|
|
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic |
 |
|
|
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic |
|
|
Mark Alessio |
|
|
|
(Breviary of the Greek Church, Office of St. Irene, Virgin & Martyr) In August, 2004, Pope John Paul II returned the icon of The Mother of God of Kazan to Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow, head of the schismatic Russian Orthodox Church. Speaking to a large crowd of visitors in the courtyard of his palace at Castelgandolfo of his desire for unity between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox sect, the Pope referred to the Virgin Mary as the “Mother of Unity and Love.” The concept of the Mother of God as a symbol for unity among churches is one which has appeared in ecumenical circles for some time now, and there exist two organizations called The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM), one in England (founded in 1967) and one in the United States (founded in 1976). To give one example of the manner in which such groups view “unity,” even a unity supposedly inspired by the Mother of God, we need only take a look at the British ESBVM’s “15th International Ecumenical Congress of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” which was held at Bath Spa University College, Bath, England, from August 9-14, 2004. One of the themes of this gathering was “the question as to whether [Mary’s intercessory activity] detracts from the mediation which alone belongs to Christ.” Even if one rightly denies such a proposition, the very fact that such a question is raised – at an allegedly “Marian” meeting, no less – does not bode well. Worship at this Marian Congress consisted of “daily communal services”: As usual the daily communal religious service is a high point of our prayer that they may all be one and will take place with each tradition by turn taking responsibility for the arrangement of one of the daily central Congress Services usually in the form of a Conventual Eucharist and celebrated as indicated in the programme. We hope for a richness of liturgical and ecumenical celebration, drawing on the gifts of congress participants, strengthening us in our resolve to grow in unity while respecting all that guides us within the discipline of our respective traditions. Congress Members are asked to attend these liturgies, and to respect the rules about reception of Holy Communion laid down by the tradition responsible for the celebration of the particular Eucharist concerned. Those not receiving Holy Communion are invited to come forward with those communicating and to cross their arms across their breast and bow their heads, thus indicating to the celebrant that they wish to receive a blessing. The Ecumenical Office of the ESBVM will be employed daily and with the full involvement of all traditions of the society. The ESBVM notion of “worship” was once called “religious indifferentism” – the denial that it is the duty of man to worship God by believing and practicing the one true religion – and has been roundly condemned by many Popes. In the 1928 Encyclical, Mortalium Animos (on Religious Unity), Pope Pius XI spoke of those who desire to “unite” the churches on a basis of indifferentism. He called them “pan-Christians,” and rightfully asked how “men who follow contrary opinions [can] belong to one and the same Federation of the faithful.” He confessed that he did not understand “how so great a variety of opinions can make the way clear to effect the unity of the Church,” since such an all-encompassing unity “can only arise from one teaching authority, one law of belief and one faith of Christians.” He roundly condemned the illicit distinctions “which some have seen fit to introduce between those articles of faith which are fundamental and those which are not fundamental, as they say, as if the former are to be accepted by all, while the latter may be left to the free assent of the faithful.” And, he rightly came to the following logical conclusion: So, Venerable Brethren, it is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it. To the one true Church of Christ, we say, which is visible to all, and which is to remain, according to the will of its Author, exactly the same as He instituted it. This is the way Popes spoke (and thought) at one time. These are serious words, words of true charity whose inspiration is a deep concern for the souls of both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Regardless of their intentions, the Catholic participants at the ecumenical Marian congresses are in error many times over. Their principal error – religious indifferentism – leads them to the error of “worshipping” with non-Catholics (even those who would deny Jesus Christ present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament), and even ushers them into the sorry state of asking for “blessings” from non-Catholic clergy. And the most pernicious fact is that it is all done in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary! But what does Mary Herself teach us about “ecumenism” and “worship?” We really don’t have to look further than the Gospel of St. John, when the Mother of Jesus said to the waiters at Cana, “Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.” These words have a much broader meaning than a simple desire to supply wine for a wedding. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus taught of the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, of the sacrificial nature of the Holy Mass, of the Sacrament of Penance, of Baptism for the remission of sins, of the ordained priesthood, etc. In short, Jesus taught us the fundamentals of the Catholic Faith. When Our Lady tells us to do as He says, she is telling us to practice the Catholic Faith as diligently as possible. Alas, a not very “ecumenical” concept, in the currently accepted sense of the word. If we look at the approved apparitions of the Virgin Mary, we find this theme multiplied and magnified. Over and over again, she speaks as a Catholic, in no uncertain terms and with no possibility of being misunderstood. Fatima Before the Blessed Virgin appeared to
Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco at the Cova da Iria on May 17, 1917, she
sent an Angel to prepare them. The Angel admonished them: Our Lady Herself instructed the children to “Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” She also spoke of “the reign of Pius XI.” In addition, she used the phrase “Holy Father” in describing the Pope. In 1925, when Mary instructed St. Lucia in the Five First Saturdays devotion, She said that the reception of Holy Communion should be preceded by confession. The daily Rosary. The “reign” of a Pope. Confession and Holy Communion. Does this combination describe any faith but the Catholic Faith? Lourdes In the year 1858, the Mother of God appeared eighteen times to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto of Masabielle near Lourdes. Our Lady instructed Bernadette to speak to the local pastor, telling him to build a chapel in honor of the apparitions. The skeptical pastor replied that Bernadette should ask the apparition who she was. Bernadette did ask, and the Blessed Virgin replied in the majestic words, "Que soy era Immaculado Conceptiou” – I am the Immaculate Conception. Only four years earlier, on December 8,
1854, Bl. Pope Pius IX had defined the Dogma of the Immaculate
Conception in his Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus. It is
interesting, is it not, that the Blessed Virgin waited until a Catholic
Pope had defined the dogma before referring to Herself as “the
Immaculate Conception?” After proclaiming the solemn definition of the
dogma, Pius IX added this warning: During the ninth apparition, Our Lady instructed Bernadette to dig a hole in the ground, and drink and bathe in it. The hole later turned into a spring of water, and the source of subsequent cures. Dr. Theodore Mangiapan, President of the Medical Bureau of Lourdes, stated that at least 2,000 of the cures effected at Lourdes were classed as “extraordinary or inexplicable” by doctors since 1858. However, due to the exhaustive and lengthy process of inquiry into such cures, only 64 of the cures have been officially recognized by the Church. The body of St. Bernadette Soubirous, who was canonized in 1933, remains incorrupt to this day. At Lourdes, once again, we have the Mother of God vindicating Catholic doctrine, a dogma which had been papally defined four years previously. And we see the very concept of “sacramental” in a grand sense in the healing waters. La Salette In the year 1846, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to two young French children, Melanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud in La Salette. The children found the Mother of God weeping, and the message they received was a dire one, for she spoke of the consequences the world would face if people continued to disregard the commandments of God and treat the practice of religion with apathy and contempt. And, yes, the religion of which Mary spoke was quite specific. The Blessed Virgin warned that the “ministers of my Son, the priests, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in the celebration of the holy mysteries, by their love of money, their love of honors and pleasures...have become cesspools of impurity,” and She lamented that “there is no one left to beg mercy and forgiveness for the people.” She referred to Pope Pius IX as “the Curate of my Son.” She also employed the phrases “Vicar of my Son” and “Holy Father” in referring to the occupant of the Chair of Peter. Our Lady warned Melanie and Maximin of “a time of darkness,” during which the Church “will witness a frightful crisis” and “the True Faith of the Lord will be forgotten.” She also said that “Many convents are no longer houses of God, but the grazing-grounds of Asmodeas and his like.” The Mother of God calls priests “the ministers of my Son” in defiance of those who do not “believe” in the ordained priesthood. She refers to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as “the holy mysteries” and acknowledges the propitiatory aspect of the Mass when she describes priests as those who should “beg mercy and forgiveness for the people.” She refers to the Pope as the “Vicar” of Christ and as the “Holy Father” in defiance of those who reject the Papacy. She even states that properly-run, holy convents are, indeed, “houses of God.” As if all this were not “Catholic” enough, Mary refers to Roman Catholicism, the Faith preserved by that unique Church which will suffer “a time of darkness,” as – “the True Faith to the Lord!” Perhaps the Message of La Salette is the most powerful Marian testimony we have received to date of the position of the Catholic Church as the “One True Church.” Our Lady tells us here that as goes the Church, so goes the world. As a result of the Church’s eclipse into doctrinal and moral darkness, she tells us, “all order and all justice would be trampled underfoot, and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension would be seen, without love for country or family....All the civil governments will have one and the same plan, which will be to abolish and do away with every religious principle to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritualism and vice of all kinds." There is no nonsense here about ecumenical congresses and “one-size-fits-all” interdenominational liturgies. There is no nonsense about ignoring doctrine in the name of “getting along.” This is serious business. It is the destruction of the priesthood, of the Mass, of the religious orders – of the “sensus Catholicus” – that is at the bottom of Mary’s warnings. And if their destruction bodes so ill for the entire world, Catholic and non-Catholic, then what must their true value be? Guadalupe In the year 1531, Our Lady first appeared
to St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill, on the outskirts of what is today
Mexico City. Hearing his name being called, Juan walked up the hill
where he found the Mother of God clad in garments that were “shining
like the sun.” She introduced herself in these memorable and consoling
words: If anyone does not, according to the Holy Fathers, confess truly and properly that holy Mary, ever virgin and immaculate, is Mother of God, since in this latter age She conceived in true reality without human seed from the Holy Ghost, God the Word Himself, who before the ages was born of God the Father, and gave birth to Him without corruption, Her virginity remaining equally inviolate after the birth, let him be condemned. (Lateran Council, 649 A.D.) If anyone will not confess that the
Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the Holy Virgin is the Mother
of God (Theotokos), inasmuch as in the flesh She bore the Word of God
made flesh: let him be anathema. The Church teaches us that the Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church, that she is our mother “in the order of grace.” The Church teaches this because Christ taught it from the Cross: “Behold thy Mother!” Although she suffered no physical birth-pangs when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Mother of the Church did, in fact, suffer “spiritual birth pangs” as the Church was born of blood and water from the side of the Redeemer. The Mother of Sorrows on Calvary, uniting her sufferings to those of her Son, thus merited becoming the Mother of the Church. It is this Spiritual Maternity of Mary, so important to and cherished by Catholics, that caused her to say: Am I not here who am your Mother? .... Is there anything else you need? When was the last time you heard an “Evangelical” preach about Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood? And how many people who refer to themselves as Christians still presume to challenge and deny the doctrine of Mary's Perpetual Virginity? The Miraculous Medal On November 27, 1830, while meditating in silence of the Chapel Rue du Bac in Paris, Sister (later, Saint) Catherine Laboure was granted a stunning vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who held in Her hands a globe. St. Catherine related that Our Lady’s “eyes were raised to Heaven, and her countenance beamed with light as she offered the globe to Our Lord.” Mary revealed that the globe “represents the whole world, especially France, and each person in particular.” Then, an oval frame appeared surrounding the Virgin, upon which was written the phrase: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.” Catherine was instructed to have a medal struck with this image, and Our Lady made this promise to her: All those who wear it, when it is blessed, will receive great graces especially if they wear it round the neck. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence. The oval frame then appeared to turn
around, and Catherine saw on the reverse side a letter ‘M’ and a Cross,
its cross-beam passing through the ‘M’. Below this were the two Hearts
of Jesus and Mary, one crowned with thorns, the other pierced by the
sword of sorrow. The whole image was surrounded by a crown of twelve
stars. Anxious to know what words should be placed on this reverse side
of the Miraculous Medal, Catherine heard a voice say, “the ‘M’ with the
Cross and the two hearts tell enough." The Miraculous Medal apparition proves once again the words of St. Louis de Montfort that, in the practice of authentic Christianity, “It would be easier to separate the light from the sun than Mary from Jesus.” Twenty-eight years before Mary announced to St. Bernadette Soubirous that she is the Immaculate Conception, we find the Blessed Virgin announcing to St. Catherine Laboure that those who sincerely honor the Blessed Virgin’s Immaculate Conception “will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God.” We also find Mary referring to her role as “Distributrix” of the graces won by Her Divine Son on Calvary, and we can not help recalling the words which Our Lady of Fatima would later speak: “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” St. Catherine Laboure’s body remains incorrupt to this day at the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity in Paris. How many of the participants at the “15th International Ecumenical Congress of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary” accept the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, or Mary’s title of “Mediatrix of All Graces?” And how many “fundamentalist Protestants” wear blessed medals around their necks? Knock On the rainy night of August 21, 1879, residents of the village of Cnoc Mhuire in County Mayo, Ireland, observed a strange brightness surrounding their church. Mary Beirne and a companion, passing by the church, looked in and thought at first that the church had received new statues. Upon closer investigation, Mary Beirne remarked, “But they are not statues, they're moving. It's the Blessed Virgin." Mary, her companion and thirteen other people observed the Virgin, Her hands raised in prayer, clothed in white garments and wearing a brilliant crown. On Her right stood St. Joseph, his head inclined towards his Immaculate Spouse, while on her left stood St. John the Evangelist, clothed as a bishop. To the left of the Evangelist was an altar upon which stood a Lamb and a Cross surrounded by angels. The apparition lasted for about two hours and even villagers who were not immediately involved reported seeing a bright light illuminating the area in which the church was located. Afterwards, miraculous healings became associated with visits to the church at Knock. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as the “unbloody re-presentation” down through the ages of Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary (both the Lamb of God and a Cross on the altar)....The Blessed Virgin as Queen of Heaven and Earth (the Virgin wearing a brilliant crown)....The ordained priesthood and its hierarchical structure (St. John dressed as a bishop)....The veneration of the Saints (the presence of St. Joseph). Mary’s apparition at Knock is a veritable “visual catechism” of Catholic teaching. Truth vs. Falsehood Our Lady has appeared on earth for different reasons. Sometimes, she warns mankind that we are veering too far off a course pleasing to God. Sometimes, she gives consolation and courage to those living through dangerous times or circumstances. Other times, she gives us spiritual aids to help us in our earthly struggle, such as the Brown Scapular or the Miraculous Medal. However, there is one constant in every authentic Marian apparition. In each one, Mary appears for the benefit of her children, and she never, ever speaks words or gives instructions which are in any way contrary to Catholic doctrine. On the contrary, each and every one of her appearances reinforces specifically Catholic doctrine. Now, members of The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary may rightly ask: “But what’s wrong with sharing the Blessed Virgin with non-Catholics if, in fact, her desire is to lead all people to her Son?” The answer is – nothing. There is nothing wrong with preaching the virtues and privileges of the Mother of God, and Her role in salvation history and the structure of the Church. But, considering that the Virgin appears on earth to aid Catholics in their spiritual struggles and to call all of humanity to live a truly Catholic life, it is unconscionable to use Our Lady as a smokescreen for agendas that do not contribute to “authentic” ecumenism – i.e., the calling home to the Roman Catholic Church of all those sects which have abandoned her over the centuries, yet still label themselves “Christian.” In fact, Our Lady’s genuine apparitions are such prime examples of sound Catholicity that they can be used as the standard by which to measure all unapproved apparitions. One of the alleged seers of “Our Lady of Medjugorje,” Vicka, was asked the question, “Is the Blessed Mother calling all people on earth to be Catholic?" Vicka replied: "No! The Blessed Mother says all religions are dear to her and her Son. She says it is we on earth who have made division." Another alleged seer, Ivanka, told Fr. Svetozar Kraljevic: "The Madonna said that religions are separated in the earth, but the people of all religions are accepted by my Son.” This is all we need to hear to know that there is no way in Heaven that this “Apparition of Medjugorje,” whether dangerous fact or fiction, can possibly be the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although there was, in fact, a paper entitled The Immaculate Conception: Addressed in particular to friends who are not Roman Catholic presented at the ESBVM’s “15th International Ecumenical Congress,” a look at the titles of other talks presented there – Mary as a Sign for the World according to Islam, The Immaculate Conception in the Ecumenical Dialogue with Orthodoxy – clearly illustrates that the purpose of the meeting was anything but “authentic ecumenism.” The paper on Mary in Islam was presented by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. His presentation was followed by an interfaith forum with Rabbi Alon Goshen Gottstein from Jerusalem’s Elijah School for the Study of Wisdom in World Religions, Imam Rashad Ahmed Azami of the Bath Islamic Centre and Fr. Dominique Cerbelaud, OP. The Imam stated that, in Islam, Jesus is regarded “as important a prophet as Mohammed,” while Fr. Cerbelaud presented Mary as “a focus for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.” What would Our Lady, a supposed “focus for interfaith dialogue,” make of the statement that Her Divine Son is “as important” as Mohammed? It is all well and good to speak of Mary as a “uniter” of religions and, indeed, she does call all people home to the True Church founded by her Son. Just look at the powerful conversion story of Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish convert whose vision of Mary changed his life in an instant. One of the graces which the Virgin bestowed upon Ratisbonne during the vision was an intense awe for the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Ratisbonne’s vision of Mary occurred in a church, as he was waiting for a friend, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of his own unworthiness to stand before the Blessed Sacrament with the stain of original sin on his unbaptized soul. Now, can anyone with an understanding of Mary’s position and role in the Church accept for one moment the idea that the She could condone the “communal services” of the ESBVM (especially when such services have been roundly condemned by the Vicars of Her Son), or the advancement of religious indifferentism (by word or deed)? “Ecumenical” Marian gatherings have been around for decades and, no doubt they will continue. In today’s creampuff spiritual climate, the observations presented in this article would no doubt be considered mean-spirited, “medieval,” or worse, by those involved in such get-togethers, including the Catholic participants. Yet, the main thrust of this article is purely fundamental, and is directed toward the Catholic participants of the ecumenical Marian congresses. As Catholics, we do not dialogue concerning the privileges and prerogatives of the Virgin Mary. We share her glories with non-Catholics. We inform them and we clarify the Church’s teachings concerning her. But, out of respect for her and Our Lord, we avoid situations which could advance even the smallest notion that our Marian doctrines are merely secondary facets of authentic Christianity, which can be accepted, ignored or placed “up for grabs.” The fact remains that Our Lady, as Mother of the Church, has called and continues to call her earthbound children home to the Church founded by her Son, our Redeemer Jesus Christ. And, for those already in the Church, she continues to render us a loving assistance, despite our own sinfulness and foolishness. No congress and no amount of wrenched or twisted logic or novel theology can alter the fact. It would be one thing for Catholic and non-Catholic groups to get together to form bowling leagues or chess clubs. But for Catholics to participate in ecumenical “Marian” events, while refusing to advocate and defend the very things that the Blessed Virgin Herself advocates and defends, is an affront to Mary. If this sounds “medieval,” than strike up the crumhorns and pass the wassail bowl! |