[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Scripture is polyvalent, so both can be true, and in this case, both are true.

Catholics believe that the woman who gave birth to a Son who would rule with an iron scepter is a reference to Mary, and then in a secondary sense, to Israel.

On another occasion, Pope Benedict said:

This Woman represents Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer, but at the same time she also represents the whole Church, the People of God of all times, the Church which in all ages, with great suffering, brings forth Christ ever anew [General Audience, Aug. 23, 2006].

As Pope Benedict shows us, we don’t have to make a forced choice between the possible meanings of what the Woman represents.

In keeping with the richness of the way Revelation uses symbolism, to use Pope Benedict’s phrases, she can be Mary and “all Israel” and “the whole Church” in different ways.

Revelation 12: Who is the Woman Clothed with the Sun?

[CynicalBear]

>>On another occasion, Pope Benedict said:<<

I'll stay with what scripture says thank you very much. The Catholic "Mary is our mother" is simply made up while God saying "Jerusalem is the mother of us all" is truth. polyvalent - effective against several strains of the same disease-producing microorganism, antigen, or toxin

You are correct that scripture is affective against several strains of the same desease-producing microorganisms. Catholicism being one of those organisms.

[Elsie]

As Pope Benedict shows us, we don’t have to make a forced choice between the possible meanings of what the Woman represents.

Then WHY are some of you guys so RABID about it?

Another case of DISAGREEING with what the POPE says???