Mary Page News
November 10, 2000
Mary Page News items give insight into our interest areas, our outreach, and the myriad ways
people honor Our Lady. We welcome your input and your comments.
Features
Call for Papers: Marian Spirituality
The Mariological Society of American issues a "Call-for-Papers." The conferences will be
delivered at the Society's annual meeting, May, 2001, and printed in Marian Studies,
2001 (vol. 52). The Society is undertaking a three-year program on Marian Spirituality –
the witness and experience of the Marian influence in the life of the Church, of religious
movements, and of individuals.
The first year's program (2001) will deal with Marian Spirituality, especially the concept of
mediation, during the patristic and early medieval periods. Papers are requested on the
Scriptural and doctrinal foundations of Marian spirituality, and on witness of early Eastern and
Western writers (e.g., Augustine, Ildephonse of Toledo, Severus of Antioch, John Damascene,
Germanus of Constantinople, the monastic writers) and the hymns and prayers of the period.
A precis should be submitted by December 31, 2000. For more information, contact Fr. Thomas
A. Thompson, S.M., The Marian Library/IMRI, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469-1390.
(FAX 937- 229-4258; Tel: 937-229-4214.
Entrustment to Mary: Jubilee of Bishops
Mary brings light, hope and comfort to all people, Pope John Paul II told the faithful gathered in
St. Peter's Square on the evening of October 7, the First Saturday of the month. L'Osservatore
Romano on October 11 reported that the Holy Father led the recitation
of the Rosary and was joined by Bishops who had come to Rome for their Jubilee celebration.
The prayer service was enhanced by the presence of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which was
carried in procession to the esplanade in front of the basilica, as the Litany "Sancta Maria
Regina" was sung.
The fifth decade of the glorious mysteries of the Rosary was led by Sister Lucia dos Santos and
the community of the Carmelite monastery in Coimbra, linked by radio and television with St.
Peter's Square. The service concluded with three Portuguese shepherd children laying a bouquet
of flowers at the feet of Our Lady's statue, as the antiphon "Salve Regina" was sung.
In his address before the conclusion of the Marian devotions, the Holy Father addressed the
assembled in Italian, saying, "This evening our prayer has spiritually united the human family
around Mary, Regina Mundi" and "There is no century or people in which she has not made her
presence felt, bringing light, hope and comfort to the faithful, especially the lowly and the poor."
The Jubilee of Bishops concluded on Sunday morning, October 8, with a solemn Mass in St.
Peter's Square and the Act of Entrustment to Mary, Most Holy. The Holy Father entrusted to
Mary, our Mother, all people, beginning with the weakest: the babies yet unborn, and those born
into poverty and suffering, the young in search of meaning, the unemployed, and those suffering
hunger and disease. "We entrust to you all troubled families, the elderly with no one to help
them,
and all who are alone and without hope," the Holy Father said, as reported in the L'Osservatore
Romano on October 11.
The statue of Our Lady of Fatima was brought to Rome from the Portuguese shrine at the express
wish of the Holy Father for the Jubilee of Bishops and their collegial Act of Entrustment,
L'Osservatore Romano said on October 11.
The text for the Prayer of Entrustment can be found at: Act of Entrustment to Mary
The "Hail" Mary
Fr. Albert Enard, O.P., is a French Dominican priest whose life activity has been to
promote the rosary. He has been the director of "rosary teams" (the successor to the rosary
confraternities), and he has written several books on the rosary's origins and history. In his
books, he has proposed ways in which this prayer could be revitalized and communicated to
future generations. One of his suggestions has been a restructuring of the mysteries of the rosary
in such a way as to reflect the whole of the Gospel: these were the fifteen mysteries of the
"Kingdom of God." Another suggestion was the modification of the text of the present form of
the Hail Mary to make it similar to the text used when the rosary originated. A third suggestion
was a new translation of the opening word of the Angel's greeting to the Virgin Mary at the
Annunciation (Luke 1, 28) to indicate that the angel's words were truly a message of joy.
Prompted by the theme of the Jubilee 2000, Fr. Enard has again suggested that the
opening word of the angel's greeting be translated as a call to joy. (Revue du Rosaire,
June, 1999). Fr. Enard observes that, in On the Coming Third Millennium, the pope
spoke of the joy which was associated with the message of the Incarnation. "The term 'Jubilee'
speaks of joy not just an inner joy but a jubilation which is manifested outwardly, for the coming
of God is also an outward, visible, audible and tangible event, as Saint John makes clear (cf. 1 Jn
1:1). It is thus appropriate that every sign of joy at this coming should have its own outward
expression. This will demonstrate that the Church rejoices in salvation. She invites everyone to
rejoice, and she tries to create conditions to ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by
all" (16).
The other reason which prompted Fr. Enard to suggest again the Angel's greeting be
translated as a message of joy was a conference, given on May 1, 1996, by Pope John Paul II as
part of his ongoing weekly conferences on the Virgin Mary. In this conference, the pope clearly
and forcefully indicated his position on a matter which has been debated for several decades.
The first word of the angel at the Annunciation chaïré in St.
Luke's Gospel--was translated into Latin as Ave. In Latin, ave was a simple
word of greeting. Consequently, all the Western European languages (dependent upon the Latin)
translated ave as a simple word of greeting: Hail, Mary; Je vous salue Marie; Dios te salve
Maria; Gegrsst seist du. It was known that the Greek word chaïré
meant "rejoice," but it was thought that, in the Greek of the New Testament period, the word
had become an ordinary daily greeting (as it still is in Greek today) and did not denote a special
message of joy.
In 1939, the French Scripture scholar, Fr. Stanislaus Lyonnet, S.J., challenged this
intepretation. He noted that in Luke's Gospel the ordinary form of greeting was "Peace" (from
the Hebrew shalom; Luke 10:5; 24:36). There were instances where, when a message
of great importance such as a promise of liberation was communicated, the greeting was not
simply "Peace" but rather "Rejoice" (Ex. 4:31; I Kgs 5:21; Is 66:10: 14). The call to rejoice was
prominent when Israel was addressed as the Daughter of Sion (Zephaniah 3:14; Joel 2:21;
Zechariah 9:9). (Vatican II and postconciliar liturgy refer to Mary as the "outstanding Daughter
of Zion.)
The translation of Scripture text, Luke 1, 27, may have drawn little attention, were these
words not part of the most popular Marian prayer of the Western Church the Ave
Maria Hail Mary (English), Je vous salue (French). A change in the wording of this
popular prayer first occurred in France. At Lourdes, in 1969, Réjouis-toi
("Rejoice") began to be used as the opening words of Ave Maria. Four years later, as the
French bishops submitted the texts of the Lectionary to the Congregation for Divine Worship,
they requested that the Rejouis-toi be retained in the official liturgical texts of the Lukan
pericope. It was the form, they said, to which French Catholics had become accustomed. (The
form Réjouis-toi was approved by three boards: the pastoral commission, the
exegetical commission, and the bishops who were members of international committee for the
translation of French texts.) However, those opposed to any change, especially as it would affect
the rosary, led by Father J. Delanoe, succeeded in influencing the outcome. The Congregation
for the Faith requested that the Congregation for Divine Worship not approve the change. "The
reasons for the change," the congregation averred, "appear to be less weighty than the reasons
for not changing, namely, the words of the Hail Mary which are so dear to the faith and the
devotion of the Christian people." (Cf. Laurentin, "Bulletin sur Marie," RSTP, 60 (3) 1976:.
334.) Accordingly, the French Lectionary retranslated the words as a simple greeting, "Je te
salue," and all the English Lectionaries have retained the phrase "Hail Mary."
Meanwhile, Fr. Enard continued his work of showing that the angel's words to Mary
were not simply words of greeting but a call to great joy. In 1983, his book Réjouis-
toi Marie appeared with French translations of the commentaries, especially those of Greek
writers, on the angel's words. (Later, Fr. Enard had the opportunity to present his book to Pope
John Paul II, and he was elated to see his views reflected in the pope's conference of May 1,
1996).. In contrast to Latin writers (who frequently commented on how Eva became Ave), the
Greek commentaries dwelt on the joy in the angel's announcement to Mary. The Akathist hymn
of the Byzantine Church is an extended meditation on the Annunciation scene, with the refrain,
"Rejoice, rejoice, o wedded virgin," repeated throughout. St. Sophronias, patriarch of Jerusalem,
comments, "What will the angel say to the blessed and pure Virgin? How will he communicate
the great message? 'Rejoice, you have been filled with grace, the Lord is with you.' When he
addressed her, he begins with joy, he who is the announcer of joy."
Hopefully, future editions of the Lectionary will reflect Pope John Paul's
interpretation of the Angel's words at the Annunciation. In its commentary on the Ave
Maria, the Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the first words as "Hail Mary,"
or "Rejoice Mary" (CCC 2676). Since the Ave Maria does not appear as a prayer in the
official liturgical books, there is little possibility that the English-speaking bishops will consider
the matter. The experience of the postconciliar period teaches that little is gained by introducing
a
change which has not been thoroughly explained and accepted. In private prayer, and in those
communities where agreement can be reached, "Rejoice, Mary," could be use in the rosary and
the Angelus. Probably, the two forms will exist alongside each other, hopefully not in conflict.
(In France, at the present there are three forms: Je vous salue, je te salue, réjouis-
toi.) The Jubilee Year is an appropriate time to introduce a small change to commemorate
and communicate God's message of joy to the Virgin Mary, the first person to receive the good
news of the Incarnation.
The above article, written by Rev. Thomas A. Thompson, SM, A faculty member of The
International Marian Research Institute and Director of the Marian Library, appeared in the
Summer 2000 edition of The Marian Library Newsletter. To receive the newsletter, contact us at
the email address posted below.
The eighth International Mariological Colloquium
The L'Osseravatore Romano of October 25, 2000, published Pope John Paul II's address
to the participants of the Eighth International Mariological Colloquium. The colloquium dealt
with the subject: St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort: Trinitarian Spirituality, in
Communion with Mary. An excerpt of the Holy Father's address follows:
"For me, St. Louis Marie Grigion de Montfort is a significant person of reference
who has enlightened me at important moments in life." [The Holy Father describes the first blue,
soda-stained copy of Montfort's True Devotion that was lent to him as a seminarian.]
"...the Virgin belongs to the plan of salvation, by the Father's will, as the Mother
of the incarnate Word, who was conceived by her through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mary's every intervention in the work of the regeneration of the faithful is not in competition
with Christ, but derives from him and is at his service. Mary's action in the plan
of salvation is always Christocentric, that is, it is directly related to a mediation that takes place
in Christ. I then realized that I could not exclude the Mother of the Lord from my life without
disregarding the will of God-the-Trinity, who wanted to "begin and complete" the great
mysteries of salvation history with the responsible and faithful collaboration of the humble
Handmaid of Nazareth.
... May every Christian make his own the doxology that Montfort puts on Mary's lips in the
Magnificat:
May our one true God
be adored and blessed!
Mary the universe
resound
and everyone sing:
Glory to the eternal Father,
glory to the
adorable Word!
The same glory to the Holy Spirit
who unites them with his love in an
unspeakable bond." (Canticles, 85, b)
The first Interdenominational Forum on Mariology
ZENIT article:
THEOLOGIANS' FORUM IS LOOKING FOR COMMON GROUND ON THE
ASSUMPTION
Meeting Marks Anniversary of Proclamation of Dogma
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 30, 2000 (ZENIT.org).- An interdenominational forum is
looking into questions regarding the Assumption, 50 years after it was proclaimed a
dogma of the Church.
Pius XII on Nov. 1 of the Holy Year 1950 solemnly defined as a dogma of faith the
assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, body and soul, into heaven.
To mark this event, the first International Forum on Mariology organized by the PAMI
opened today in Rome. For two days, theologians from various Christian denominations will be
addressing questions about the dogma.
To read the entire article see: ZENIT Archive
Prison Art – Our Lady of Guadalupe
The photograph and following information was submitted to Mary Page by Bro. Lawrence
Scrivani, SM:
The photograph to our right is an example of Our Lady of Guadalupe as she appears in prison art.
The image appears as a graffito on the metal wall of a large holding cell in the former county jail
located in Holbrook, Navajo County, Arizona, USA. Use of the jail was discontinued in 1976, so
the graffito had to be applied before that year. In the photograph one can detect numerous
scribblings surrounding the Guadalupe image. These have no relationship to it. The cell walls
contained numerous other markings, including some graphic representations but one as large or
as elaborate as the Guadalupe image.
![[Our Lady of
Guadalupe]](/mary/images2/prisonimage.jpg)
The building containing the jail is currently used as the Navajo County Museum and Tourism
Center. It is located at 100 East Arizona Street, Holbrook. The building served as a courthouse
and jail from 1898 to 1976. The existing graffiti in the cell reflects Navaho Indian, Mexican and
American origins.
The image measures somewhat larger than 1 meter in height.
Groupe de Dombes, "Mary in the Plan of God and the Communion of
Saints"
The following information appeared in the summer edition of The Marian Library
Newsletter:
The following three articles respond to the ecumenical document of the Groupe de Dombes,
"Mary in the Plan of
God and the Communion of Saints," (which appear in summary form in the The Marian
Library Newsletter,
no. 37 (Winter, 1998-99).
- J.-M. Hennaux, S.J. "Le Document du Groupe des Dombes sur la Vierge Marie."
Nouvelle Revue
Theologique 121 (1999) 41-58.
The outstanding achievement of the 'Groupe de Dombes' document on Mary is to offer with
remarkable
clarity the meaning of Mary's cooperation--the complete reception of the gift of salvation. The
document hesitates
to attribute any active role to Mary. Yet the meaning of grace as a gift of God's love requires that
the gift not only
be received but also become the possession of the person, endowing the person with new
capabilities. The two
guiding principles of the Dombes document are justification by faith in Christ Jesus and the
"hierarchy of truths."
Since Mary's cooperation in salvation is a consequence of justification by faith, it cannot be
regarded as a derived
or secondary doctrine in the hierarchy of truths.
- Alain Blancy, "Marie et la Réforme: Les Protestants et le Document du Groupe des
Dombes
sur Marie,"
Nouvelle Revue Théologique 121 (1999) 23-40.
Between Protestant silence and Catholic inflation on Mary, the document of the Group de
Dombes has
opened a way of convergence. The explanation of the "cooperation and active response of Mary"
is not at variance
with the heart of Protestantism--the unique mediation of Christ and sola gratia, sola fide. Both
dogmas the
Immaculate Conception and the Assumption--anticipate what awaits every believer. One reason
that the invocation
of Mary is an insurmountable difficulty for Protestants lies in different figures of the
Communion of Saints.
Protestants stand as individuals before God, whereas Catholics regard the Communion of Saints
as a fusion in
which all--including Jesus, the God-Man, and Mary--stand before God. The prayer addressed to
Jesus is reflected to
Mary and the saints who stand together before God.
- Pierre Grelot. "Marie Mère de Jésus dans les Écritures,"
Nouvelle Revue Théologique
121 (1999) 59-
71.
The Dombes document speaks of situating the Marian dogmas in the hierarchy of truths, even
while
acknowledging that these dogmas cannot be directly derived from the Scriptures. On the
contrary, I believe these
dogmas, at least their beginnings, can be found in Scripture, provided that the interpretation is
not limited to an
historicizing approach. Pierre Prigent has written on the Marian interpretations of the
Apocalypse. The Apocalypse
must be read as a book of symbols coming from a Semitic background. The internal logic of the
text, the symbol of
the Woman, cannot be fully interpreted if account is not taken of the connection between Mary
and the Church, of
which Mary is the first historical member who gives birth to its leader, Jesus Christ. The Woman
clothed with the
sun (Apocalypse 12) represents humanity renewed. In the hostility between the Woman and the
dragon, the dragon
tries to harm humanity through sin and death. The Woman, representative of the new humanity,
resists and is
unharmed.
The Marian Library Newsletter Update
The following news items appeared in the summer edition of The Marian Library
Newsletter:
-
On June 15, 2000, Mr. Michael Duricy was granted the Licentiate in Sacred Theology, with
the successful
defense of his thesis, "An Analysis of Cinematic Presentations of the Virgin Mary from
1879-1999: A Theological
Appraisal of a Socio-Cultural Reality."
- The Marian Study Center, formerly at Ushaw College at Durham, England, will move
to Cambridge in the
fall of 2000 and be part of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of the Cambridge Theological
Federation. Although part
of the Federation which exists to enable Catholic women to study theology at Cambridge, the
center will remain
unaligned with any religious body. At the same time, the Center announces a new publication:
Maria: A Journal
of Marian Studies, which will be an indisciplinary journal for research relating to the Virgin
Mary in the fields
of theology, literature, history of art and music, sociology, anthropology, and psychology.
Editorial address:
Sheffield Academic Press, Mansion House, 19 Kingfield Road Sheffield, S11 9AS, UK.
- The 1999 Prix Laurentin was awarded to Cettina Militello. Past recipients were Johann
Roten, Stefano de
Fiores, Franz Courth, Pavel Melada, and Aristide Serra. (Cf. Madre di Dio, December
1999).
- A endowed professorship of Franciscan Mariology, the Duns Scotus Chair, was recently
established at the
theological faculty of the Antonianum in Rome.
- A part of the International Zaventen Airport in Brussels is
dedicated to Europe's religious and spiritual heritage. The section contains a chapels for the
Catholics, Protestants,
and the Orthodox; a synagogue, a mosque, and a large reception area to which all are welcome.
The Catholic chapel
is dedicated to Our Lady of Europe. The image of Mary is similar to that of the Miraculous
Medal. Aviation
symbolism in the main altar suggests the Angel of the Annunciation and the Assumption. The
flag, adopted in 1986
by the Council of Europe, is twelve golden stars in the form of a circle representing the union of
the peoples of
Europe. The official explanation states the number twelve is sign of unity and perfection. (Many
will also associate
the twelve stars with the crown of the Woman of the Apocalypse.)
[NOTE: The Marian Library Newsletter appears twice yearly and is sent to those interested in the
Marian Library and the International Marian Research Institute.]
New Exhibit: Georgia Armstrong Askew
Scheduled to beginning November 17. Exhibit will be posted at that time.
Marian Concert by the Cincinnati Camerata
Begin thinking of Advent
The first Sunday evening in December, December 3, 2000, there will be a Marian Concert by the
Cincinnati Camerata in Covington, Kentucky. The following e-mail concerning this event was
sent to the
Mary Page editors.
This promises to be an exciting event. There is a prelude by a local composer entitled, "Serenade
for
Mary", followed by a procession singing the "Ave Maris Stella" chant. Next on the program is
the Bach
Cantata for the 1st Sunday in advent " Wachet Auf " with full orchestra, the middle of the
program is all
Marian: chants, 15th c. , new music, a Magnificat by Pachelbel, and a beautiful Ave Maria by
Bruckner.
The program rounds out with The Four Christmas Motets by Poulenc.
The concert is at Mother of God Church , 119 west 6th street, Covington,Kentucky (just across
the river
from Cincinnati) on Sunday, December 3rd, 7:00pm . The ticket price is $10.00 at the door.
For more info. please call 859-491-2362.
Mary in the Secular Press
Commentary on Mary in various news articles from October 25 - November 7, 2000.
The director and editors of Mary Page under the auspices of the International Marian
Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas
expressed in this feature. Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from
a myriad of papers representing the secular press.
-
The navy blue European union flag with its circle of 12 gold stars, which first appeared in 1955
as the symbol of the Council of Europe and was adopted by the European Union in 1986,
contains symbolism which was known to representatives of Catholic member states but not
revealed, the Sunday Mail wrote on November 5. Arsene Heitz, a mailroom assistant at the
Council who submitted the design in a logo competition, later said he "felt inspired by the silent
voices of heaven" to base his design on the Catholic Marian symbol of a circle of 12 stars, taken
from St. John's vision of the Virgin Mary. The design was officially adopted on December 8,
1955, the Feast of the Virgin Mary.
Faith No 2, a picture taken from the book "Faith," by Mike Abrahams, shows crowds waving
handkerchiefs as an image of the Virgin Mary is paraded through the streets of Fatima, in
Portugal, to commemorate the religious vision reputed to have taken place there, The London
Independent wrote on November 7.
A pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima, one of four dedicated to travel the world in 1946 by
Pope Pius XII at the request of Sister Lucia, one of the three visionaries, is still traveling. It was
scheduled to make a stop at San Pedro Pescador Church in St. Bernard, the New Orleans Times-
Picayune said on November 5. The statue, on a local tour of Louisiana and Mississippi, was in
Vatican City in October. "This visit is part of a 52-year pilgrimage by the statues that will
continue until the world has peace and Russia converts to Christianity," Father J.P. Grenham,
pastor, said.
A 1,000-year-old golden statue of the Virgin Mary a golden statue of Jesus Christ and gold items
dating back to the Crusades were among the 26 million dollars worth of Christian and Islamic
antiquities from Lebanon seized by Kuwaiti, Agence France Press said on November 2. Five
men arrested for smuggling confessed to having brought the antiques into Kuwait from Saudi
Arabia.
A television reporter who had a conversion experience while in Medjugorje and returned to her
Catholic faith was to be guest speaker at the Slidell Magnificat breakfast November 14, the New
Orleans Times Picayune said on October 26. Mary Lou McCall, now co-host of "Focus," a live,
syndicated call-in show, felt the call to leave secular broadcasting and use her skills to produce
Catholic television shows after she traveled with the first American news team to Medjugoje.
The team produced "Miracles in Medjugorje," which sent thousands of pilgrims flocking to the
tiny village in Bosnia-Herzogovina. The Slidell Magnificat is a ministry of Catholic women.
Pier Paola Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew," in which his mother plays the
Virgin Mary, ranks 90 in Derek Malcom's list of 100 greatest movies. Writer Malcom reviewed
the film in the London Guardian on November 2.
Visionary Maria Paula's claims that the Virgin Mary visits her in the California desert,
investigated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese for a year, have been refuted by Cardinal Mahoney,
but housewife Susan Tuta believes that the faith healer cured her of a large tumor near her
pituitary gland. Featured in "A Leap of Faith" series on the CBS Early Show on November 1,
Susan continues to go to the desert site where she and others are blessed by Maria Paula on the
13th of every month and hopefully see the Virgin Mary, who they believe appears in photos they
take of the sun.
The Sarasota Herald Tribune on November 5 reported that some questioning elicited the
information that the image of the blessed Virgin Mary seen on the glass of a car dealership a year
ago is still on the windows. Shepherds of Christ, a Catholic ministry, now leases the building and
operates a religious gift shop on the first floor and recently started Mary's Rosary Factory on the
second.
Items Revisited
A Devotee's Mary – The Collection of May Fought
![[popular devotion,
1900's]](/mary/gallery/images/fought17.jpg)
See more at: Current Exhibit
The Life of Mary: Visitation – Elizabeth's
Perspective
The Mary Page theme for this news brief about the Blessed Mother is culled from
magisterial documents since Vatican II. The theme covers various aspects of Mary's life.
Mary is a real, historical person who lived in Nazareth 2000.
The example from magisterial writings below is derived from the document Redemptoris
Mater (RM).
"And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Lk. 1:43)
Elizabeth bears witness to Mary: she recognizes and proclaims that before her stands the Mother
of the Lord, the Mother of the Messiah. The son whom Elizabeth is carrying in her womb also
shares in this witness: "The babe in my womb leaped for joy" (Lk. 1:44). [RM 12]
You are invited to help us pray for our prayer corner intentions.
Return to October 27, 2000