[Mad Dawg]

Oh my. [Buckles on armor of light, etc.] As in our consideration of Col 1:24, we would say that all of us do or at least can cooperat[e] in the mystery of the Redemption,

Mary's doing so is different in degree, GREATLY different in degree, from that of the rest of us, but different in KIND from the work of Christ.

[Iscool]

- On 5/7/97, Pope John Paul II dedicated his general audience to "the Virgin Mary" and urged all Christians to accept Mary as their mother. He noted the words spoken by Jesus on the cross to Mary and to John -- "Woman, behold thy son!" and "Behold thy mother!" (John 19:26,27), and he claimed that in this statement "It is possible to understand the authentic meaning of Marian worship in the ecclesial community ... which furthermore is based on the will of Christ" (Vatican Information Service, May 7, 1997).

John Paul II underlined that "the history of Christian piety teaches that Mary is the path that leads to Christ, and that filial devotion to her does not at all diminish intimacy with Jesus, but rather, it increases it and leads it to very high levels of perfection." He concluded by asking all Christians "to make room (for Mary) in their daily lives, acknowledging her providential role in the path of salvation" (Ibid.).

According to the Vatican Information Service, your pope isn't too squeamish about worshiping Mary...