MARY, The Church at the Source
Thoughts on the place of Marian Doctrine and piety in faith and theology as a whole
By Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

THE SIGN OF THE WOMAN – Methodological Aspects

3) A Historical and Dynamic Mariology

Page 45: A linguistic observation may help us to understand the originality of the Mariology that we find in Redemptoris Mater. The Mariology of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries focused primarily on explaining the privileges of the Mother of God, which were summed up in her major titles. After the title Assumpta had been secured by the promulgation of the dogma of Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven, the debate shifted to the titles Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix. So far as I can see, the title Co-Redemptrix does not figure at all in the encyclical. Mediatrix appears very rarely, and then more on the margins and in citations. By contrast, all of the emphasis is placed on the word “mediation” (mediazione). The stress lies on action, on historical mission; being becomes visible only through mission, through historical action.
Note: Using the dark ages on a historical mission to prove Mariology will lead to gross errors.
During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries, Protestants wrote of the Middle Ages as a period of Catholic corruption. Just as Petrarch's writing was not an attack on Christianity per se — along with his humanism, he was deeply occupied with the search for God — neither was this an attack on Christianity: it was a drive to restore what Protestants saw as biblical Christianity. Wikipedia Encyclopedia.

Page 46: This linguistic shift makes evident the new mariological approach that the Pope has chosen. The point of this approach is not to spread static mysteries before our astonished gaze, but to give an account of the historical dynamism of salvation, which includes us and assigns us our place in history as both a gift and a task. Mary is not ensconced merely in the past or merely in heaven, God’s preserve. She is, and remains, present and active in this hour of history. She is an acting person here and today. Her life is not only behind us, nor is it only above us. She goes before us, as the Pope repeatedly stresses.
Note: Jesus Christ goes before Christians and they follow Him.
And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:4-5.
Note: Will you flee from the strange doctrines of the Catholic Church proclaimed by a stranger pope?

Page 46: She interprets the historical moment for us, not through theories, but through action, through the action of showing us the way forward. To be sure, in this texture of action it also comes to light who she is, who we are. But this happens only insofar as we become involved in the dynamic thrust of her figure. We will have to deal at greater length in the second part of this essay with the way in which Mariology therefore becomes a theology of history and an imperative to action.
Note: The Holy Spirit guides Christians according to valid Scriptural history not Mary.
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Acts 16:6-10.
Note: Will you flee from the strange doctrines of the Catholic Church proclaimed by a stranger pope?

MAIN INDEX

BIBLE INDEX

HINDU INDEX

MUSLIM INDEX

MORMON INDEX

BUDDHISM INDEX

WORD FAITH INDEX

WATCHTOWER INDEX

MISCELLANEOUS INDEX

CATHOLIC CHURCH INDEX