Editorial: Mary – Bond Of Unity

Mary – Bond Of Unity

It  is generally taken for granted,
especially by our Protestant friends and neighbors, . . .

. . . that Catholic understanding of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great – if not the greatest — obstacle to Christian unity.

They tell us that we exaggerate her importance. That we make her the equal of Christ. That we have gone so far as to make her a fourth Person of the Blessed Trinity.

Protestants see her as an obstacle to our union with Christ. They look upon her, for the most part, as no more than a means through which Christ became man, a sort of physical necessity for the Son of God to become incarnate.

This is an attitude that has persisted for centuries in the Protestant churches. And although some of the founders of Protestantism – Martin Luther, for example — had a great deal of respect for the Mother of God and even devotion to her, it didn’t take very long for their followers to abandon her almost completely.

Understanding Our Lady’s Role in Salvation

It is gratifying, then, to note that within recent years both Protestants and Catholics are coming to a better understanding of Our Lady’s role in the salvation of the human race. In their ecumenical meetings the leaders and the scholars of the different churches are at least trying to analyze their points of view and attempt to reach some common ground for agreement.

The ecumenical conference held last September is a good example of how scholars are beginning to bridge the differences with reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her place in the church today.

Several encouraging signs
emerged from this particular gathering.

First of all, the discussions were calm and friendly, with everyone attempting to understand the other viewpoints expressed. There was none of the bitter emotionalism that often times creeps into Catholic-Protestant exchanges when the matter of Our Blessed Lady comes up. This was generally attributed to the more positive approach to ecumenism advocated by the Second Vatican Council.

With a calm and friendly atmosphere established, the conference was able to get to the heart of the matter. How the Scriptures and the Tradition of the early Church presented the role of the Blessed Virgin in the redemption.  It was agreed that although her role in the Scriptures is complex, nevertheless she is present there “in a very central way.” This in itself is highly significant, coming as it does when there are still so many Catholics who insist that she is “peripheral” to Christianity.

Any Lessening of Our Lady’s Role Diminishes the Role of Christ

One Presbyterian scholar further developed this notion of her centrality by stating. “The things that Catholics have been saying about Mary may indeed be safeguarding those things that we believe about Christ”.  This bears out what the Catholic Church has taught for centuries. Any lessening of Our Lady’s importance in the Church leads to a diminishing of the role and the importance of Christ Himself. It is not just a pious thought. It is a historical fact that devotion to the Blessed Virgin brings with it an increased devotion to Christ.

Now, as the readers of The Queen are aware, this magazine has never accepted the idea that the Blessed Virgin is an obstacle to Christian unity. We have, in fact, stated many times that, since she is central to an understanding of the mystery of our redemption. Christian unity will come about by emphasizing, not neglecting, the place of the Blessed Virgin. “To Jesus through Mary” does not apply only to Catholics, but to all Christians.

Developments like this are a heartening sign. Particularly after being deluded for so many years with talk about abuses and exaggerations that arise in devotion to the Blessed Mother. With so many Protestant scholars in the forefront of Marian studies, we
can certainly hope and pray that more Catholics will follow their example.

Meantime, let us all remember that while study is of great importance, it is also imperative that we continue to pray for the “one fold and one Shepherd”.  It is the grace of God that will one day bring about the Christian unity that we all desire.