Q: What to think about Mary of Agreda's Mystical City of God?
A:
A complicated story, and at least as long as the Mystical City itself. In
short, there seems to be little doubt that the person of Maria Agreda is, and
was, widely considered to be a saintly person. Her cause was introduced
for the first time shortly after her death in 1672, then promoted again a
century later, but, to this day, has not come to fruition. As to her
Mystical City, it was written in obedience to her confessors (spiritual
directors), burnt twice, recommenced three times, never of her own volition.
The book was condemned in 1681 by Innocent XI, but execution was suspended for
Spain. The Sorbonne or University of Paris did the same in 1696 by 102
votes of 152 after having had it examined by 132 doctors of theology. In
contrast, several Spanish universities such as Salamanca and Alcala gave their
approval, as did the Spanish Inquisition after ten years of study. In
1729, Benedict XIII maintained the condemnation. The work was placed on
the Index, but the decision was contested by its supporters, invoking faulty
translations from the Spanish original. Some of the reasons for the
condemnation by the Sorbonne were: indecent (i.e. very physical) language; a
tendency to give Mary adoration instead of veneration; her Immaculate
Conception, and, thanks to this privilege, mediation of all graces. Being
of Franciscan obedience and culture, Maria Agreda was following Scotist and not
Thomist theology. Some of the theological ideas, namely the Immaculate
Conception and the mediation of all graces became common opinion in the 19th and
20th centuries, the former even dogma. The Index was abolished in 1966,
although with the caveat to avoid readings harmful to faith and moral conduct.
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