Hey!, Wanna See Some Sin?
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and . . . their sins." Isa. 58:1
5. Idolatry
Part 1: Literal, or "religious" idolatry
Page 5.a:
Contents
Definitions
Non-Christian Idolatry
Christian Idolatry
The official Catholic approach to Mary:
The Apocryphal Mary
"The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew"
The Catholic Church and the Bible
"The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary"
"Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary"
Mary as "Intercessor"
Mary as "Co-Redeemer"
Mary as "Mediator" (Mediatrix)
The Catholic Approach to Proclaiming Doctrinal Truth
The "Rosary"
Page 5.b: Literal, or "religious" idolatry (cont.)
The official Catholic approach to Mary (cont.)
Pope Pius XII Proclaims Mary as "Queen"
Pope Paul VI "Exhorts Devotion to Mary"
Liturgy of the Hours
Catholic "Celebrations", "Devotions", "Masses" and "Feasts" in honor of Mary
Annual Feasts of Mary
Daily Masses of Mary
Officially prescribed prayers to Mary
Titles of Mary (325)
Special Catholic Organizations Devoted To Mary
Page 5.c: Literal, or "religious" idolatry (cont.)
The official Catholic approach to Mary (cont.)
Shrines and Grottos Dedicated to Mary
The Traveling Shrine of Mary
Planned Shrines to Mary, including one 700 feet high
The Doctrine of Patron Saints ("Intercessors")
The "Patronages" of Mary
Mary leads in Church Dedications
Other "Patron Saints"
Plants, flowers and gardens named in "Devotion to Mary":
Art in Devotion to Mary
When "worship" doesn't mean "worship"?
Conclusions to the Catholic "worship" [their word] of Mary
Page 5.d: Literal, or "religious" idolatry (cont.)The official Catholic approach to Mary (cont.)
The Orthodox "Devotion" to Mary
The Anglican/Episcopalian "Devotion" to Mary
Modern Protestants on Mary
The Evangelical View of Mary
The Methodist View of Mary
The Presbyterian View of Mary
The Lutheran View of Mary
Page 5.e: Literal, or "religious" idolatry (cont.)
The official Catholic approach to Images
The Catholic "Reverence" for Images
"Idolatry" or "Veneration"?
"The Veneration of Images"
Definitions from the dictionary, from the Hebrew, and from the Bible
Using objects to "buy" time
What are Indulgences?
"To Worship, or Not to Worship"
"It depends on the definition . . ."
The Orthodox "Devotion" to Images
Lutherans and Images
Anglican/Episcopalian and ImagesPart 2: Secular or "virtual" idolatry (coming)
Page 5.a:It is not our purpose here to judge or to condemn anyone. We all judge or condemn ourselves by our personal choices and actions. We are all answerable to God, not to one another. Our purpose here is to point out the meaning of certain words regarding the sins of idolatry. And in that context, to look at related, official church doctrines and established "traditions".
To place anything or anyone in place of, or ahead of God is to commit idolatry. Most of the world does that through materialism and the pursuit of happiness. Some commit idolatry in more than one way.
Definitions:
idolatry: 1495, Gk. eidololatreia - image worship, (literally or figuratively), idolatry. (Gal. 5:20).
1 : the worship of a physical object as a god
2 : immoderate attachment or devotion to something
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
1) the worship of idols;
2) excessive admiration or veneration.
New Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, Delair, 1981worship:
1 : reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power;
also : an act of expressing such reverence
2 : a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
3 : extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem [worship of the dollar]
admiration - wonder mingled with pleasing emotions, as approbation, esteem, love, or veneration.
devotion:
1 a : religious fervor : piety
b : an act of prayer or private worship -- usually used in plural
c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate worship of a congregation
2 a : the act of devoting
b : the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal (as to an idea or person)
veneration - an act expressing reverence.reverence: honor or respect felt or shown : deference:
especially : profound adoring awed respect
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
idol:
1 : a representation or symbol of an object of worship;
broadly : a false god
2 a : a likeness of something
b obsolete : pretender, impostor
. . .
4 : an object of extreme devotion [a movie idol]; also : ideal
5 : a false conception : fallacy
Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Non-Christian Idolatry:
Any religion or organization promoting a belief system involving "so-called" divine beings (whether represented by physical icons or not) other than the God and Christ of the Bible would be promoting idolatry according to God's law as given in scripture.
Christian Idolatry:
"So-called" Christian organizations, or individual "Christians", that worship anyone or anything other than, or in addition to, God and Christ, would be committing idolatry according to God's law as given in scripture.
The Catholic Approach to Mary:Non-Catholics often condemn Catholics of idolatry because of their attitude and religious practices toward Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church denies that its practices constitute idolatry.
In the United States, the Catholic Church claims a membership of 63,863,030 (23% of the U.S. population) which includes children and infants. Some, perhaps many, American Catholics, like Americans of any other religious organization, tend to hold some personal opinions above the "official" doctrines of their organization (for instance, divorce and remarriage, birth control, papal authority, etc.). Therefore, any "official" doctrine should not be assumed to be the personal belief of every single person who acknowledges association with any particular church. Some may be unaware of the wording of "official" doctrines.
[According to American Religious Identity Survey (ARIS) conducted in 2001, with a sample size of 50,000 Americans, 24.5% of adults identified themselves as Catholic. This translates to 50,873,000 adults.
As for those "who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million in 1990 to 29.4 million in 2001."
"More than thirty-three million American adults, about 16% of the total U.S. adult population report that they have changed their religious preference or identification."
"The top three "gainers" in America's vast religious market place appear to be Evangelical Christians, those describing themselves as Non-Denominational Christians and those who profess no religion."]
http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/key_findings.htm[According to the Barna survey, which was conducted from January 2000 through June 2001, and had a sample size of 6,038 adults, 48% of Catholics attended a "regular" church service in the preceding seven days. This indicates that approximately 24,419,040 adult Americans attend a Catholic service weekly.]
http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html
The Apocryphal Mary
Apocryphal books "can be believed and read" --Saint Jerome, "Doctor of the Church", secretary to Pope Damasus and translator of the the Bible into Latin for the Church.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=10 (emphasis ours)
Even though the following book is not among the apocryphal works officially included in the Catholic Bible, it is found in Catholic reference works and on Catholic web sites. This is only logical since "Marionology" is a prominent Catholic phenomena endorsed and encouraged on every level from the Papacy down to the local priest.
"There is extant another letter to the same bishops, attributed to Jerome [who translated this book]:" --
"Whether this [Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew] be true or not, I leave to the author of the preface and the trustworthiness of the writer: as for myself, I pronounce them doubtful; I do not affirm that they are clearly false. But this I say freely-- and I think none of the faithful will deny it -- that, whether these stories be true or inventions, the sacred nativity of St. Mary was preceded by great miracles, and succeeded by the greatest; and so by those who believe that God can do these things, they can be believed and read without damaging their faith or imperiling their souls. In short, so far as I can, following the sense rather than the words of the writer, and sometimes walking in the same path, though not in the same footsteps, sometimes digressing a little, but still keeping the same road, I shall in this way keep by the style of the narrative, and shall say nothing that is not either written there, or might, following the same train of thought, have been written."
http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/gospels/psudomat.htm (emphasis ours)
"The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew"
"Here beginneth the book of the Birth of the Blessed Mary and the Infancy of the Saviour. Written in Hebrew by the Blessed Evangelist Matthew, and translated into Latin by the Blessed Presbyter Jerome."
. . .
Chapter 6"And Mary was held in admiration by all the people of Israel; and when she was three years old, she walked with a step so mature, she spoke so perfectly, and spent her time so assiduously in the praises of God, that all were astonished at her, and wondered; and she was not reckoned a young infant, but as it were a grown-up person of thirty years old.She was so constant in prayer, and her appearance was so beautiful and glorious, that scarcely any one could look into her face. And she occupied herself constantly with her wool-work, so that she in her tender years could do all that old women were not able to do. And this was the order that she had set for herself: From the morning to the third hour she remained in prayer; from the third to the ninth she was occupied with her weaving; and from the ninth she again applied herself to prayer. She did not retire from praying until there appeared to her the angel of the Lord, from whose hand she used to receive food; and thus she became more and more perfect in the work of God. Then, when the older virgins rested from the praises of God, she did not rest at all; so that in the praises and vigils of God none were found before her, no one more learned in the wisdom of the law of God, more lowly in humility, more elegant in singing, more perfect in all virtue. She was indeed stedfast, immoveable, unchangeable, and daily advancing to perfection. No one saw her angry, nor heard her speaking evil. All her speech was so full of grace, that her God was acknowledged to be in her tongue. She was always engaged in prayer and in searching the law, and she was anxious lest by any word of hers she should sin with regard to her companions. Then she was afraid lest in her laughter, or the sound of her beautiful voice, she should commit any fault, or lest, being elated, she should display any wrong-doing or haughtiness to one of her equals. She blessed God without intermission; and lest perchance, even in her salutation, she might cease from praising God; if any one saluted her, she used to answer by way of salutation: Thanks be to God. And from her the custom first began of men saying, Thanks be to God, when they saluted each other. She refreshed herself only with the food which she daily received from the hand of the angel; but the food which she obtained from the priests she divided among the poor. The angels of God were often seen speaking with her, and they most diligently obeyed her. If any one who was unwell touched her, the same hour he went home cured."
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0848.htm (emphasis ours)
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The Catholic Church and the Bible
"Protocanonical (protos, "first") is a conventional word denoting those sacred writings which have been always received by Christendom without dispute. The protocanonical books of the Old Testament correspond with those of the Bible of the Hebrews, and the Old Testament as received by Protestants. The deuterocanonical (deuteros, "second") are those whose Scriptural character was contested in some quarters, but which long ago gained a secure footing in the Bible of the Catholic Church, though those of the Old Testament are classed by Protestants as the "Apocrypha". These consist of seven books: Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel."
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I, Copyright © 1907
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm (emphasis ours)
"But the heretical apocryphists, while gratifying curiosity, composed spurious Gospels in order to trace backward their beliefs and peculiarities to Christ Himself. The Church and the Fathers were hostile even towards the narratives of orthodox authorship. It was not until the Middle Ages, when their true origin was forgotten even by most of the learned, that these apocryphal stories began to enter largely into sacred legends, such as the "Aurea Sacra", into miracle plays, Christian art, and poetry."
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I, Copyright © 1907
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01601a.htm#III1 (emphasis ours)
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"Assigned" Readings for "Feasts""Commons
For many celebrations throughout the year, readings are assigned from various Commons. Commons are groups of readings appropriate for a type of celebration. These readings include First Readings, Responsorial Psalms, and Gospel Readings. One reading may be selected from each group for use during the Mass.
Often, more than one type of Common is appropriate for a celebration. In these cases, readings may come from any of the commons.
Easter is a special season for Commons. During Easter, a separate set of readings is assigned for the First Readings.
There are also subcategories within the Commons. These are readings which are more appropriate for some celebrations than others. An example of this is the subcategory of Popes within the Common of Pastors.
There are seven Commons for the liturgy, as follows:
Common for the Dedication of a Church
Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary [includes aprocryphal books of Sirach, Judith]
Common of Martyrs
Common of Pastors
Common of Doctors of the Church
Common of Virgins
Common of Holy Men and Women (Common of Saints)
"Disclaimer
The Catholic Calendar Web Pages are the work of a lay Catholic, and are not the work of any official Catholic office or representative. These pages are built on the standard guidelines of the Church calendar, and do not represent all of the possible variants, as each individual Church, Diocese, Archdiocese, and district has significant choice in the exact schedule of services. Please always check with your local Church for information concerning your area."
http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/rules.html#feastday (emphasis ours)
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"Heretical" but "Acceptable"
On the one hand, the books are called "heretical", but because of time and tradition, they are accepted. Could the fact that these are the only support for certain church "traditions" have anything to do with it?
According to various Catholic sources, the Bible:Was not intended to be written.
Was not intended to be circulated.
Was not intended to be gathered into one volume.
Has not been accessible to all.
Does not contain all truth.
Is not understandable.
Is not a safe method.
Is a dead letter.
Does more harm than good.
"The Catholic Church claims that the Bible was not intended to be written (Plain Facts for Fair Minds, p. 26), was not intended to be circulated (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 66), was not expected to be gathered into one volume (Our Faith and the Facts, p. 348), is not accessible to all (The Faith of Millions, p. 152), does not contain all truth (A Catechism for Adults, p. 52), is not understandable (Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, p. 227), is not a safe method (Question Box, p. 67), is a dead letter (Our Priesthood, p. 155), and does more harm than good (Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 274)."
"In view of the foregoing, consider the absurdity of the following words from a Catholic priest: "The simple fact is the Catholic Church loves the Bible, reveres it as the inspired word of God, gives to it a loyalty and a intelligent obedience greater than any other religious body in the world" (The Faith of Millions, p. 143). The same priest at the same time was laboring under the caption at the beginning of the chapter, "Why the Bible alone is not a safe guide in religion" (p. 141). Within a few pages he concludes, "From all of which it must be abundantly clear that the Bible alone is not a safe and competent guide because it is not now and has never been accessible to all, because it is not clear and intelligible to all, and because it does not contain all the truths of the Christian religion." (p. 155)."http://www.bible.ca/cath-bible-attitude-towards.htm#neverintend
On the one hand, Catholic writers use the terms "received" and "sacred writings", but on the other hand, the Bible seems to have less devotion and reverence than the dead "saints" and the images associated with them. Could the fact that some scriptures clearly contradict some church "traditions" have anything to do with it?
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"The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary"
CHAPTER 1
"The blessed and glorious ever-virgin Mary, sprung from the royal stock and family of David, born in the city of Nazareth, was brought up at Jerusalem in the temple of the Lord. Her father was named Joachim, and her mother Anna." . . .
CHAPTER 3
"Now, when he had been there for some time, on a certain day when he was alone, an angel of the Lord stood by him in a great light. And when he was disturbed at his appearance, the angel who had appeared to him restrained his fear, saying: Fear not, Joachim, nor be disturbed by my appearance; for I am the angel of the Lord, sent by Him to thee to tell thee that thy prayers have been heard, . . .
Accordingly thy wife Anna will bring forth a daughter to thee, and thou shall call her name Mary: she shall be, as you have vowed, consecrated to the Lord from her infancy, and she shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from her mother's womb. She shall neither eat nor drink any unclean thing, nor shall she spend her life among the crowds of the people without, but in the temple of the Lord, that it may not be possible either to say, or so much as to suspect, any evil concerning her. Therefore, when she has grown up, just as she herself shall be miraculously born of a barren woman, so in an incomparable manner she, a virgin, shall bring forth the Son of the Most High, who shall be called Jesus, and who, according to the etymology of His name, shall be the Saviour of all nations."
. . .CHAPTER 7
"But the virgin of the Lord advanced in age and in virtues; and though, in the words of the Psalmist, her father and mother had forsaken her, the Lord took her up. For daily was she visited by angels, daily did she enjoy a divine vision, which preserved her from all evil, and made her to abound in all good. And so she reached her fourteenth year; and not only were the wicked unable to charge her with anything worthy of reproach, but all the good, who knew her life and conversation, judged her to be worthy of admiration. Then the high priest publicly announced that the virgins who were publicly settled in the temple, and had reached this time of life, should return home and get married, according to the custom of the nation and the ripeness of their years. The others readily obeyed this command; but Mary alone, the virgin of the Lord, answered that she could not do this, saying both that her parents had devoted her to the service of the Lord, and that, moreover, she herself had made to the Lord a vow of virginity, which she would never violate by any intercourse with man."
. . .
CHAPTER 9"And in those days, that is, at the time of her first coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her by God, to announce to her the conception of the Lord, and to explain to her the manner and order of the conception. Accordingly, going in, he filled the chamber where she was with a great light; and most courteously saluting her, he said: Hail, Mary! O virgin highly favoured by the Lord, virgin full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou above all women, blessed above all men that have been hitherto born. And the virgin, who was already well acquainted with angelic faces, and was not unused to the light from heaven, was neither terrified by the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the greatness of the light, but only perplexed by his words; and she began to consider of what nature a salutation so unusual could be, or what it could portend, or what end it could have. And the angel, divinely inspired, taking up this thought, says: Fear not, Mary, as if anything contrary to thy chastity were hid under this salutation. For in choosing chastity, thou hast found favour with the Lord; and therefore thou, a virgin, shalt conceive without sin, and shalt bring forth a son. . . .
The virgin did not doubt these words of the angel; but wishing to know the manner of it, she answered: How can that come to pass? For while, according to my vow, I never know man, how can I bring forth without the addition of man's seed? To this the angel says: Think not, Mary, that thou shalt conceive in the manner of mankind: for without any intercourse with man, thou, a virgin, wilt conceive; thou, a virgin, wilt bring forth; thou, a virgin, wilt nurse: for the Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee, without any of the heats of lust; and therefore that which shall be born of thee shall alone be holy, because it alone, being conceived and born without sin, shall be called the Son of God"CHAPTER 10
' . . . Therefore Joseph, according to the command of the angel, took the virgin as his wife; nevertheless he knew her not, but took care of her, and kept her in chastity. . . ."
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0849.htm
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"Celebrations", "Devotions", "Masses" and "Feasts" in honor of Mary
"Attaining heaven impossible without Mary"
Mary called "uniquely sinless"
The ""worship" of the saints""Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary"
"Devotion to Our Blessed Lady in its ultimate analysis must be regarded as a practical application of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints. Seeing that this doctrine is not contained, at least explicitly in the earlier forms of the Apostles' Creed, there is perhaps no ground for surprise if we do not meet with any clear traces of the cultus of the Blessed Virgin in the first Christian centuries. The earliest unmistakable examples of the "worship" -- we use the word of course in the relative sense -- of the saints is connected with the veneration paid to the martyrs who gave their lives for the Faith.
"In heaven", St. Ambrose tells us, "she leads the choirs of virgin souls; with her the consecrated virgins will one day be numbered."
St. Jerome (Ep. xxxix, Migne, P. L., XXII, 472) already foreshadows that conception of Mary as mother of the human race which was to animate so powerfully the devotion of a later age.
St. Augustine in a famous passage (De nat. et gratis, 36) proclaims Mary's unique privilege of sinlessness.
In St.Gregory of Nazianzen's sermon on the martyr St. Cyprian (P.G., XXXV, 1181) we have an account of the maiden Justina, who invoked the Blessed Virgin to preserve her virginity.As early as 540 we find a mosaic in which she sits enthroned as Queen of Heaven in the centre of the apex of the cathedral of Parenzo in Austria, which was constructed at that date by Bishop Euphrasius.
With the Merovingian and Carlovingian developments of Christianity in the west came the more authoritative acceptance of Marian devotion as an integral part of the Church's life. It is difficult to give precise dates for the introduction of the various festivals, but it has already been pointed out in the article CALENDAR that the celebration of the Assumption, Annunciation, Nativity and Purification of Our Lady may certainly be traced to this period
In poetic language Mary is declared not only marvellous by the pledge which she conceived through faith but glorious in the translation by which she departed" (P. L., LXII, 244-46), the belief in her Assumption being clearly and repeatedly taken for granted, as it had been a century earlier by Gregory of Tours. She is also described in the liturgy as "the beautiful chamber from which the worthy spouse comes forth, the light of the gentiles, the hope of the faithful, the spoiler of the demons, the confusion of the Jews, the vessel of life, the tabernacle of glory, the heavenly temple, whose merits, tender maiden as she was, are the more clearly displayed when they are set in contrast with the example of ancient Eve" (ib., 245). At the same period numberless churches were erected under Mary's dedication, and many of these were among the most important in Christendom. The cathedrals of Reims, Chartres, Rouen, Amiens, Nîmes, Evreux, Paris, Bayeux, Séez, Toulon etc., though built at different dates, were all consecrated in her honour.There is also besides certain Latin hymns, a very striking Irish litany in honour of the Blessed Virgin, which as regards the picturesqueness of the epithets applied to her, yields in nothing to the present Litany of Loreto. Mary is there called "Mistress of the Heavens, Mother of the Heavenly and earthly Church, Recreation of Life, Mistress of the Tribes, Mother of the Orphans, Breast of the Infants, Queen of Life, Ladder of Heaven." This composition may be as old as the middle of the eighth century
In any case the homage paid to Our Lady during the later Middle Ages was universal. Even so unorthodox a writer as John Wyclif, in one of his earlier sermons, says: "It seems to me impossible that we should obtain the reward of Heaven without the help of Mary. There is no sex or age, no rank or position, of anyone in the whole human race, which has no need to call for the help of the Holy Virgin." So again the intense feeling evoked from the twelfth to the sixteenth century over the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is only an additional tribute to the importance which the whole subject of Mariology possessed in the eyes of the most learned bodies of Christendom. To give even a brief sketch of the various practices of Marian devotion in the Middle Ages would be impossible here. Most of them -- for example the Rosary, the Angelus, the Salve Regina etc. and the more important festivals -- are discussed under separate headings. It will be sufficient to note the prevalence of the wearing of beads of all possible fashions and lengths, some of fifteen decades, some of ten, some of six, five, three, or one, as an article of ornament in every attire; the mere repetition of Hail Marys to be counted by the aid of such Pater Nosters, or beads, was common in the twelfth century, before the time of St. Dominic; the motive of meditating on assigned "mysteries" did not come into use until 300 years later. Further, we must note the almost universal custom of leaving legacies to have a Mary-Mass, or Mass of Our Lady, celebrated daily at a particular altar, as well as to maintain lights to burn continually before a particular statue or shrine. Still more interesting were the foundations left by will to have the Salve Regina or other anthems of Our Lady sung after Compline at the Lady altar, while lights were burned before her statue. The "salut" common to France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries formed only after development of this practice, and from these last we have almost certainly derived our comparatively modern devotion of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Modern Times
Only a few isolated points can be touched upon in the development of Marian devotion since the Reformation. Foremost among these may be noticed the general introduction of the Litany of Loreto, which though, as we have seen, it had precursors in other lands as remote as Ireland in the ninth century, not to speak of isolated forms in the later Middle Ages, itself only came into common use towards the close of the sixteenth century. The same may also be said of any general adoption of the second part of the Hail Mary. Another manifestation of great importance, which also like the last followed close after the Council of Trent, was the institution of sodalities of the Blessed Virgin, particularly in houses of education, a movement mainly promoted by the influence and example of the Society of Jesus, whose members did so much, by the consecration of studies and other similar devices, to place the work of education under the patronage of Mary, the Queen of Purity. To this period is also due, with some occasional exceptions, the multiplication in the calendar of minor feasts of the Blessed Virgin, such as that of the Holy Name of Mary, the festum B.V.M. ad Nives, de Mercede, of the Rosary, de Bono Consilio, Auxilium Christianorum, and so on. Still later in date (seventeenth century at earliest) is the adoption of the custom of consecrating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin by special observances, though the practice of reciting the Rosary every day during the month of October can hardly be said to be older than the Rosary Encyclicals of Leo XIII. Not much controversy was maintained regarding the Immaculate Conception after the indirect pronouncement of the Council of Trent, but the dogma was only defined by Pius IX in 1854. Undoubtedly, however, the greatest stimulus to Marian devotion in recent times has been afforded by the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin in 1858 at Lourdes, and in the numberless supernatural favours granted to pilgrims, both there and at other shrines, that derive from it. The "miraculous medal" connected with the church of Notre-Dame des Victoires at Paris also deserves mention, as giving a great stimulus to this form of piety in the first half of the nineteenth century."
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV, Copyright © 1912
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15459a.htm (emphasis ours)
--------------------------------Mary as "Intercessor"
The Catholic FAQ: Sacramentals
"Q: I'm distressed by a pamphlet I've seen on the brown scapular of our Lady of Mt. Carmel. On the front panel it calls the scapular "the assurance of salvation."A: You're right. It is distressing that people who should know better so grossly misrepresent the Catholic Church's teaching about salvation and about scapulars. Let's set the record straight. (Pay close attention, please.)
First, the Catholic Church teaches that there is only one person who can save us, and that person is Jesus Christ.
Second, the Church considers wearing the brown scapular, like praying the rosary, to be a good and helpful way of cultivating a devotion to our Lady. The scapular is like a wedding ring. Wearing a wedding ring doesn't make one married; rather, the ring is an external sign symbolizing the inward reality of the marriage covenant. The same is true of the scapular. Its purpose is to remind the wearer and others who see it that the wearer has a devotion to our Lady. There are absolutely no magical properties ascribed to scapulars. They are not good luck charms.
Third, Mary promised that, with certain conditions fulfilled, she would intercede with God in a special way on behalf of people who die wearing a scapular. But she never said (nor would she) that the scapular is an "assurance of salvation."
Repeat: The Catholic Church teaches that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and, by his grace, in obedience to his commands ("For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not from you; it is the gift of God. It is not from works, so no one may boast" [Eph. 2:8-9; see Phil. 2:13, Col. 1:29, Jas. 2:14-26]).
Furthermore, the Church does not teach that one must wear the scapular, pray the rosary, or cultivate a devotion to Mary. Although the Church recommends these things as ways of enhancing one's spiritual life and drawing closer to Christ by asking Mary's intercession and by imitating her way of life (see Heb. 13:7), one can be a good Catholic and go to heaven never having worn a scapular or having said a single Hail Mary.
Whoever produced that pamphlet should expurgate the offending statement from future printings. The pamphlet misrepresents Catholic teaching on salvation, distorts Mary's true role in God's plan of salvation, perpetuates the false idea that Catholic piety is superstitious, and is a serious source of scandal to those who are given the impression that Catholics believe in salvation by works."
[Reprinted with permission from the November 1992 issue of This Rock magazine.]
http://www.newadvent.org/faq/faq030.htm (emphasis ours)
"scap·u·lar : a: a long wide band of cloth with an opening for the head worn front and back over the shoulders as part of a monastic habit
b : a pair of small cloth squares joined by shoulder tapes and worn under the clothing on the breast and back as a sacramental and often also as a badge of a third order or confraternity"
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
------------------------------------Mary as "Co-Redeemer"
"The first mariological document(20) dealing with the coredemption is from the 18th century and it is not really a pronouncement in favor of the Coredemption.
Shortly thereafter come the writings of Pius VII(21) and, above all, Pius IX(22) who proclaimed the connection between Our Lady as Reparatrix, Mediatrix, Conciliatrix and the Immaculate Conception.
Starting with Leo XIII, a grand mariological symphony commences and immediately puts into evidence several coredemptive motifs. Here they are in all their clarity: Concurrer, Participant, Cooperatrix, Administrator, Restoratrix, Auxiliatrix, Reconciliatrix. Leo XIII never mentions Coredemptrix, however, he makes it understood.(23)
With Pope St. Pius X, from 1908 on, the term Coredemptrix breaks into the very vocabulary of the Apostolic See(24) and it continues to remain there through the pontificate of Pius XI.(25) It was slightly obscured under Pius XII who preferred to insist upon the saving association of Mary and Christ, and under John XXIII and Paul VI as well, even though they were tenderly Marian Popes. But the title has reappeared in all its splendor both directly and indirectly under the present reigning Pontiff.(26)
The symphony closes on the harmonious tones of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, according to which “Mary, the New Eve, the Mother of all the living…, in the hour of the new covenant at the foot of the Cross,” becomes in Christ and by means of Christ the co-principal of life.(27)"
"1.1. One of the most overworked and worn out objections is the following: Jesus redeemed us, and not Mary; she, rather, was redeemed before any other. What a fancy to imagine breaking through open doors a breakthrough! Anyone with even minimally in-depth knowledge of Coredemption would not object to what has never been affirmed.
In reality, among the first data to be grasped is the composition of the title wherein the preposition “co” acts as the prefix to the noun “redemption”; and, as is well known in theology, this prefix does not necessarily multiply the subjects of a given operation. In this case it introduces the idea of a co-presence which is not static, but active, one that is a “cooperation”. Such an idea structures the analysis and discussion of Marian coredemption, attesting both to complementary association and, at the same time, an instrumental relation (subordination) of things and persons in regard to the primary subject. It is exactly this which the prefix “co” followed by “redemption” makes clear about Mary, placing her alongside the Son with duties of instrumental cooperation in every phase of the work of Redemption.The redemptive work is and remains the Son’s, He alone being its subjectum attributionis (subject of attribution), but not without the actual, active presence of the Mother.
1.2. Some will object and say that this is structural analysis, not theology. That is true. However, the structure of the term once specified, theology intervenes to explain, in lumine fidei – sub ductu Ecclesiae (in the light of faith under the guidance of the Church), the linguistic-literary coupling of Mother and Son, examining its nature and defining its limits."
http://www.marymediatrix.com/kb/kb6/8.shtml (emphasis ours)
[The Catholic Approach to Proclaiming Doctrinal Truth]
"2.3. A theological note determines the degree of certainty of a doctrinal assertion. The highest degree is that of de fide, which guarantees the pertinence of the assertion to Revelation and thus justifies its dogmatic proclamation on the part of the Church.
Secondly, a lesser degree of certainty of a doctrinal assertion is connoted by the term proxima fidei (close to faith). This means it belongs to Revelation, and even if not explicit, it is beyond doubt. It is not de fide, because there is lacking the relative ecclesiastical definition.
The third and lowest degree of certainty is called virtualiter revelata (virtually revealed), by which is indicated that the doctrine in question is logically deduced from the revealed premises, whence derive other phrases for qualifying such a doctrine: theologice certa (theologically certain) or even ad fidem pertinens (pertaining to faith)..
Finally, there is the communis theologorum sententia (common opinion of theologians) designating a doctrine which is neither revealed nor affirmed by the ecclesiastical Magisterium, but which forms part of a constant patrimony of “approved authors.”(14)"The Coredemption of Mary : Doctrine of the Church, by By Msgr. Brunero Gherardini
The above article was taken from Mary at the Foot of the Cross: Acts of International Symposium on Marian Coredemption 2001, published by the Academy of the Immaculate
MGR. BRUNERO GHERARDINI is an ordinary of Ecclesiology and Ecumesism for 37 years at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome; editor of the theological review “Divinitas”; engaged in ecumenical dialogue with representatives of the reformed, communities.
http://www.marymediatrix.com/kb/kb6/8.shtml (emphasis ours)
--------------------------------------
Mary as "Mediator" (Mediatrix)
"The Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix Movement (MIM) is a Roman Catholic public association of the faithful erected according to the norms of Canon Law (nos. 303, 312-320). It was approved canonically by the Archbishop of Benevento, Italy, Msgr. Carlo Minchiatti on January 6, 1991."
". . . she [Mary] is the Mother to whom all must be consecrated, into whom all must be "transubstantiated" in order that the Church might be "without stain, without wrinkle" - like the Immaculate, at the glorious coming of her Savior (cf. Eph 5,27).""Her role, then, as Mother of the Church and of all the faithful, consummated under the Cross in the maternal sacrifice of her Heart transpierced, is made possible by this singular grace of her Immaculate Conception. Her "preservation" from sin is the means by which the Savior effects our "liberation" from sin. That is why He insists with Nicodemus that one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, unless born again of water and the Holy Spirit, that is to say, unless we become children of Mary and of the Church.
This is the Marian key to the spirituality and missionary fervor of St. Francis of Assisi and his modern son, St. Maximilian M. Kolbe. It is the reason for the existence of the Franciscans of the Immaculate."
"For this reason the Immaculate Conception and the universal Mediation of Mary are two truths underpinning the spirituality of the MIM. The first must be incorporated into the life of each member as it is into the very structure of the cenacles: via personal holiness in imitation of and union with the Immaculate as she is united with the Holy Spirit. Then this is expressed practically as a manifestation of the universal Mediation of Mary as Coredemptrix and Distributrix of all graces:"
"Her "preservation" from sin is the means by which the Savior effects our "liberation" from sin. That is why He insists with Nicodemus that one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, unless born again of water and the Holy Spirit, that is to say, unless we become children of Mary and of the Church.
This is the Marian key to the spirituality and missionary fervor of St. Francis of Assisi and his modern son, St. Maximilian M. Kolbe."
"Love the Immaculate! Confide in Her and consecrate yourself to Her without reservation."
-Saint Maximilian Kolbe
http://marymediatrix.com/mim/index.html
"Mary is the echo of God. If we say 'Mary', she will answer 'God'." That is why union with Her is always followed by union with God." -Saint Louis Grignon de Monfort
"The distinctive feature of missionaries with this [Marian] vow is their "transubstantiation" into the Immaculate so as to become her property and possession, as it were making it possible for them to say: "It is no longer I who live, but the Immaculate who lives in me." Hence, the daily routine of such members is marked by early rising (never later than six A.M.), morning prayer and meditation for at least 1/2 hour (based on the Gospel, lives of the saints, Marian classics, Kolbean texts), Mass and Communion followed by thanksgiving, the Holy Rosary, mid-day Angelus [a Marion prayer] and spiritual reading, evening prayer and the blessing of our Lady before retiring."
http://marymediatrix.com/mim/degrees.html (emphasis ours)
"In order to appreciate why the late Pope Paul VI said that one could only be Christian and Christ-like to the degree one is Mary-like, the MIM recommends for mediation and spiritual reading the book of Fr. Stefano M. Manelli: All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed. Biblical Mariology, especially as a guide to the "seven key biblical passages on Mary": Gen 3:15; Lk 1:28; Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1 ff; Jn 19:27; Acts 1:14; Apoc 12:1 ff)."
http://marymediatrix.com/mim/conditions.html (emphasis ours)
---------------------------------------The "Rosary"
"As regards the origin of the name, the word rosarius means a garland or bouquet of roses, and it was not unfrequently used in a figurative sense-- e.g. as the title of a book, to denote an anthology or collection of extracts. An early legend which after travelling all over Europe penetrated even to Abyssinia connected this name with a story of Our Lady, who was seen to take rosebuds from the lips of a young monk when he was reciting Hail Marys and to weave them into a garland which she placed upon her head."
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII, Copyright © 1912
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm (emphasis ours)
A Detailed Guide to Our Lady's Rosary
What is the Rosary?
"Praying the Rosary is very simple. At first it will probably seem complicated, but after you pray it a couple of times, it becomes like second nature. In fact, it's much more complicated to talk about it than to pray it.
The word Rosary has two main meanings: the physical object, comprised of a string of beads, a medal, and a cross; and the prayer for which this physical object is used as a guide. You don't need the object to pray the Rosary, but the beads will help you keep track of where you are as you pray. Moreover, the Rosary, as a physical object, is a sacred object, the presence of which in your home or pocket is, in a certain sense, a constant prayer offered to God, through Mary.
When we pray the Rosary, we start with the cross, say a prayer, then move on to the first bead and say a prayer, then move to the second bead and say a prayer, and continue in this manner until all of the beads are covered. (Whether we go from left to right, or from right to left probably makes no difference.). . .
The basic configuration of the prayer is simple: the Rosary consists of a Cross, a medal, individual beads, and consecutive beads. For the cross, we pray the Apostles' Creed; for the individual beads, the Our Father, and for the consecutive beads, the Hail Mary. After all of the beads have been covered, it is customary to say some concluding prayers (see below), including petitions (if the petitions have not already been stated), which can be understood to correspond to the medal. (Otherwise, the medal has no corresponding prayers.)
The Rosary can be divided into three parts: the introduction, the five decades, and the conclusion. The introduction consists of the cross and the four beads following it, which together mean the Apostles' Creed, one Our Father, and three Hail Marys. The five decades each consist of one individual bead and ten consecutive beads -- that is of one Our Father, and ten Hail Marys. The concluding prayers can be any Marian prayer, related prayers, and the petitions for which the Rosary is prayed (if the petitions have not already been stated). (See the end of the article for some sample concluding prayers.)
Each decade is devoted to a particular event in the life of Jesus or of the Virgin Mary. For the purposes of the Rosary, these are called mysteries. The focus is always on Jesus. But since the Virgin Mary, as the Mother of Jesus, had (and continues to have) a special relationship with Christ, the Rosary is designed to help us contemplate Christ and His love for humanity through His Mother -- and Our Mother -- on whom He has lavished so much love.
Since the Rosary has five decades, each of which corresponds to one mystery, there are five mysteries for each Rosary. Finally, there are three sets of five mysteries: 1) the Joyful Mysteries, 2) the Sorrowful Mysteries, and 3) the Glorious Mysteries.
The mysteries are the following:
(The custom is to pray each set of mysteries on the days of the week indicated -- but that is just a custom.)
The Joyful Mysteries:
(Monday and Thursday; and the Sundays from 1st Sunday of Advent until Lent.)
1. The Annunciation to Mary
2. The Visitation of Mary
3. The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple
5. The Finding of Our Lord in the TempleThe Sorrowful Mysteries:
(Tuesday and Friday; and the Sundays of Lent.)
1. The Agony of Christ in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord on the CrossGlorious Mysteries:
(Wednesday and Saturday; and the Sundays from Easter until Advent.)
1. The Resurrection of Our Lord
2. The Ascension of Our Lord
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
5. The Coronation of Our Lady as Queen of Heaven and Earth
. . .Putting It All Together
Now we can look at how all of this is put together. Two different basic approaches have developed, both of which will be covered. Both approaches are equally acceptable, but specific indulgences for the Rosary may require that we follow the local custom.
The First Method
The Introduction:
-- kiss the cross, and make the sign of the cross
-- at the cross -- say the Apostles' Creed
-- at the first individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the three consecutive beads -- say one Hail MaryThe First Mystery:
-- state the First Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My JesusThe Second Mystery:
-- state the Second Mystery,
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My JesusThe Third Mystery:
-- state the Third Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My JesusThe Fourth Mystery:
-- state the Fourth Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My JesusThe Fifth Mystery:
-- state the Fifth Mystery
-- optional: state the prayer intention for this mystery
-- at the individual bead -- say one Our Father
-- at each of the ten consecutive beads -- say one Hail Mary
-- after the 10th, say Glory Be and O My JesusConclusion:
-- a Marian prayer
-- if desired, a general prayer, such as a prayer to the Holy Spirit
-- statement of intentions, if not made earlier (the intentions could also be stated at the very beginning)
Note: The usual concluding prayer in the United States appears to be the Hail, Holy Queen, but other prayers, like the Mamorare of St. Bernard, are just as suitable. (See the end of the article for sample prayers.)
-- finally, make the sign of the cross, and the kiss the cross on the Rosary"by Zoltan AbrahamCopyright, 1994, Last Revised, February, 1998
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/People/spok/catholic/rosary.html
In Other Words:
In short, the "rosary" prayers are to be said every day. " . . .the Rosary consists of a Cross, a medal, individual beads, and consecutive beads . . ." for a total of 59 beads plus the cross and medal. The cross is the starting point, followed by four individual beads, then five sets or "decades" consisting of one "individual" bead and ten "consecutive" beads.
At the cross, kiss the cross, make the sign of the cross and repeat the "Apostles Creed" (which mentions the "Virgin Mary").
"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen."
First individual bead, repeat one "Our Father"
"Our Father, Who are in Heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen."
Second individual bead, repeat one "Hail Mary"
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
Third individual bead, repeat Hail Mary.
Fourth individual bead, repeat Hail Mary.
For the five "decades":
At each "individual" bead, one "Mystery" is stated. Four of the fifteen choices concern Mary, one concerns the Holy Spirit and the remaining ten concern Christ.
Also at each "individual" bead, one "Our Father" is said.
At each of the ten "consecutive" beads in each "decade", the "Hail Mary" is repeated.
After the 10th bead, repeat one each, "Glory Be" and "O My Jesus"."Glory Be":
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.""O My Jesus":
"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your Mercy. Amen."
After all the beads of the rosary, repeat:
"-- a Marian prayer
-- if desired, a general prayer, such as a prayer to the Holy Spirit
-- statement of intentions, if not made earlier (the intentions could also be stated at the very beginning)
Note: The usual concluding prayer in the United States appears to be the "Hail, Holy Queen", but other [Marian] prayers, like the Mamorare of St. Bernard, are just as suitable.
-- finally, make the sign of the cross, and the kiss the cross on the Rosary""Hail, Holy Queen":
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
- Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
- That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
Total Prayers in one "Rosary":
"Apostles' Creed" 1
"Our Father" 6
"a general prayer" (optional)
"to Holy Spirit" (optional)
"Hail Mary" 53 (mandatory)
"a Marion prayer" 1 (usually "Hail, Holy Queen")
"Glory Be" 5
"O My Jesus" 5So Mary gets 54 prayers and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share the remaining 17 to 19 prayers. Mary also gets four of the "mysteries" while the Son gets ten and the Holy Spirit one.
This is actually a shortened form. An earlier version had 150 Hail Marys in it.
"The continued series of Hail Mary's is the special characteristic of the Rosary, and their number, in the full and typical number of one hundred and fifty, presents a certain analogy with the Psalter and is an element that goes back to the very origin of the exercise of piety. But this number, divided, according to a well-tried custom, into decades attached to the individual mysteries, is distributed in the three cycles already mentioned, thus giving rise to the Rosary of fifty Hail Mary's as we know it. This latter has entered into use as the normal measure of the pious exercise and as such has been adopted by popular piety and approved by papal authority, which also enriched it with numerous indulgences ."APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION FOR THE RIGHT ORDERING AND DEVELOPMENT OF DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
MARIALIS CULTUS
OF HIS HOLINESS PAUL VI, FEBRUARY 2, 1974
To All Bishops in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See
http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6marial.htm