A Study of Mary in Magisterial Documents

Since Vatican II, the Catholic Church has provided rich sources of teachings about Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. The Mary Page has studied the magisterial writings listed below according to themes that surface in the documents. The themes provide materials to aid in preparation of homilies and research topics. The themes are found at:

More about the document and, where possible, a link to the full document on the web is reached by clicking on the abbreviations below.

The Documents

listed according to date

Lumen Gentium 8 Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 21 November 1964 LG Mense maio - The Month of May Encyclical Letter Pope Paul VI 29 April 1965 MM Mysterium Fidei Encyclical Letter on Eucharistic Doctrine and Worship Pope Paul VI 3 September 1965 MF Christi Matri Encyclical: The Rosary During October an Urgent Appeal for Peace Pope Paul VI 15 September 1966 CMR Signum Magnum Apostolic Exhortation on Venerating and Imitating the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Model of All Virtues Pope Paul VI 13 May 1967 SM Solemnis Professio Fidei The Creed of the People of God Pope Paul VI 30 June 1968 SPF Recurrens Mensis October Apostolic Exhortation on the Recurrence of the Month of October Pope Paul VI 7 October 1969 RMO Directorium Catechisticum Generale General Catechetical Directory Sacred Congregation for the Clergy 18 March 1971 DCG/GCD Basic Teachings for Catholic Religious Education The National Council of Catholic Bishops 11 January 1973 BT Behold Your Mother: Woman of Faith A Pastoral Letter on the Blessed Virgin Mary National Conference of Catholic Bishops 21 November 1973 BYM Marialis Cultus Apostolic Exhortation for the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary Pope Paul VI 2 February 1974 MC Gaudete in Domino Apostolic Exhortation - on Christian Joy Pope Paul VI 9 May 1975 GD Sharing the Light of Faith National Catechetical Directory for Catholics of the United States US National Council of Catholic Bishops March 1979 SLF Redemptor Hominis Encyclical on the Redeemer of Man Pope John Paul II 4 March 1979 RH Catechesi Tradendae Apostolic Exhortation on Catechesis in Our Time Pope John Paul II 16 October 1979 CT Dives in Misericordia Encyclical on the Mercy of God Pope John Paul II 30 November 1980 DM A Concilio Constantinopolitano I Apostolic Letter for the 1600th Anniversary of the First Council of Constantinople and the 1550th Anniversary of the Council of Ephesus Pope John Paul II 25 March 1981 EPH Dominum et Vivificantem Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World Pope John Paul II 18 May 1986 DeV Redemptoris Mater Encyclical Letter on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church Pope John Paul II 25 March 1987 RM Orientation and Proposals for the Celebration of the Marian Year The Congregation of Divine Worship Paul Augustine Cardinal Mayer 3 April 1987 OPMY The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation Letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education 25 March 1988 ISF Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 1988 Mary in the Life of the Priests Pope John Paul II 25 March 1988 Priests88 Litterae Encyclicae Letter to All Consecrated Persons Belonging to Religious Communities and Secular Institutes on the Occasion of the Marian Year Pope John Paul II Pentecost 22 May 1988 LE Mulieris Dignitatem Apostolic Letter on the Dignity and Vocation of Women on the Occasion of the Marian Year Pope John Paul II 15 August 1988 MD Redemptoris Custos Apostolic Exhortation on the Person and Mission of Saint Joseph in the Life of Christ and of the Church Pope John Paul II 15 August 1989 RC Guidelines on Doctrine for Catechetical Materials National Council of Catholic Bishops 1990 GDCM Veritatis Splendor Encyclical on the Splendor of Truth Pope John Paul II 6 August 1993 VS Tertio Millennio Adveniente Apostolic Letter on Preparation for the Jubilee of the Year 2000 Pope John Paul II 10 November 1994 TMA Catechism of the Catholic Church English translation, 1994, United States Catholic Conference Fidei Depositum Apostolic Constitution on the Catechism of the Catholic Church Pope John Paul II 11 October 1992 CCC Evangelium Vitae, On the Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II 25 March 1995 EV Orientale Lumen The Light of the East Pope John Paul II 2 May 1995 Ut Unum Sint Encyclical That They May Be One Pope John Paul II 30 May 1995 OR + UUS Letter to Women - Beijing Conference Apostolic Letter Pope John Paul II 29 June 1995 LWB Vita Consecrata Apostolic Exhortation on the Consecrated Life Pope John Paul II 25 March 1996 VC Novo Millennio Ineunte Apostolic Letter at the Close of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 Pope John Paul II 6 January 2001 NMI Ecclesia in Oceania Apostolic Exhortation on Jesus Christ and the Peoples of Oceania: Walking His Way, Telling His Truth, Living His Life Pope John Paul II 22 November 2001 EO Rosarium Virginis Mariae Apostolic Letter on the Most Holy Rosary Pope John Paul II 16 October 2002 RVM Ecclesia de Eucharistia Encyclical Letter on the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church Pope John Paul II 17 April 2003 EE