[Mrs. Don-o]

1. Have you looked at the Litany of Loreto? These titles (Seat of Wisdom, Mirror of Justice) are clearly subordinate: a seat is important only if it holds an important personage; a mirror is useful only to reflect. And they are obviously metaphorical. She's not literally a chair or a reflective piece of glass!

2. You lack context for the papal statements about Mary. To pick out just one example: the quote from Pope Leo's encyclical on the Rosary --- the one that starts out "We constantly seek help from Heaven" --- goes on to say, "[She] has a favor and power with her son greater than any human or angelic creature has ever obtained or ever can gain". Thus this is a "favor and power" derivative from her intercession with her Son.

She is a petitioner, not a potentate!

Pope Leo cited St. Dominic as saying he composed the Rosary "as to recall the mysteries of our salvation in succession": its purpose is to meditate on the salvation obtained for us by Jesus Christ, "the way, the truth, and the life".

That's called "Christocentric".

Pope Leo mentions the trials facing the Church at the time (he was writing in 1883): the attacks on Christian piety, public morality, aggressive agnosticism and atheism, and crimes against Christian faith itself, and says that the aim of our prayer is that "God who is the avenger of crime, moved to mercy and pity may deliver Christendom and civil society from all dangers, and restore to them peace so much desired." So we are begging for God's mercy and pity at a time of crime and danger, and Mary is invoked in the role of "top beggar".

I do not blame you for omitting all this context about intercession, because I suppose you have not read the whole encyclical. Neither have I. (If I am wrong, and you have read the whole thing, then I apologize: but then I must also wonder how it was that these contexts disappeared.)

Bottom line: this is all about Mary, a handmaid and member of the Body of Christ, offering prayers to God: not some bogus goddess. With the rest of Christendom, I thank God for granting her highest honor among His servants. (See tagline.)

Until tomorrow, a peaceful evening to you.

[ealgeone]

Pope Leo cited St. Dominic as saying he composed the Rosary "as to recall the mysteries of our salvation in succession": its purpose is to meditate on the salvation obtained for us by Jesus Christ, "the way, the truth, and the life".

Again, for the catholic, everything has to go through Mary. In many ways it sure seems she replaces Christ in the life of the catholic.

Why not just focus on John 14:6 and study the life of Christ? Keep Him as the main focus.