledge, 1994)
* J. Karmiris, A Synopsis of the Dogmatic Theology of the Orthodox Catholic Church, trans. Rev. G. Dimopoulos, Scranton (Christian Orthodox Edition), 1973.
* J. Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology, New York (Fordham University Press), 1974.
* Elliot Miller, Kenneth R. Samples ''The Cult of the Virgin: Catholic Mariology and the Apparitions of Mary'' (Cri Books) Baker Book House, 1992)
* The Nature and the Purpose of the Church. A Stage on the Way to a Common Statement. Faith and Order Paper 181 (1998)
* Orthodoxe Mariologie und die katholischen Mariendogmen in Herder Korrespondenz Orbis Catholicus, Freiburg im Br. 1950–1951,
* Pelikan, Jaroslav. Mary Through the Centuries: Her Place in the History of Culture
(Yale University Press, 1998)
* The Porvoo Common Statement (1992) (The Council for Christian Unity of the General Synod of the Church of England. Occasional Paper 3); A Formula of Agreement, USA 1997.
* Spretnak, Charlene, Missing Mary: The Queen of Heaven and Her Re-Emergence in the
Modern Church (Palgrave, 2004)
* James White,
Mary Another Redeemer, Minneapolis Bethany House Publishers, 1998)
* David Wright (editor), ''Chosen By God: Mary in Evangelical Perspective'' (London: Marshall Pickering, 1989
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecumenical Meetings And Documents On Mary
Anglican Mariology
Catholic Church and ecumenism
Christian ecumenism
Protestant views on Mary
Catholic Mariology
ca:Mare de Deu
es:Bienaventurada Virgen María
eo:Dipatrino
pl:Najświętsza Maryja Panna
ru:Богородица
zh:聖母瑪利亞