The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland () (also translated as Our Lady, Queen of Poland or Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland, etc.) is an honorary title for

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, used by Polish Catholics. The Catholic Church in Poland is singled out by

Marian devotions Marian devotions are external pious practices directed to the person of Mary, mother of God, by members of certain Christian traditions. They are performed in Catholicism, High Church Lutheranism, Anglo-Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Orie ...

among other

Christian denominations in Poland Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

. The cult is universal and very common among

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in ...

, also foundable in Polonia worldwide. The title is associated with the history of Poles.

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

referred to Mary as ''Panią świata i naszą'' (Worldwide and our Lady). The oldest chronicle about the title for Mary as "Mary, Queen of Poland" is dated to the second half of the 16th century. This time called Mary "Mary, the Queen of Poland and Poles". On 1 April 1656 in Lviv's Cathedral at the Picture of Our Lady of Gracious Lovely Lviv Star

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir ( pl, Jan II Kazimierz Waza; lt, Jonas Kazimieras Vaza; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 until his abdication in 1668 as well as titular King of Sweden from 1648 ...

officially vowed: . On the 300th anniversary of the

Lwów Oath The Lwów Oath ( pl, Śluby lwowskie) was an oath made on April 1, 1656 by Polish king John II Casimir in Latin cathedral in the city of Lwów (today Lviv, western Ukraine). Background During "the Deluge", when the Swedish armies invaded Polis ...

, the Polish Episcopacy on

Stefan Wyszyński Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948, archbishop of Warsaw and archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He was created a cardinal on ...

's initiative again codified in whole Mary's country and revitalised royal vows. On 26 August 1956 at

Jasna Góra Monastery The Jasna Góra Monastery ( pl, Jasna Góra , ''Luminous Mount'', hu, Fényes Hegy, lat, Clarus Mons) in Częstochowa, Poland, is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage. The image of the Black Ma ...

about one million of Polish ancestors donated . On 3 May (The day when

Constitution of 3 May 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791,; lt, Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija titled the Governance Act, was a constitution adopted by the Great Sejm ("Four-Year Sejm", meeting in 1788–1792) for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a dual mo ...

is commonly celebrated in Poland), the Polish Catholic Church holds a

solemnity In the liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite, a solemnity is a feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity, an event in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, his earthly father Joseph, or another important sai ...

called the . The Virgin Mary is the first among the three main

patron saints of Poland The Catholic Church venerates five patron saints of Poland. The primary patron saints are the Blessed Virgin Mary the Queen of Poland, Saint Adalbert, and Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów. The secondary patron saints are the Jesuits Saint Stanis ...

. She is also the main patroness for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Częstochowa, the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Przemyśl The Archdiocese of Przemyśl ( la, Premisliensis Latinorum) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Przemyśl in Poland. History * April 13, 1375: Established as Diocese of Pr ...

and a former patroness of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv (of the Latins) ( la, Archidioecesis Leopolitana Latinorum) is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in western Ukraine. Its Cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor Basilica an ...

History

History of Marian devotions in Poland are related to

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

*On 14 August 1608 the Italian

Giulio Mancinelli Giulio Mancinelli ( lat, Julius Mancinellus) (1537-1618) was 16th and 17th century Jesuit missionary. In 1583 he founded Jesuit mission in Ottoman held Istanbul. Early life Mancinelli was born to a noble family. He joined the Jesuits in 1558 ...

from

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, received a revelation of Mary. Mary recommended to him that he called her "Queen of Poland": . On a second time on 8 May 1610 Mary revelated for him again, telling him: . Message about this revelation caused developing Marian devotions in Poland. On 15 August 1617, Mary revelated to Giulio Mancinelli again. Grand Chancellor of Lithuania

Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł (1 July 1595 – 12 November 1656) was a Polish nobleman, a Reichfürst and a politician from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, who served as the Lesser Lithuanian Chancellor from 1619, the Grand Chancellor ...

and

Andrew Bobola Andrew Bobola, SJ ( pl, Andrzej Bobola; 1591 – 16 May 1657) was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the Apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls". He was beaten and tortured to death during the Khmelnytsky Up ...

spread news about these revelations. *In 1635 Radziwiłł announced to the world that according to one of members of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, Mary desired to be a Queen of Poland. After Naples and Kraków, Vilnius has been a Jesuit-European center of spreading dignity.

Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn ''Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn'' ( lt, Aušros Vartų Dievo Motina, pl, Matka Boska Ostrobramska, be, Маці Божая Вастрабрамская, german: Mutter Gottes vor den Toren der Morgenröte, ua, Богородиця біля бр� ...

(1620) has been the first incarnate effect of the revelations. *In 1640,

Cistercians The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

from

Bledzew Bledzew (german: Blesen) is a village and former town in Międzyrzecz County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Bledzew. Geography The settlement lies on the western rim of ...

donated to Cisterians of the an icon of the Mother of God with the emblem of Polish kings on her chest. *On 27 June 1651,

got the Picture of Our Lady of Gracious Lovely Lviv Star from

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X ( la, Innocentius X; it, Innocenzo X; 6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death in Januar ...

. *

, according to Catholic tradition, was defended during the

Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the Biblical book of Genesis. Deluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Com ...

thanks to Mary. The departure of the Swedes from Jasna Góra, of which King John II Casimir learned in Krosno, influenced the naming of the Mother of God the Queen of Poland. *On 1 April 1656 John II Casimir Vasa (among other bishops during papal legate's presence) submitted his vows before the icon of and he celebrated Mary as "Mary, Queen of Poland". During refusing the litany of Loreto

Pietro Vidoni Pietro Vidoni (8 November 1610 – 5 January 1681) was an Italian cardinal who served from 1652 to 1660 as the papal legate and nuncio to Poland. Personal life Vidoni was born 8 November 1610 in Cremona into Italian noble family. He studied at se ...

phrasing three times: (a popular type of prayer in Poland) got popularised. *In 1651

Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki Michael I ( pl, Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, lt, Mykolas I Kaributas Višnioveckis; 31 May 1640 – 10 November 1673) was the ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 29 September 1669 un ...

placed Polish emblem on the wonderful image of Mary at Rokitno's Basilica. *On 8 September 1717 took place the coronation with papal crowns of the picture of Our Lady of Częstochowa, as the first with papal rights outside Rome. *In 1764 Coronation Sejm in the act ''Forteca Częstochowska'' referred to Our Lady as "Virgin Mary, the Most Holy Queen of Polish Commonwealth". *25 November 1908, at the request of Józef Bilczewski,

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...

issued a decree confirming the cult, allowing the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of the Polish Crown and instituted the

liturgical feast The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does ...

of the Queen of the Polish Crown for the Archdiocese of Lviv and the Przemyśl diocese, designating it as the first Sunday of May in memory of John II Casimir's vow's. *On 29 November 1908,

leted for including to Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary permanent invocation "Królowo Korony Polskiej" for the Lviv and Przemyśl dioceses *In 1910 Pius X announced Mother of God Queen of the Polish Crown main patroness of Archdiocese of Lviv. *On 22 May 1910 second coronation with papal crowns – Pius X. *In 1914 Celebrations has been changed on 2 May. *14 January 1920 After receiving two appeals from Polish Episcopacy,

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his deat ...

expanded the invocation of the Queen of the Polish Crown in the Loreto Litany for the whole of Poland. *27 July 1920 Polish Episcopacy due to

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

again picked Mary as "Queen of Poland" *On 12 October 1923,

Sacred Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by '' Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it had its functions reassigned by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 1969. The Congregation was charged with the ...

designated Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland on 3 May and included to Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary phrasing ''Queen of the Polish Crown'' (which after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

has been changed for "Queen of Poland"). *In 1925

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

expanded the cult of Mary for all dioceses in Poland. *In 1926 a pilgrimage of Polish women, in thanks for the Battle of Warsaw, offered the Mother of God at Jasna Góra a scepter and an apple as a sign of royal dignity. *15 January 1930 the holiday was raised to the rank of first-class with an octave in the diocese of Lviv, Przemyśl. and Częstochowa, which also received its own mass form and office, and in other dioceses it was a second-class holiday. *On 16 May 1956 (during

's feast day) cardinal

interneed in

Komańcza Komańcza ( uk, Команча, ''Komancha'') is a village in the Sanok County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (province) of south-eastern Poland. It is situated in the Bukowsko Upland mountains, located near the towns of Medzilaborce and Pa ...

, wrote revitalisation of Lviv vows which were influential for reparating Poland. *26 August 1956 The Polish Episcopacy made the act of renewing the Lviv vows, which 300 years earlier was made by the Polish king Jan II Casimir. *In 1962,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 28 Oc ...

, announced Mary as "Patronness of Poland" and Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland became a first-class holiday in all Polish dioceses. *In 1962 Pope Paul VI (based on Stefan Wyszyński's askings) increased custom for ore competitive category celebration. *On 1 April 2005,

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 ...

(one day before his death) offered and sacrificed new golden crowns for the image of Our Lady the Queen of Poland.

History

See also

References

Further reading