Question about the Assumption of Mary

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From wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_Tomb

Roman Catholic teaching holds that Mary was “assumed” into heaven in bodily form, the Assumption; the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent physical death remains open in the Catholic view; however, most theologians believe that she did undergo death before her Assumption.

So what does the Church teach about this now? Did Mary’s body die before she went up to Heaven?

Thank you
 
Rae8 said:
From wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_Tomb
Roman Catholic teaching holds that Mary was “assumed” into heaven in bodily form, the Assumption; the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent physical death remains open in the Catholic view; however, most theologians believe that she did undergo death before her Assumption.
So what does the Church teach about this now? Did Mary’s body die before she went up to Heaven?

Thank you
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Not sure what you mean by the word “now,” but that question is undefined by the Church. Catholics may believe that Our Lady actually underwent death, or not.
 
Rae8 said:
From wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_Tomb

Roman Catholic teaching holds that Mary was “assumed” into heaven in bodily form, the Assumption; the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent physical death remains open in the Catholic view; however, most theologians believe that she did undergo death before her Assumption.

So what does the Church teach about this now? Did Mary’s body die before she went up to Heaven?

Thank you
Click to expand...
You answered your own question. “The question of whether or not Mary actually underwent physical death remains open in the Catholic view.”
 
It is more likely that she did die, though. Since she is the human being most conformed to Christ her Son, it is likely that she shared with him in physical death as well.

Also, quite ancient tradition venerates the tomb of Mary in Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The story goes that she “fell asleep” near the Cenacle, where the Abbey of Dormition stands today, and the apostles brought her down to that tomb, from where she was taken up. That tradition was discredited for quite a while, until recent discoveries at the Tomb of Mary church, which found 2nd century ruins there. It appears to be a very ancient Marian site.
 
There are some Marian Theologians who argue that as stated above in imitation of Her son and Lord, she died. Not being subject to death as She was without sin, it was a choice She made to conform with God’s will.

Not de fide, but I like it.
 
This is slighly changing the topic, but I have a Marian question, and I don’t want to start a whole new thread for it.

I understand that the Immaculate Conception refers to the fact that Mary was conceived without original sin. But did she ever commit any (presumably minor) sins during her life time?
 
As Catholics we believe that our Lady remained a virgin and free from sin, (even venial) throughout Her life on earth. It does not mean that she did not make a mistake like overseasoning the supper, But She conformed her will 100% to that of Her son.

(coming from a Jewish background, she was the perfect Jewish mother.)
 
While I was in RCIA, my priest said this in a way that really put me at ease with the Assumption philosophy. Basically, he said, since she was without sin, she didn’t die like we think. That is a consequence of sin. The easiest way to understand it is she simply quit being here and was immediately in heaven. It makes perfect sense when you think about it that way. I wish I could say it exactly as he did but that was the basic idea.
 
Filioque said:
As Catholics we believe that our Lady remained a virgin and free from sin, (even venial) throughout Her life on earth. It does not mean that she did not make a mistake like overseasoning the supper, But She conformed her will 100% to that of Her son.

(coming from a Jewish background, she was the perfect Jewish mother.)
Click to expand...
Cute!😉
 
Although Munificentissimus Deus of Pius Xii famously states as dogma that the Holy Virgin was assumed “having completed the course of her earthly life” the body of the document does repeatedly refer to her as having suffered a temporal death but that like Our Divine Saviour her body never underwent decay or corruption.

Almighty God willed, and it pleased the Blessed Virgin, that she should share in the death of her son, for although she did not fall under the ancient curse of death due all who are of the sinful stock of Adam she willed, in accord with the plan of God, to offer her death in union with her son in reparation for the sins of man and in solidarity with her brothers and sisters.
 
McCall1981 said:
This is slighly changing the topic, but I have a Marian question, and I don’t want to start a whole new thread for it.

I understand that the Immaculate Conception refers to the fact that Mary was conceived without original sin. But did she ever commit any (presumably minor) sins during her life time?
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The Church teaches that she did not, although there is nothing about her nature or her conception that would have prevented her from doing so. Unlike Our Lord, she was able to sin but did not.

FWIW, there is nothing about our nature or our conception that requires any of us to ever commit even a venial sin. It is possible to every one of us to go a lifetime without ever committing a sin.
 
Always good to check what has been submitted before.

A quick search will reveal a recent 50+ page thread on this and other questions you haven’t yet thought of on this tricky topic!
 
While not dogmatically defined, the Eastern Church has always taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary died and, three days later, was assumed into heaven. FWIW, this is also what my Angelus Press Missal says. 🙂
 
Zekariya said:
While not dogmatically defined, the Eastern Church has always taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary died and, three days later, was assumed into heaven. FWIW, this is also what my Angelus Press Missal says. 🙂
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I suspect that is what happened too, because while only the Assumption part has been dogmatically defined, the entire story of the Dormition is how the belief in the Assumption was passed on for so many centuries.
 
Rae8 said:
From wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_Tomb

Roman Catholic teaching holds that Mary was “assumed” into heaven in bodily form, the Assumption; the question of whether or not Mary actually underwent physical death remains open in the Catholic view; however, most theologians believe that she did undergo death before her Assumption.

So what does the Church teach about this now? Did Mary’s body die before she went up to Heaven?

Thank you
Click to expand...
She died. It has been the teaching of the Church from the beginning. I did a small writeup when I was Eastern Catholic defending the Eastern Catholic/Orthodox tradition of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The document that dogmatized the Assumption mentions Mary’s death several times, even from Roman Catholic sources. It was never removed as part of the faith that Mary died. She died and was resurrected and assumed. She is the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, and our hope that the same fate awaits us.
 
Zekariya said:
While not dogmatically defined, the Eastern Church has always taught that the Blessed Virgin Mary died and, three days later, was assumed into heaven. FWIW, this is also what my Angelus Press Missal says. 🙂
Click to expand...
Yes, I can’t quite remember where I read this, but I heard that after Mary died, the apostles laid her in a tomb and when they returned a few days later, they discovered that her body was no longer there, but instead, there were many flowers where she once lay.

Not sure about the authenticity of this tale, though…🤷
 
CruceSignati said:
Yes, I can’t quite remember where I read this, but I heard that after Mary died, the apostles laid her in a tomb and when they returned a few days later, they discovered that her body was no longer there, but instead, there were many flowers where she once lay.

Not sure about the authenticity of this tale, though…🤷
Click to expand...
One story I’ve heard is that the Theotokos died and all the Apostles were miraculously summoned to this event, and all were present except Thomas when Mary passed from this life. She was then buried. Thomas arrived a few days later, and desiring to see her one more time, convinced the others to open her tomb. Upon doing so, the Apostles discovered that her body was no longer present. This event is seen as a firstfruits of the resurrection of the faithful that will occur at the Second Coming of Christ.
 
CruceSignati said:
Yes, I can’t quite remember where I read this, but I heard that after Mary died, the apostles laid her in a tomb and when they returned a few days later, they discovered that her body was no longer there, but instead, there were many flowers where she once lay.

Not sure about the authenticity of this tale, though…🤷
Click to expand...
St. Thomas wasn’t there, he’s late. This mirrors the events of Jesus’ Resurrection. But instead of being the odd man out, it was to St. Thomas whom the vision of the Assumption was granted. And as the Theotokos ascended into heaven, she dropped her belt/sash/girdle as proof of what happened and for St. Thomas to bring to the other Apostles. To this day that relic of the Theotokos remains with us.
 
ConstantineTG said:
St. Thomas wasn’t there, he’s late. This mirrors the events of Jesus’ Resurrection. But instead of being the odd man out, it was to St. Thomas whom the vision of the Assumption was granted. And as the Theotokos ascended into heaven, she dropped her belt/sash/girdle as proof of what happened and for St. Thomas to bring to the other Apostles. To this day that relic of the Theotokos remains with us.
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Not quite correct. She didn’t “drop it”, rather “it fell”.

Meaning Mary “ascended” supine with body and soul divided (i.e. dead).
Eastern art confirms this.

Later Western art of the Assumption has her “ascend” standing and alive.
This later art appears theologically “innovative.”
 
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