The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland (; also translated as Our Lady, Queen of Poland or Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland) is an honorary

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

for

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

, used by Polish Catholics. The Catholic Church in Poland is singled out by

Marian devotions Marian devotions are external pious practices directed to the person of Mary, mother of Jesus, by members of certain Christian traditions. They are performed in Catholicism, High Church Lutheranism, Anglo-Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Orien ...

among other Christian denominations in Poland. The cult is universal and very common among

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

, as well as in the

Polish diaspora The Polish diaspora comprises Polish people, Poles and people of Polish heritage or origin who live outside Poland. The Polish diaspora is also known in modern Polish language, Polish as ''Polonia'', the name for Poland in Latin and many Romance la ...

worldwide. The title is associated with the history of Poles.

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

referred to Mary as ''Panią świata i naszą'' (Worldwide and our Lady). The oldest chronicle about the title for Mary as "Mary, Queen of Poland" is dated to the second half of the 16th century. This time called Mary "Mary, the Queen of Poland and Poles". On 1 April 1656 in Lviv's Cathedral at the Picture of Our Lady of Gracious Lovely Lviv Star

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...

officially vowed: . On the 300th anniversary of the Lwów Oath, the Polish Episcopacy on

Stefan Wyszyński Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Warsaw and Archbishop of Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. He previously served as Bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948. He was created a ...

's initiative again codified in whole Mary's country and revitalised royal vows. On 26 August 1956 at

Jasna Góra Monastery The Jasna Góra Monastery ( , ''Luminous or Light Mountain'', ) in Częstochowa, Poland, is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Ou ...

about one million of Polish ancestors donated . On 3 May (The day when

Constitution of 3 May 1791 The Constitution of 3 May 1791, titled the Government Act, was a written constitution for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was adopted by the Great Sejm that met between 1788 and 1792. The Commonwealth was a dual monarchy comprising th ...

is commonly celebrated in Poland), the Polish Catholic Church holds a

solemnity In the liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite, a solemnity is a feast day of the highest rank celebrating a mystery of faith such as the Trinity, an event in the life of Jesus, his mother Mary, his legal father Joseph, or another important ...

called the . The Virgin Mary is the first among the three main patron saints of Poland. She is also the main patroness for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Częstochowa, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Przemyśl and a former patroness of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv The Archdiocese of Lviv (of the Latins) () () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western Ukraine. Its Cathedral archiepiscopal see is a Minor Basilica and (Minor) World Heritage Site: Metropolit ...

History

History of Marian devotions in Poland are related to the

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...

. * On 14 August 1608 the Italian Giulio Mancinelli from

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

, received a revelation of Mary. Mary recommended to him that he called her "Queen of Poland": . On a second time on 8 May 1610 Mary revelated for him again, telling him: . Message about this revelation caused developing Marian devotions in Poland. On 15 August 1617, Mary revelated to Giulio Mancinelli again. Grand Chancellor of Lithuania Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł and

Andrew Bobola Andrew Bobola, Society of Jesus, SJ (; 1591 – 16 May 1657) was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the Apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls". He was beaten and tortured to death during the Khmelnytsky Upri ...

spread news about these revelations. * In 1635 Radziwiłł announced to the world that according to one of members of the

, Mary desired to be a Queen of Poland. After Naples and Kraków, Vilnius has been a Jesuit-European center of spreading dignity. Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn (1620) has been the first incarnate effect of the revelations. * In 1640,

Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

from Bledzew donated to Cisterians of the an icon of the Mother of God with the emblem of Polish kings on her chest. * On 27 June 1651,

got the Picture of Our Lady of Gracious Lovely Lviv Star from

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...

. *

, according to Catholic tradition, was defended during the

Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the biblical book of Genesis. Deluge or Le Déluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-L ...

thanks to Mary. The departure of the Swedes from Jasna Góra, of which King John II Casimir learned in Krosno, influenced the naming of the Mother of God the Queen of Poland. * On 1 April 1656 John II Casimir Vasa (among other bishops during papal legate's presence) submitted his vows before the icon of and he celebrated Mary as "Mary, Queen of Poland". During refusing the litany of Loreto

Pietro Vidoni Pietro Vidoni (8 November 1610 – 5 January 1681) was an Italian cardinal who served from 1652 to 1660 as the papal legate and nuncio to Poland. Personal life Vidoni was born 8 November 1610 in Cremona into Italian noble family. He studied at ...

phrasing three times: (a popular type of prayer in Poland) got popularised. * In 1651

Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki Michael I (, ; 31 May 1640 – 10 November 1673) was the ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 29 September 1669 until his death in 1673 ...

placed Polish emblem on the wonderful image of Mary at Rokitno's Basilica. * On 8 September 1717 took place the coronation with papal crowns of the picture of Our Lady of Częstochowa, as the third image with papal rights outside Rome. (First decree given in Croatia, Second decree given in Slovenia.) * In 1764 Coronation Sejm in the act ''Forteca Częstochowska'' referred to Our Lady as "Virgin Mary, the Most Holy Queen of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

". * 25 November 1908, at the request of Józef Bilczewski,

Pope Pius X Pope Pius 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 Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

issued a decree confirming the cult, allowing the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of the Polish Crown and instituted the

liturgical feast 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 n ...

of the Queen of the Polish Crown for the Archdiocese of Lviv and the Przemyśl diocese, designating it as the first Sunday of May in memory of John II Casimir's vow's. * On 29 November 1908,

leted for including to Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary permanent invocation "Królowo Korony Polskiej" for the Lviv and Przemyśl dioceses * In 1910 Pius X announced Mother of God Queen of the Polish Crown main patroness of Archdiocese of Lviv. * On 22 May 1910 second coronation with papal crowns – Pius X. * In 1914 Celebrations has been changed on 2 May. * 14 January 1920 After receiving two appeals from Polish Episcopacy,

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

expanded the invocation of the Queen of the Polish Crown in the Loreto Litany for the whole of Poland. * 27 July 1920 Polish Episcopacy due to

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

again picked Mary as "Queen of Poland" * On 12 October 1923,

Sacred Congregation of Rites The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a Congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on 22 January 1588 by Pope Sixtus V by ''Immensa Aeterni Dei''; it was divided into two separate congregations by Pope Paul VI on 8 May 196 ...

designated Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland on 3 May and included to Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary phrasing ''Queen of the Polish Crown'' (which after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

has been changed for "Queen of Poland"). * In 1925

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

expanded the cult of Mary for all dioceses in Poland. * In 1926 a pilgrimage of Polish women, in thanks for the Battle of Warsaw, offered the Mother of God at Jasna Góra a scepter and an apple as a sign of royal dignity. * 15 January 1930 the holiday was raised to the rank of first-class with an octave in the diocese of Lviv, Przemyśl. and Częstochowa, which also received its own mass form and office, and in other dioceses it was a second-class holiday. * On 16 May 1956 (during

's feast day) cardinal

interneed in

Komańcza Komańcza is a village in the Sanok County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (province) of south-eastern Poland. It is situated in the Bukowsko Upland mountains, located near the towns of Medzilaborce and Palota (in northeastern Slovakia). Ety ...

, wrote revitalisation of Lviv vows which were influential for reparating Poland. * 26 August 1956 The Polish Episcopacy made the act of renewing the Lviv vows, which 300 years earlier was made by the Polish king Jan II Casimir. * In 1962,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

, announced Mary as "Patronness of Poland" and Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland became a first-class holiday in all Polish dioceses. * In 1962 Pope Paul VI (based on Stefan Wyszyński's askings) increased custom for ore competitive category celebration. * On 1 April 2005,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

(one day before his death) offered and blessed new golden crowns for the image of Our Lady the Queen of Poland.

References

External links

* {{Coptic saints Patron saints of Poland

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links