Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology Essay

Pope John Paul II and the Dogma of Mariology - Essay Example Since in the times of the early Catholic Church, church fathers have endorsed Mary's elevated status as mother of God. Standing as a paragon of womanhood and motherhood, Mary represents purity, compassion, female perfection and even salvation. The Catholic movement also forwards scripture for its Marian adoration.  Ã‚   The Catholic Church has endowed on Mary supreme regard, remaining  a fundamental and distinctive doctrine. With titles such as Madonna, Mother of God, Mediatrix, co-Redemprix, Lady of Guadalupe, Virgin of Virgins, Queen of Heaven, Queen of Sorrows, Star of the Sea, Blessed Virgin, Blessed Mother, Holy Virgin, Saint Mary, Immaculata, Our Lady and the Seat of Wisdom, Mary is distinguished as a deified woman2.  These references all explain dimensions of Mary's personality and her function.  Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God as a virgin and remained untainted and holy throughout her life. Her sinless existence entitles her to heaven where she stands as Mediatrix, the way to God for man. Through Mary, the devotee has access to all the graces of God, just as the maternal love expressed towards her children grants them great benefits. She is not only conceives Christ, but she ministers along with Christ in the plan of redemption, thus she is accoladed as co-Redemptrix.   From the onset of his pontificate, on 17 October, 1978, Pope John Paul II makes clear his unswerving allegiance to his Marian faith. In his inaugural  Urbi et Orbi  message at the Sistine Chapel, he sermonizes on the necessity to â€Å"turn our mind with filial devotion to the Virgin Mary who always lives and acts as a Mother in the mystery of Christ and repeat the words ‘Totus tuus’ (all thine) which we inscribed in our heart3.† This papal exhortation is derived from a deep sense of Mariological fervor in which he desires congregants to abide and always pay faithful and sincere homage to Mary.   Two weeks later on Oct. 29, 1978 Pope Jo hn Paul II conducts his very first pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mentorella where he proclaims, â€Å"I wanted to come here, among these mountains, to sing the Magnificat in Mary's footsteps4.†She remains Pope John Paul II‘s paragon of blessed and divine motherhood, exemplifying her pilgrim fidelity. Pope John Paul II shows deep and reverential sincerity in his devotion to Mary, even naming her â€Å"the second Eve† in anther of his pilgrimages.5 Heading the documentary evidence of Pope John Paul's espousal of Mariology as key in Catholic doctrine is his encyclical named, Redemptoris Mater  of the Supreme Pontiff on the Blessed Virgin Mary  in the Life of the Pilgrim Church  (1988). In no uncertain terms, Pope John Paul II outlines over 50 points enumerating the reasons for and benefits of Mariology. Divided into three sections: Mary in the mystery of Christ, the Mother of God at the Center of the Pilgrim Church and Maternal Mediati on, Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, expounds using scriptural evidence, drawing on the authority of the Vatican Council, church fathers such as Saint Augustine, Saint Origen, Saint Ambrose, Saint John Chrysostom and the constitution of the Church to uphold Mariology as in effect. Topics such as the Blessedness of Mary, the divine, mystical union of Mother and Son, the union of Mother and the Holy Spirit and Mary's Advocacy for Mankind are key. The encyclical commences with the poignant words: "the Mother of the Redeemer has