Mariological papal documents have been a major force that has shaped Roman Catholic Mariology over the centuries. Mariology is developed by theologians on the basis not only of Scripture and Tradition but also of the ''

sensus fidei ''Sensus fidei'' (sense of the faith), also called ''sensus fidelium'' (sense of the faithful) is, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "the supernatural appreciation of faith on the part of the whole people, when, from the bishops to ...

'' of the faithful as a whole, "from the bishops to the last of the faithful", and papal documents have recorded those developments, defining Marian dogmas, spreading doctrines and encouraging devotions within the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

. Popes have been highly influential for the development of doctrine and the veneration of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother ...

. They made decisions not only in the area of Marian beliefs but also Marian practices and devotions. Before the twentieth century,

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

s promulgated Marian veneration and beliefs by authorizing new Marian

feast days The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does ...

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...

s, initiatives, and special privileges. Since

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-ol ...

, Popes have promulgated Mariology also with encyclicals, apostolic letters and with two

dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...

s (

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

and

Assumption Assumption, in Christianity, refers to the Assumption of Mary, a belief in the taking up of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Assumption may also refer to: Places * Assumption, Alberta, Canada * Assumption, Illinois, United States ** Assumption Town ...

). This article reviews the major official teachings by the popes.

Background

Historically a Papal bull was "an Apostolic letter with a leaden seal." A papal bull is an official formal decree. In terms of formality, papal bulls and apostolic constitutions are above

encyclical An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally fr ...

s, followed by apostolic letters. An apostolic constitution is the highest level of

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

issued by the

, and is generally issued as a bull with the requisite formalities regarding seal and signature. By their nature, apostolic constitutions are addressed to the public, whereas encyclicals are usually addressed to patriarchs, primates, archbishops and bishops in communion with the Holy See.

Dogmas

The perpetual virginity of Mary

* ''Dominici gregis'' – This papal bull was issued by

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

on 3 February 1603. It considered Marian piety the basis for Church and condemned a number of issues as errors, including the denial of the virginity of Mary.''The mystery of Mary'' by Paul Haffner 2004 page 120

Mother of God

This dogma was decided at The Council of Ephesus. This dogma has attached to it the penalty of an anathema. It was promulgated during the Arian Heresy who state that Mary was just the "Christotokos" (Mother of the Christ) rather than the "Theotokos" (Mother of God)

The Immaculate Conception

* Cum Praeexcelsa, a bull by Sixtus IV, issued 28 February 1476, when plague was ravaging the country, established a Mass and Office for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. * Ubi primum is an encyclical of Pope Pius IX to the bishops of the Catholic Church asking them for opinion on the definition of a dogma on the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It was issued on 2 February 1849. * '' Ineffabilis Deus'' – In this key papal bull (the title of which means "ineffable God" in Latin)

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

defined '' ex cathedra'' the

of the

. The decree was promulgated on 8 December 1854, the date of the annual Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The decree surveys the history of the belief, citing its roots in the long-standing feast of the Conception of Mary as a date of significance in the Eastern and Western churches. It also cites the approval of Catholic bishops worldwide who were asked in 1849 to offer their opinion on the matter. (The decree had been preceded by the encyclical '' Ubi Primum'' of 2 February 1849 whereby Pius IX solicited the opinions of the bishops of the Catholic Church regarding defining dogma. C o a Pio X

* ''

Ad diem illum ''Ad diem illum laetissimum'' is an encyclical of Pope Pius X on the Immaculate Conception, dated 2 February 1904, in the first year of his Pontificate. It is issued in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Con ...

'' – This

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...

on the

, was given on 2 February 1904, in the first year of his Pontificate. It was issued in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the dogma of the

. It is an important document because it explains the Mariology of

. One of the reasons the pope gave for writing the encyclical was his desire for ''the restoration of all things in Christ'' which he had defined as his motto ''Instaurare omnia in Christo'': to restore everything in Christ, to whom there is no safer or more direct road than Mary. * '' Fulgens corona'' – This

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

was issued on 8 September 1953 on the Feast of the

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of Mary, the Marymas or the Birth of the Virgin Mary, refers to a Christian feast day celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus. The modern canon of scripture does not record Mary's bir ...

. The encyclical proclaimed a ''Marian year'' for 1954, to commemorate the centenary of the definition of the dogma of the

of the Virgin Mary. ''Fulgens corona'' is significant as it contained the Mariological

methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for br ...

and his views on limits and challenges of Roman Catholic Mariology.

The Assumption

* '' Deiparae Virginis Mariae'' (1 May 1946) – an encyclical of

to all Catholic bishops on the possibility of defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith. * ''

Munificentissimus Deus ''Munificentissimus Deus'' ( la, The most bountiful God) is the name of an apostolic constitution written by Pope Pius XII. It defines '' ex cathedra'' the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was the first ''ex-cathedra'' ...

'' This Apostolic constitution (the title of which means "most bountiful God" in Latin) was issued by

on 1 November 1950. It defines '' ex cathedra'' the

of the

. It is the second ex-cathedra infallible statement ever made by a

, the first since the official ruling on Papal Infallibility was made at the

First Vatican Council The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This, the twentieth ecu ...

(1869-1870). Following the example of Pius IX,

issued the encyclical '' Deiparae Virginis Mariae'' on issued on 1 May 1946 to all Catholic bishops on the possibility of defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith.

On Mary as Queen of Heaven

* '' Ad Caeli Reginam'' – This encyclical was issued by

, on the feast of the Maternity of the

, 11 October 1954. The encyclical is an important element of the Mariology of Pope Pius XII and established the feast

Queenship of Mary Queen of Heaven ( la, Regina Caeli) is a title given to the Virgin Mary, by Christians mainly of the Catholic Church and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. The Catholic teaching on this subject is expresse ...

Mary, as intercessor for Peace

* '' Auspicia quaedam'' – ''Auspicia quaedam'' is an

published on 1 May 1948, dealing with worldwide public prayers to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

for world peace and the solution of the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...

, given at Rome at St. Peter's, in the tenth year of his pontificate. * ''

Christi Matri ''Christi Matri'' is an encyclical by Pope Paul VI issued on 15 September 1966 to encourage the faithful to pray for peace by way of the customary special devotions during the month of October, traditionally dedicated in honor of the Most Blessed ...

'' – an encyclical of

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

issued on 15 September 1966, calling for special devotions during the month of October, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin for peace.

On the rosary

*'' Consueverunt Romani Pontifices'' is a papal bull by

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...

issued on 17 September 1569 on the rosary. This papal bull instituted the essence of the rosary's present configuration. *''

Supremi apostolatus officio ''Supremi apostolatus officio'' (''The Supreme Apostolic Office''), commonly referred to as "On Devotion of the Rosary", is the first of a number of encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII on the Rosary. It was issued on September 1, 1883, encouraging the p ...

'', issued on 1 September 1883, is the first of

's many encyclicals on the Rosary. *''

Superiore anno Rosary 1884 in Christianity 1884 documents August 1884 events {{Infobox Encyclical, name=Superiore anno, language=Latin, translation=Last year, pope=Leo XIII, papal_coat_of_arms=C o a Leone XIII.svg, date=30 August 1884, argument=On the Reci ...

'', encyclical issued on 30 August 1884 by Leo XIII "On the Recitation of the Rosary". *''

Octobri mense ''Octobri mense'' (''At the coming of] the Month of October'') is an encyclical on the Rosary by Pope Leo XIII, also known as the Rosary Pope. It was issued on 22 September 1891 in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Background ''Octobri mense'' is t ...

'' is an

on the

Rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

, issued on 22 September 1891. The subject was the power of prayer and the efficacy of the rosary. *'' Ingruentium malorum'' – This

focused on the

rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

. It was given on 15 September, (the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary), 1951. The encyclical states that from the beginning of his pontificate,

entrusted to the

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations ar ...

the destiny of the human family. The Pope strongly supports the idea, that Catholic families should pray the rosary together. John paul 2 coa

*''

Rosarium Virginis Mariae ''Rosarium Virginis Mariae'' (''Rosary of the Virgin Mary'') is an Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II, issued on October 16, 2002, which declared from October 2002 to October 2003 as the "Year of the Rosary". It was published by Pope John Paul ...

'' – This

Apostolic Letter Ecclesiastical letters are publications or announcements of the organs of Roman Catholic ecclesiastical authority, e.g. the synods, but more particularly of pope and bishops, addressed to the faithful in the form of letters. Letters of the pop ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

was issued on 16 October 2002. It deals with the

Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may refer to: * Rosary, a set of prayer beads used in a traditional Roman Catholic devotion * The Holy Rosary, a prayer based on the rosary See also * Holy Rosary Academy (disambiguation), one of several Roman Catholic schools with ...

and views it as compendium of the Gospel message: ''The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium.'' The letter reaffirms the Roman Catholic beliefs on the

power of the rosary In the Catholic Church, prayer is "the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It is an act of the moral virtue of religion, which Catholic theologians identify as a part of the cardinal virtue of ju ...

and states: ''Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.''

Sodality of Our Lady

*''

Gloriosae Dominae ''Gloriosae Dominae'' is an Apostolic Letter by Pope Benedict XIV issued on September 27, 1748. In this Apostolic Letter Pope Benedict XIV called the Blessed Virgin Mary "Queen of heaven and earth," stated that the sovereign King has in some way ...

'' – by

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Be ...

was issued on 27 September 1748. In this Apostolic Letter

called the Blessed Virgin Mary "Queen of heaven and earth," stating that the sovereign King has in some way communicated to her his ruling power. * '' Bis Saeculari'' – This Apostolic Constitution

Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady, also known as the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Latin, ''Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis''), is a Roman Catholic Marian society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit Jean Leunis (or Jan) a ...

was promulgated by

on 27 September 1948, the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull ''

'' of

in 1748. It is important because

Apostolic constitutions The ''Apostolic Constitutions'' or ''Constitutions of the Holy Apostles'' (Latin: ''Constitutiones Apostolorum'') is a Christian collection divided into eight books which is classified among the Church Orders, a genre of early Christian liter ...

are the highest form of Papal teaching, above encyclicals, and below dogmatization '' ex cathedra''. The

dates to 1584. It consists of associations of persons, sodalists, dedicated to a Christian life, following the model of the Virgin Mary. In ''Bis Saeculari'', Pope Pius XII pointed to the importance of the Sodality of Our Lady within the Church, which after four hundred years exists in all countries. It has produced virtuous lives among the faithful, priests and saints. It continues to prepare women and men to be active in modern society.

Notes

Sources

, Apostolic Constitution *

, encyclicals and bulls
Encyclical ''Le pèlerinage de Lourdes'' on the Vatican website
**

*

, encyclical, apostolic letters and addresses *
Pope John Paul II, ''Address to the Mariology Forum''

External links

* List of papal documents at the Theology Librar

{{webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530003451/http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/rosarymarkings29.html , date=30 May 2014 Catholic Mariology