Mary and the Church


by Paul S. Czarnota

    This article will endeavor to assess some of the communality of two theological disciplines: Mariology and ecclesiology. The roles of Mary and the Church have many similarities and, indeed, one finds a type in the other. Thus, it will be beneficial to obtain an introduction, if only a brief one, to any interrelation there between these theological disciplines. The goal is to indicate the major complimentary themes of ecclesiology and Mariology, and briefly comment upon the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Church.

    The importance of this study is especially relevant in these days following the Vatican II Council, with our continuing hope in and emphasis on ecumenism. One noted Catholic theologian has stated that “the fundamental criticisms which the Reformation directed against the Catholic conception of the Church correspond with those which it directed against the Catholic cult of Our Lady.”1 This point, far from being lost on Protestant theologians, is seen acutely by the noted Karl Barth:

The “Mother of God” of Roman Catholic dogma is, quite simply, the principle, prototype and summing-up of the human creature co-operating in its own salvation by making use of prevenient grace; as such, she is also the principle, prototype and summing-up of the Church . . . Thus, that Church in which there is a cult of Mary must be itself understood as at the Vatican Council; is of necessity that Church of man who, by virtue of grace, co-operates with grace.2

    Another controversialist of the Protestant camp, K. Haase, has said that in teaching about Our Lady that Catholics are upholding their conception of the mediation of grace by the Church.3 “The question is of capital importance, and it confronts us with two contrary ideas: the entirely Protestant notion that human nature, in its very substance, is corrupt to its roots, and the Catholic belief that it is essentially and radically good, though wounded and disfigured.”4 Thus, the issue is not one of passing interest, but critical to the ecumenical dialogue.

    Like ecclesiology, Mariology is a discipline that was not identified as such within theology until the Middle Ages. As it has developed, there has been a running debate as to which attribute of the Blessed Virgin should be the fundamental principle of Mariology.5 Although different attributes are favored by individual writers, Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange saw that Mary’s divine maternity and her fullness of grace stood out as mountain peaks. Of these two, the majority of theologians find that tradition teaches the divine maternity is Mary’s most glorious title, as taught at the Council of Ephesus.6

    The concept of the divine maternity is a familiar one. Mary is the Mother of God, as defined by the ecumenical Council of Ephesus.7 From this divine maternity, as held by the majority of Mariologists, flow all of her other attributes and prerogatives.8

    One role of the Virgin Mary that is closely identified with her divine maternity is her status as the New Eve. The analogy parallels the actions of Adam and Eve with those of Jesus and Mary. By our first parents’ act of disobedience, sin entered the world. Through Jesus and Mary’s obedience, the incarnate God and grace entered. While many quotations can be garnered from patrology to demonstrate the antiquity of this position, two selections, from St. Justin Martyr and Tertullian, will have to suffice as examples.

We know that the Son of God, before all creatures, came forth from the Father by His power and will, ... and by means of the Virgin became man, that by what way the disobedience which was from the serpent had its beginning, by that way also it might have an undoing. For whereas Eve, yet a virgin and undefiled, through conceiving the word that came from the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death; but the Virgin Mary, taking faith and joy, when the Angel told her the good tidings, that ‘the Spirit of the Lord should come upon her and the power of the Highest overshadow her, and therefore the Holy One that was born of her was Son of God’, answered, ‘Be it to me according to Thy word.’9

    . . . it was by a rival operation that God recovered His image and likeness, of which He had been robbed by the devil. For it was whilst Eve was yet a virgin, that the word crept in, which was the framer of death. Into a virgin, was introduced the Word of God who was the builder-up of life; so that, in like manner by that same sex whence had come our ruin, might also come our recovery to salvation. Eve had believed the serpent; Mary believed Gabriel. The fault which the one committed by believing, the other by believing has blotted out.10

    Mary accepted God’s will with her fiat to be the Mother of God and the New Eve. This tends to suggest a connection of Mary and the Church. A Scriptural passage from the Gospel of Luke is recalled where an anonymous woman cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you . . .”,11 to which Jesus responded, “Blessed rather are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.” 12 Thus is seen the importance, the primacy, of acting in faith, which Mary did to the benefit of all people, for all time. Further, each Christian must make a personal profession of faith, must believe and act upon the revelation of God. Thus, Mary would be, in a sense, the first member of the Church.13

    Some reflect upon this with the observation that the angel Gabriel addressed Mary as “full of grace.”14 The Church, it is next seen, is endowed by Christ as the normal, visible structure through which grace passes to the faithful. This combination of factors leads to the conclusion that Mary is acting in her fiat on behalf of all humanity, and thus obtains for the Church the “fullness of grace,” which the Church herself then transmits to the faithful. This then acts to give deeper meaning to Mary’s role as the second Eve, since Mary’s fiat now is echoed throughout time in each individual “yes” said to God, just as Eve’s disobedience is heard in every defiance and sin.

    Such is the meditation and speculation of theologians upon Mary that lead to her being seen as a type of the Church, and this typology being asserted by some, as well as other typologies, as being a better or fuller fundamental principle for Mariology. While searching out the best fundamental principle for Mariology is not the purpose of this study, an examination of one proposal by Otto Semmelroth, S.J., for Mary as the archetype of the Church should illuminate the relationship between Mary and the Church to the benefit and furtherance of this study.

    The idea of the Blessed Virgin Mary as prototype or archetype of the Church has been the source of much theological speculation for centuries. The roots of the relation can easily be traced to the patristic era, in which even critics of Semmelroth’s thesis agree.15

    One passage from St. Ephrem is relevant:

The Virgin Mary is, again, the figure of the Church, which received the first-fruits of the Gospel. Mary saw Him, as representing the Church. . . . Let us call the Church by the name of Mary; for she is worthy of the double name.16

    Likewise, St. Augustine says:

The Woman signifies Mary, who, being spotless, brought forth our spotless Head. Who herself also showed forth in herself a figure of holy Church, so that as she in bringing forth a Son remained a Virgin, so the Church also should during the whole of time be bringing forth His members, and yet not lose her virgin estate.17

    St. Ambrose made the pivotal statement that establishes clearly the interrelationship, “Mary is the type of the Church,” in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke.18 This relationship flows from Mary’s immaculate holiness, her virginity, her betrothal and her motherhood.19

    Semmelroth sees theology as a dynamic presentation of the economy of salvation, and of a continual sanctification.20 In this plan of salvation, Mary’s primary role is not that of Mother of God alone. Rather, “she is to contribute everything in a total plan of redemption.”21 The mystery of the divine economy of salvation is both enclosed and expressed within her.22 Thus, Marian doctrine tracts like the theology of the Church by her role in salvation.23

    Mary’s role as mother is thus as “a bride and as a helpmate.”24 Semmelroth sees the “concept of a bridal motherhood” as “already contained in the idea of Mary as the second Eve.”25 He sees Christ’s referral to Mary as “woman” as showing her part in the history of salvation, in reference to Genesis 3:15. Mary is thus raised to the level of a spiritual motherhood, and thus is the symbol of the Church.

    Mary’s fiat is crucial to Semmelroth. In it, Mary concludes a covenant of salvation by becoming Christ’s bride, a role usually assigned to the Church. But Semmelroth sees Mary as a true cooperator in the work of salvation, in the part of helpmate. Thus, part of the role of Mary will, in due course, include intercession, Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix of graces.26

    Semmelroth sees salvation as marital.27 The Incarnation sees divine Nature uniting with human nature in the bridal chamber of the womb. Mary cooperates with Christ as a spiritual mother now, giving and receiving life.28 Thus, the thesis of Semmelroth’s book is that Mary is the type of the Church which imparts salvation. Insofar as Mary assumes the work of Christ, she receives the fruits of that work both for herself and for the whole Church.29

    By focusing on the typology of Mary for the Church, Semmelroth has kept a focus upon ecclesiology and Mariology. Yet his work raises questions of soteriology, eschatology, and Christology. Particularly, Mary’s role in salvation is critical to Semmelroth’s entire thesis. This highlights the overlapping of theological disciplines, which should be expected when one treats mysteries which, being based on the infinite workings of God, defy ready and neat summarizing in compact phrases.

    While Semmelroth’s position has certainly not become a majoritarian position with the Church or among theologians, the theme of Mary as prototype of the Church has received affirmation in recent times. Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, contains in Chapter VIII a treatment on the Blessed Virgin Mary.30

    The second part of the chapter relates to Mary’s role in the plan of salvation. The document notes the close union of Jesus and His Mother. The Gospel passage concerning the importance of the faith of Mary above her divine maternity is cited, as part of the attestation of her fidelity to Christ in His path to Calvary. Thus, her whole life is a witness to the divinity of her Son and her love of God.

    The third part of Lumen Gentium teaches upon the relationship of Mary and the Church. While Christ is reaffirmed as the sole mediator between God and man,31 the special cooperation of Mary in the plan of salvation has given her a unique role and relationship to each soul.32 St. Ambrose’s comment on Mary as a type of the Church is repeated, and the communality of Mary and the Church as virgins and mothers is noted, particularly in light of Mary being an exemplar of these.33 Finally, the third portion ends with the acknowledgment of Mary’s place now in heaven, and that the Church still strives to arrive at that same place.33 Thus, Mary is the eschatological hope of the Church, which was a theme seen before the Council also.35 This is affirmed in the final portion of the Chapter, where it is written that “the Mother of Jesus in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come.”36

    This theme of the Virgin Mary’s role as a type of the Church has been commented upon frequently by Pope John Paul II. In one place, the Pope comments upon Chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium and the motherhood of Mary and the Church:

The Council has confirmed that, unless one looks to the Mother of God, it is impossible to understand the mystery of the Church, her reality, her essential vitality. Indirectly we find here a reference to the biblical exemplar of the “woman” which is already clearly outlined in the description of the “beginning” (cf. Gen. 3:15) and which proceeds from creation, through sin and to the Redemption. In this way there is a confirmation of the profound union between what is human and what constitutes the divine economy of salvation in human history. The Bible convinces us of the fact that one can have no hermeneutic of man, or of what is “human,” without appropriate reference to what is “feminine.” There is an analogy in God’s salvific economy: if we wish to understand it fully in relation to the whole of human history, we cannot omit, in the perspective of our faith, the mystery of “woman”: virgin-mother-spouse.37

    The most extensive teaching of the Pope upon the role of Mary in salvation and as a model of the Church comes in his 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater. In the second chapter of the encyclical, John Paul develops the link of ecclesiology and Mariology that the council started in Lumen Gentium. The Pope notes that there is, “a unique correspondence between the moment of the Incarnation of the Word and the moment of the birth of the Church. The person who links these two moments is Mary.”38

    The heart of the analysis is contained in the third chapter of the encyclical. A prime teaching of John Paul II in this document is the importance of the faith of Mary. “But above all, in the Church of that time and of every time Mary was and is the one who is ‘blessed because she believed’; she was the first to believe.”39 Mary is identified as the model of the Church, which is identified with the “woman” of Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12:1.40 The Pope sees the Church learning her motherhood from the Blessed Virgin: “For, just as Mary is at the service of the mystery of the Incarnation, so the Church is always at the service of the mystery of adoption to sonship through grace.”41 “Through the nourishment of the sacraments, the Church gives a share in Christ’s life to her sons and daughters. And with a mother’s love Mary cooperates in the birth and development of the sons and daughters of Mother Church.”42

    Thus Pope John Paul II affirms and expounds upon the Blessed Virgin Mary as the type of the Church. By placing an emphasis on her faith, and her share in the mysteries of Christ, Mary is uniquely situated by God to witness to the Gospel and give example to the Church. In this way, she also shares in the adoption of new sons and daughters, and acts as a spiritual Mother as the Church does. Perhaps the best summary statement of this is found in the recently issued Catechism of the Catholic Church:

At once virgin and mother, Mary is the symbol and the most perfect realization of the Church: “the Church indeed . . . by receiving the word of God in faith becomes herself a mother. By preaching and Baptism she brings forth sons, who are conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God, to a new and immortal life. She herself is a virgin, who keeps in its entirely and purity the faith she pledged to her spouse.”43

    Since there seems to be a recognized relationship of Mary as the type of the Church, some have seen that this would in due course lead to a motherhood for the Blessed Virgin over the Church. This would flow from the observation that, just as Christ is the first of the human family to enter heaven and open the gates, so Mary is the first member of the Church, and in that sense is her Mother. Additionally, it would be added that Mary is Mother of Christ, who is the head of the Body of Christ. Accordingly, she as Mother of the Head of the Church would be Mother of the Church.

    It has been observed that “Mary has frequently been called Christ’s first disciple.”44 “The Mother of God is truly Mother of the Church. Catholic teaching through the centuries has proclaimed and reaffirmed this truth.”45 “When Pope Paul VI formally proclaimed Mary ‘Mother of the Church’ . . . he . . . expressed a truth which had long been held by Catholics.”46

    Historically, Mary’s title as Mother of the Church, according to the Dictionary of Mary, finds its first recitation in the writings of “[a]n anonymous monk of the 8th century, in a commentary on the book of Revelation . . . “.47 However, the title can be found in patristic literature. We find St. Ambrose using this title when commenting upon the same Apocalypse:

By the woman here we may also understand the Blessed Virgin Mary, because she is the Mother of the Church, for she brought forth Him who is the Head of the Church, and is herself the daughter of the Church, since she is the greatest member of the Church. The dragon, then, stood before the woman, that on her giving birth he might devour her Son; because at the outset of Christ’s birth the dragon had the intention of slaying Him by means of Herod his minister. He stands also before the woman, that is to say, the Church, in order to destroy by temptation to evil those whom by baptism she brings forth to God.48

    Likewise, St. Augustine sees Mary as the Mother of the members of the Church:

Mary alone of women is Mother and Virgin, not only in spirit, but also in body . . . But she is clearly the spiritual Mother of His members, which we are.49

    Augustine refers to Mary as Mother of the Head of the Body of Christ. The title is first found used in the twelfth century. Theology developed, using John 19:26-27 as the basis in Scripture for this teaching. Finally, popes started using the title. Leo XIII call Mary the “Mother of the Church, teacher and Queen of the Apostles.” Before Leo, Benedict XIV used the title and, after Leo, Pius X, Pius XI and Pius XII likewise called Mary by this name.50

    The fathers at the Vatican II Council debated greatly whether the title of Mary as the Mother of the Church should be proclaimed. The vote on the chapter on Mary to be added to Lumen Gentium was very close, and thus it was seen as not prudent to place such a declaration within the document. Pope Paul VI, in closing the third session of the Council, himself declared this as a title of Mary on November 21, 1964.51

    As with the typology of Mary as the model of the Church, Pope John Paul II has given extensive treatment to this topic after the Council. One particularly relevant treatment is found in his encyclical Redemptor Hominis:

The aim of any service in the Church, whether the service is apostolic, pastoral, priestly or episcopal, is to keep up this dynamic link between the mystery of the Redemption and every man. If we are aware of this task, then we seem to understand better what it means to say that the Church always, and particularly at our time, has need of a Mother.... Since Paul VI, inspired by that teaching, proclaimed the Mother of Christ “Mother of the Church,” and that title has become known far and wide, may it be permitted to his unworthy Successor to turn to Mary as Mother of the Church at the close of these reflections which it was opportune to make at the beginning of his papal service. Mary is Mother of the Church because, on account of the Eternal Father’s ineffable choice and due to the Spirit of Love’s special action, she gave human life to the Son of God, “for whom and by whom all things exist and from whom the whole of the People of God receives the grace and dignity of election. Her Son explicitly extended his Mother’s maternity in a way that could easily be understood by every soul and every heart by designating, when he was raised on the Cross, his beloved disciple as her son. The Holy Spirit inspired her to remain in the Upper Room, after our Lord’s Ascension, recollected in prayer and expectation together with the Apostles, until the day of Pentecost, when the Church was to be born in visible form, coming forth from darkness. Later, all the generations of disciples, of those who confess and love Christ, like the Apostle John, spiritually took this Mother to their own homes, and she was thus included in the history of salvation and in the Church’s mission from the very beginning, that is from the moment of the Annunciation. Accordingly, we who form today’s generation of disciples of Christ all wish to unite ourselves with her in a special way.52

    As Mother of the Church, much like in her role as Model of the Church, Mary is seen to be the first disciple of Christ. She is the bridge that carries forward the awesome reality of the Incarnation to humanity. She is the woman of the protoevangelium of Genesis, and the eschatological woman of the Apocalypse. She is so linked with God and His love for all his children, that she cannot but act as a mother to the members of the Church, and serve as the exemplar of how the Church should mother in its own manner.

    Upon seeing the propriety of the titles of Mary as Mother of the Church and as the prototype of the Church, we see the great love of God she possessed. This love derived from a faith that was deep and rich, as attested to by Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater. Herein lies a lesson to all Christians to imitate the faith of Mary first, but then further to act upon that faith. By believing, we then possess something to share. By sharing what we believe, and most importantly by acting in a faith-filled manner in charity and humility, we then again imitate Mary and give powerful witness to Christ. This is the greatest evangelization we can do.

    Perhaps the image of Mary that will serve as the unifying point for Christians is one based in the types seen herein. Pope John Paul II has stressed in recent months, through his catechesis on the Blessed Virgin Mary at his weekly audiences, that Mary is the pre-eminent member of the Church.53 “For the community of believers she represents the paradigm of the authentic holiness that is achieved in union with Christ.”54 In imitation of Mary’s unity to the Cross of the Redeemer, the Church must seek to be fully configured to Him, amid the difficulties and persecutions in this life.55 “Indeed, Mary is an ‘outstanding model’ because her perfection surpasses that of all the other members of the Church.”56 “By showing herself to be the Mother of all believers, Mary fosters in them relations of authentic spiritual brotherhood and constant dialogue.”57 “[Mary and the Church] are two inseparable forms of motherhood: indeed both enable us to recognize the same divine love which seeks to share itself with mankind.”58 Since all Christian life seeks holiness and a share in the divine life, Mary and her example should serve as the unifying force for all Christians. All that is left then for us is to follow Mary’s example of union with Christ and witness to Him.

Paul S. Czarnota is a lawyer in Detroit, Michigan.

© Copyright 1997 Paul S. Czarnota
End Notes

1    Henri de Lubac, S.J., The Splendour of the Church, translated by Michael Mason (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1956), p. 238.
2    Quotation found in Ibid, p. 237.
3    Cf. Yves Congar, O.P., Christ, Our Lady and the Church, translated by Henry St. John, O.P. (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1957), p. 15.
4    Ibid, p. 16.
5    The debate is referred to by many writers. One example is found in Cyril Vollert, S.J., A Theology of Mary, (New York: Herder and Herder, 1965), pp 56-112 most pertinently.
6    Garrigou-Lagrange, Reginald, O.P., The Mother of the Saviour and Our Interior Life, translated by Bernard J. Kelly, C.S.Sp. (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Company, 1948), p. 17-20.
7    Cf. The Church Teaches, translated by J.F. Clarkson, SJ, et alia, 4th printing (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1961), p. 167.
8    Cf. Vollert.
9    Thomas Livius, The Blessed Virgin in the Fathers of the First Six Centuries (London: Burns and Oates, 1893), p. 35.
10    Ibid, p. 38.
11    Luke 11:27.
12    Luke 11:28.
13    This is suggested in many places, but no less prominently than in John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, no. 20.7.
14    See Vollert, pp. 85-92.
15    See Ibid, p. 159.
16    Livius, p. 268.
17    Ibid, p. 269.
18    See Semmelroth, p. 26. Also referred to in Hilda Graef, The Devotion to Our Lady, vol. 45 of the Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Catholicism (New York: Hawthorn Books and Publishers, 1963), p. 21. A fuller quotation can be found in Livius, p. 271.
19    Pope John Paul II has commented upon this passage of St. Ambrose at a weekly audience, concluding that “Mary is a type of the Church because of her immaculate holiness, her virginity, her betrothal and her motherhood.” See John Paul II, “Mary is Outstanding Figure of Church,” L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 13/20 August 1997, p. 11.
20    Cf. Semmelroth, p. 13.
21    Ibid, p. 21.
22    Ibid, p. 7.
23    Ibid, p. 12.
24    Ibid, p. 21.
25    Ibid, pp. 22.
26    Ibid, p. 59-112 generally.
27    Ibid, p. 81.
28    Cf. Ibid, p. 89.
29    Ibid.
30    This can be found in Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-Conciliar Documents, Volume 1, 1988 revised edition, edited by Austin Flannery, O.P. (Northport, NY: Costello Publishing Co., 1988).
31    Lumen Gentium, no. 60.
32    Ibid, no. 62.
33    Ibid, no. 63.
34    Ibid, no. 65.
35    Cf. Rene Laurentin, Queen of Heaven, translated by Gordon Smith (Dublin: Clonmore & Reynolds, Ltd., 1956), p. 126.
36    Lumen Gentium, no. 68, Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post-Conciliar Documents, p. 422.
37    Mulieris Dignitatem, 22, as found in John Paul II’s Book of Mary, compiled by Margaret R. Bunson (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1996).
38    Redemptoris Mater, no. 24.4. This document can be found in The Encyclicals of John Paul II, ed. with Introductions by J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1996). Page 379 is the location of no. 24.4.
39    Ibid, 26.5; The Encyclicals of John Paul II, p. 382.
40    Ibid, no. 24.2.
41    Ibid, no. 43.2; The Encyclicals of John Paul II, p. 400.
42    Commentary by J. Michael Miller, C.S.B., in The Encyclicals of John Paul II, p. 344.
43    Catechism of the Catholic Church. English translation. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. (New Hope, KY:Urbi et Orbi Communications, 1994). P. 128, #507, quoting Lumen Gentium, 64, cf. 63, as taken from Vatican II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, New Revised Edition, ed. by Austin Flannery, OP. (Northport, NY: Costello Publishing Co., 1992).
44    Agnes Cunningham, The Significance of Mary (Chicago: The Thomas More Press, 1988), p. 57.
45    Ibid, p. 58.
46    Ibid, p. 59.
47    Dictionary of Mary, p. 50.
48    See Livius, p. 271.
49    Ibid, p. 276.
50    All of this paragraph is based off Cunningham, p. 59.
51    Cunningham, p. 57.
52    John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis. Cited from The Encyclicals of John Paul II, p. 93-94, and also found in John Paul II’s Book of Mary, pp. 82-83.
53    John Paul II, “Mary is Pre-eminent Member of Church,” L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 6 August 1997, p. 7.
54    John Paul II, “Mary: Model of Faith, Hope and Charity,” L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 10 September 1997, p. 11.
55    Cf. Ibid, no. 2.
56    John Paul II, “Mary is Outstanding Figure of Church,” L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 13/20 August 1997, p 11.
57    John Paul II, “Mary is Model for Church’s Motherhood,” L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 27 August 1997, p. 9.
58    Ibid.

The Catholic Faith - January/February '98 - Table of Contents