Mark Miravalle

Cardinals Lead – Time for Us to Follow

February 23rd, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized

Over the course of the last few weeks, several events have taken place which one could rightly interpret as historic steps leading ever closer to the solemn papal definition of the fifth Marian Dogma:

• On January 11, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI released his 2008 World Day of the Sick Address for February 11, in which he presented his strongest teaching to date on Our Lady’s coredemptive role with Jesus at Calvary. The Holy Father states:

For this reason, Mary is a model of total self-abandonment to God’s will: she received in her heart the eternal Word and she conceived it in her virginal womb; she trusted in God and, with her soul pierced by a sword (cf. Lk 2:35), she did not hesitate to share the Passion of her Son, renewing on Calvary at the foot of the Cross her “yes” of the Annunciation. … Associated with the Sacrifice of Christ, Mary, Mater Dolorosa, who at the foot of the Cross suffers with her divine Son, is felt to be especially near by the Christian community, which gathers around its suffering members who bear the signs of the passion of the Lord. Mary suffers with those who are in affliction, with them she hopes, and she is their comfort, supporting them with her maternal help. And is it not perhaps true that the spiritual experience of very many sick people leads us to understand increasingly that “the Divine Redeemer wishes to penetrate the soul of every sufferer through the heart of his holy Mother, the first and the most exalted of all the redeemed”? (1)

• On February 8, 2008, five cardinals release a press statement regarding their January 1, 2008, letter to every cardinal and bishop of the world, in which they invite the world’s prelates to join them in their petition to Pope Benedict XVI to solemnly define as dogma the role of the blessed Virgin Mary as the Spiritual Mother of humanity under its three essential roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces and Advocate. These five cardinals—their Eminences Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Luis Cardinal Aponte Martínez, Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, and Ernesto Cardinal Corripio Ahumada—enclosed the following votum and invited each cardinal and bishop to sign and to forward to the Holy Father:

Your Holiness, Benedict XVI,

In an effort to enhance the ecumenical mission of the Church, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its fullness, we, the undersigned cardinals and bishops who have convened in the favored Marian Shrine of Fatima (May 3-7, 2005), wish to express to you, Most Holy Father, our united hope and desire for the solemn papal definition of the doctrine of the Church regarding Mary Most Holy as the Spiritual Mother of all humanity, the Co-redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer, Mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one Mediator, and Advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race.

In a time of significant confusion amidst the many diverse ecclesial bodies of Christianity, and as well among non-Christian peoples concerning this Marian doctrine, we believe the time opportune for a solemn definition of clarification regarding the constant teaching of the Church concerning the Mother of the Redeemer and her unique cooperation (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 61) in the work of Redemption, as well as her subsequent roles in the distribution of grace and intercession for the human family.

It is of great importance, Holy Father, that peoples of other religious traditions receive the clarification on the highest level of authentic doctrinal certainty that we can provide, that the Catholic Church essentially distinguishes between the sole role of Jesus Christ, divine and human Redeemer of the world, and the unique though secondary and dependent human participation of the Mother of Christ in the great work of Redemption.

Therefore, Your Holiness, with filial obedience and respect, we wish to present you with this votum of our solidarity of hope for the papal definition of the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God as the spiritual Mother of all peoples in her three maternal roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces and Advocate, as the ultimate expression of doctrinal clarity at the service of our Christian and non-Christian brothers and sisters who are not in communion with Rome, and as well as for the greater understanding and appreciation of this revealed doctrine concerning the Mother of the Redeemer by the People of God at the outset of this third millennium of Christianity.

We thereby submit this votum accompanied by one possible formulation of the Marian doctrine which we, please God, pray may be solemnly defined by your Holiness:

Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, gave to humanity from the Cross his mother Mary to be the spiritual Mother of all peoples, the Co-redemptrix, who under and with her Son cooperated in the Redemption of all people; the Mediatrix of all graces, who as Mother brings us the gifts of eternal life; and the Advocate, who presents our prayers to her Son.

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Signature Date

• On February 11, 2008, His Eminence, Javier Cardinal Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council on Health Care Ministry presided over the official World Day of the Sick Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. During his homily and in commenting on the Holy Father’s World Day of the Sick statement released earlier, Cardinal Lozano Barragán offered a profound teaching on Mary’s role as Co-redemptrix with Jesus at Calvary, referring to Our Lady as the “Co-redemptrix” with the Savior of humanity. Excerpts from the cardinal’s homily were published in the Vatican Information Service Web site:

“In order to respond to the full love of the cross,” said Cardinal Lozano, we must pronounce “an unreserved ‘yes’ to the mysterious plan of the Redeemer, a ‘yes’ that means fullness of Love. This complete ‘yes’ of love is the Immaculate Conception of our dear Mother, Mary,” who participated “on Calvary as the co-redemptrix (corredentrice) with the Savior. … Christ on the cross suffered all the pains that his Most Holy Mother suffered. And she in Christ suffers all our pains, she assumes them and knows how to commiserate with us. Out suffering is also her suffering.”

• In the week of February 11 to 18 and continuing at the present, a great number of Catholic and secular media sources throughout the world, from Zenit New Agency in Rome, to EIN News in Belgium, to the Catholic Bishops Conference Web site in the Philippines, to Catholic World News in the United States, to Catholic Exchange sites in several countries and languages, to the thousands of national, regional, and local media sites and Web logs the world over, are covering and commenting on the cardinal initiative for the fifth Marian Dogma.

What does this mean for you and me? What does this mean for those of us who have been praying and hoping for the proclamation of the fifth Marian Dogma for years? What does this mean for those of us who understand that with the papal proclamation of this Marian truth will come a historic release of grace from the Holy Spirit through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, something like the “New Pentecost” prayed for by Bl. Pope John XXIII at the Second Vatican Council; or the “New Springtime” prayed for by Pope John Paul II; or the eventual “Era of Peace” promised by Our Lady of Fatima?

It means this: Pray. Pray for the fifth Marian Dogma like you’ve never prayed before.

From this day forward, please keep Pope Benedict and the fifth Marian Dogma in your daily Rosary intentions, your Mass intentions, and in your daily offerings and sacrifices.

This year, the Feast of the Annunciation falls on March 31 (due to the early date of Easter). We would like to establish this March 31 as “World Rosary Crusade Day for the Fifth Marian Dogma.” We ask each of you to pray the Rosary in your families, your prayer groups, and in your parishes where possible for the fulfillment of the request of these five cardinals to Pope Benedict for the papal definition of Mary as the Spiritual Mother of Humanity, Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate.

Beyond prayer, teach and spread the truth about Our Lady’s Spiritual Motherhood as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate in your homes, your schools, your workplaces when appropriate, and from the pulpit. Defend it as a child should defend a truth about their true Mother—always with charity, but also with a holy boldness.

The Cardinals are leading the way. It is time for us to follow, to support, to do our share to bring forth the great historic fruit of the fifth Marian Dogma and its consequent paramount graces of peace and redemption for the Church and for the world, especially in our present situation of global crises: moral collapse; natural disaster; war and terrorism.

We each have a part to play in bringing to reality this dogmatic crown for our Immaculate Mother, the Co-redemptrix with the Savior. One prayer, one conversation, one defense of this Marian truth continues the momentum which eventually leads to the coronation day for Our Lady through a papal proclamation of infallible truth.

Out of love for our common Mother, do your part to fulfill these words of scripture like never before: “All generations will call me blessed” (Lk. 1:48). Pray, teach, spread, defend, and be willing to suffer for Mary Co-redemptrix and for the fifth Marian Dogma. Our rewards will be eternal.

Notes

(1) John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris, n. 26.