I’ve long struggled with how to understand and practice the Church’s teaching on Mary. It’s perhaps been the most difficult part of my being Catholic.
The toughest logical leap, at least in my mind, goes from honoring what Mary has done to looking at her as a necessity in the ongoing personal salvation of each individual. In other words, it’s one thing to say we
should honor her, another to say we
must honor her. I think that may be where the concern over “worship” comes into play.
In this aspect, the Magisterium appears to walk a very fine line. The rosary remains a personal devotion - an important one practiced by millions - but is never required of any Catholic. If you visit the Pope you will received, at least traditionally, a rosary but never have to pray it, and rosary-like prayers that are directed entirely to the Son without recourse to Mary (for example, The Jesus Rosary) are acceptable for Catholics to pray.
It’s been said that Mary is the way to Christ, as though a door. My concern is if we begin to see Mary’s door as being closed to those who don’t ask for her help or permission, which is certainly the intent I get from certain Marian authors like Montfort, Liguori and others, and that has been the intepretation of a number of Marian devotees I’ve talked with on these boards. So long as Mary holds that door open, I don’t think there’s a threat, but once we argue that Mary can close that door, we’ve argued an impediment to salvation, and imputed something akin to worship, that cannot be supported by faith.
Her queenship in Heaven (though maybe not like some), Her Immaculate conception, Her sinless life in Christ. I look at Mary as a perfect model Christian. I contemplate her role as a mother to the faithful. She is full consent of herself to God.
Mary as model of cooperation and obedience, wonderful. To make the leap to Mary as necessary focus of veneration is another story.
Well, Benedict XVI had this to say just last year:
…The Church exercises her motherhood especially in the sacrament of Baptism, when she generates God’s children from water and the Holy Spirit, who cries out in each of them: “Abba, Father!” (Gal 4:6).
Now this is interesting. I recall (and I wish I could find the reference now) that Mary actually has no role in baptism - this is an act of the Holy Spirit, and not a grace that she imparts (as such special graces are argued to be imparted through the rosary). When Benedict references divine motherhood, he isn’t referring to Mary’s motherhood, but rather to the motherly role that the Church holds.
(quoting Benedict XVI)
Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of God’s blessing for the world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs always, at least as much as bread."
This again is careful language. Mary’s mediatorship is at least once - as Theotokos - though not in the same way as the Church which bears a personal role in the salvation of each individual. Where Mary
may intercede in an individual (a devotee, perhaps), the Church necessarily intercedes for all individuals because it is the reception of Christ through the Church’s sacraments that ordinarily imparts the grace that saves.
but when it comes to “faith and morals” the pope is the ultimate authority!
Provided he speaks
ex cathedra. But even when he does not, what he writes bears authority (even if not infallible), provided that we understand the teaching. I have no idea how to accept Pius X’s teachings on the
necessity of prayer to Mary for salvation:
From Ad diem illum laetissimum (1904) (P. 13):
‘But Mary, as St. Bernard justly remarks, is the channel … or, if you will, the connecting portion the function of which is to join the body to the head and to transmit to the body the influences and volitions of the head - We mean the neck. Yes, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, “she is the neck of Our Head, by which He communicates to His mystical body all spiritual gifts”’
Thus to sever Mary would mean to sever Jesus for without the neck, the body cannot join the head. Pius X is more explicit here:
(P. 15):
“Those, alas! furnish us by their conduct with a peremptory proof of it, who seduced by the wiles of the demon or deceived by false doctrines think they can do without the help of the Virgin. Hapless are they who neglect Mary under pretext of the honor to be paid to Jesus Christ! As if the Child could be found elsewhere than with the Mother!”
Which I read to mean “Christ cannot save you without Mary.” I’m sure this is an incorrect reading - it’s plainly blasphemous. But such is the nature of some Marian writings, confounding and difficult.
Instead of worrying that the veneration of others has gone ‘too far’ and crossed into illicit ‘worship’, think of it as different Church figures resonating with different Catholics. That is, perhaps some Catholics find it easier to reach out to God via the Mother.
That’s acceptable. He saves us where we are and as He wishes, not any other way. Provided that I will not be condemned for my lack of Marian devotion (I practice a devotion to the Holy Trinity), I won’t condemn others for their own Marian devotion.
