Pope’s Marian devotion keeps clear focuses on Christ

CNS ^ | September 9, 2007 | John Thavis

[NYer]

MARIAZELL, Austria (CNS) -- When Pope Benedict XVI came to the Austrian Marian shrine of Mariazell, he spoke a lot about Jesus Christ and said relatively little about Mary.

That was indicative of the “style” of this pope’s Marian devotion, which Vatican officials have described as prudent, thoughtful and very Christocentric.

In general, the pope sees attachment to Mary as a wonderful way for the faithful to draw closer to Christ, but has been wary of anything that tends to exaggerate or over-sentimentalize her role in the church.

“We rest awhile with the mother of the Lord, and we pray to her: Show us Jesus ... the one who is both the way and the destination,” the pope said in his sermon Sept. 8 to 30,000 people at Mariazell, where a small statue of Mary and Jesus has been drawing pilgrims for 850 years.

Later, in a prayer liturgy at the sanctuary, he noted that Mary had received the fullness of God’s grace and said: “We learn to look always, like Mary, to Christ, and to make him our criterion and our measure.”

A week earlier, at a Marian sanctuary in Italy, the pope recited six prayer intentions addressed to Mary -- each of which quickly proceeded to invoke the lessons of Jesus.

When he first visited Mariazell as a cardinal in 2004, church sources said the pope gave a long talk on the Christological focus of Marian devotion.

In many ways, Mariazell seems to fit that focus. It is not a place of apparitions or spectacular events, and the devotion has always been quiet and low-key. It’s a small place unable to host huge crowds, yet significant in the religious history of the region.

In the Mariazell area, images of Mary always show her with Christ, Vatican officials pointed out before the trip.

When Pope John Paul II came to Mariazell in 1983, he entrusted Austria to Mary in a long prayer that seemed to leave her figure in high relief. The late pope had a strong personal devotion to Mary, and believed she had intervened in 1981 to save his life, by guiding a would-be assassin’s bullet away from vital organs.

Pope John Paul’s episcopal motto, “Totus Tuus,” meant “Totally Yours” and expressed his dedication to Mary. He gave her great space in his writings and catechesis, and he consecrated populations and continents to her care.

As a young theologian, Pope Benedict wrote little about Mary and said that, at that time, some of her ancient titles seemed exaggerated to him.

By 2002, in the book, “God and the World,” he told an interviewer that “the older I am, the more important the Mother of God is to me and close to me.” But he also said that reverence for Mary “should not lead us to forget the `first’ of Christ: Everything comes from him.”

For that reason, he opposed a movement to grant Mary the title of “co-redemptrix” or “co-redeemer” with Christ, saying it could give rise to misunderstandings.

In a 1985 book-length interview, he outlined six points illustrating Mary’s proper importance to the faith. The first was that Marian devotion helps Christians understand Christ’s incarnation.

“It is ... in direct service to faith in Christ -- not, therefore, primarily out of devotion to the Mother -- that the church has proclaimed her Marian dogmas,” he said.

The other five points were:

-- Mariology expresses the correct integration between Scripture and tradition.

-- As a Jewish girl who became the mother of the savior, Mary binds together the old and new people of God, Israel and Christianity.

-- Correct Marian devotion balances mind and heart, the lucidity of reason with the warmth of affection for Jesus’ mother.

-- Mary is the figure and archetype of the church as a mother, and represents the church’s human face.

-- In her virginity and motherhood, Mary sheds a new light on the “mystery of woman.”

The pope summed up his views by saying: “As a creature of courage and of obedience (Mary) was and is still an example to which every Christian -- man and woman -- can and should look.”

In later years, the pope developed these ideas and enriched them. And although, as the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, he was very cautious about reports of Marian apparitions, he seemed to widen his views on that topic, too, saying that apparitions were a spiritual “sign of the times” that showed Mary’s connection to Christ.

In “God and the World,” the pope said he understands that many people feel they can “talk” to Mary in an unselfconscious way that they would not dare to do with Christ.

“This is the language of the heart,” he said.

[NYer]

“It is ... in direct service to faith in Christ -- not, therefore, primarily out of devotion to the Mother -- that the church has proclaimed her Marian dogmas,” he said.

This should clarify any misunderstandings that still exist among non-Catholics.

[arielguard]

This is no shocker. When I read “God and the World”, which was written when he was still a Cardinal, he stated very specifically “I am Christocentric”. I was rather facscinated with him when I was still an Evangelical Protestant. Tragically it will clear up nothing to Non-Catholics.

[dsc]

“This should clarify any misunderstandings that still exist among non-Catholics.”

Heh. Figure the odds.

[NYer]

he stated very specifically “I am Christocentric”

That would explain why he chose to write this book.

It's excellent, albeit at times heavy reading.

I was rather facscinated with him when I was still an Evangelical Protestant.

Welcome home! How long since you entered the Catholic Church? This is a topic very close to my heart. So many Catholics are ignorant in their faith and I struggle with them to get their children into religious education. One article I often cite with them is this, How I led Catholics Out of the Church . The ignorance of these parents alarms me!

[arielguard]

My friend...I am Catholic. Just not Roman. (How I explain it to my family!) lol I’m Orthodox. Hopefully, your not too disappointed in me. It is indeed wonderful to have come home. I love your tagline because St. Ignatius, and Polycarp were the first of the Fathers I ever read.

I agree though with why he wrote the book, and I wanna read it sometime, but I’m reading four other books not including my Bible! It’s my understanding Pope Benedict intended it to correct some heretical teachings concering Christ that were infiltrating the Church. Am I right or am I reaching too far?

[Kolokotronis]

Good!

[Petronski]

I recommend a Catholic Caucus determination be sought as soon as possible.

[Salvation]

The Pope's homily there -- God Shows Us His Face and Opens to Us His Heart, Homily, Saturday, 8 September 2007

[NYer]

It’s my understanding Pope Benedict intended it to correct some heretical teachings concering Christ that were infiltrating the Church. Am I right or am I reaching too far?

I began reading it, got bogged down, switched to a Scott Hahn book and then a great gem arrived from Amazon.com - Four Witnesses - by Dan Burnett, a former Baptist. I try to read all of these books while holding down a f/t job, serving on the Parish Council, acting as VP for the women's auxiliary, running fundraisers and writing grants for the restoration of the 160 y/o Church we have acquired (which is now a state landmark). Oh, I nearly forgot, I have also been asked to serve as Director for Religious Education. At times my head spins trying to do follow up on each task.

I am Catholic. Just not Roman. (How I explain it to my family!) lol I’m Orthodox.

Awesome! I was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church but now practice my faith in a Maronite (Eastern Rite) Catholic Church. It's about as orthodox as one can get here in this diocese :-)

[Coleus]

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[narses]

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[arielguard]

A friend of mine loans me his Hahn books all the time. I have one in my locker at work that I haven’t read yet. Though (obviously) I don’t agree with everything he teaches I do find him an interesting read, and sometimes he’s pretty good at packaging large teachings into small one-liners. Those are often useful when dealing with evangelical friends at work, because of time constraints.