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Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles (Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady, Holy Virgin, Madonna),epithets (Star of the Sea,Queen of Heaven, Cause of Our Joy), invocations (Panagia, Mother of Mercy, God-bearerTheotokos), and several names associated with places (Our Lady of Loreto,Our Lady of Fátima).
All of these descriptives refer to the same woman named Mary, the mother ofJesus Christ (in theNew Testament). They are used differently byRoman Catholics,Eastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox, and someAnglicans. (Note:Mary Magdalene,Mary of Clopas, andMary Salome are different women.)
Some descriptives of Mary are properly titles,dogmatic in nature, while some are invocations. Other descriptives are poetic or allegorical or have lesser or no canonical status, but form part ofpopular piety, with varying degrees of acceptance by Church authorities. Another class of titles refer to depictions of Mary inCatholic Marian art and inart generally. A rich range of Marian titles also are used inmusical settings of pieces dedicated to her.[1]
The relatively large number of titles given to Mary may be explained in several ways.[2] Some titles grew due to geographic and cultural reasons, e.g., through the veneration of specific icons. Others were related toMarian apparitions.
Mary's intercession is sought for a large spectrum of human needs in varied situations. This has led to the formulation of many of her titles (good counsel, Help of the Sick, etc.). Moreover, meditations and devotions on the different aspects of Mary's role in the life of Jesus have led to additional titles, such asOur Lady of Sorrows.[3] Still further titles have been derived from dogmas and doctrines, such as, theAssumption of Mary,Dormition of the Mother of God andImmaculate Conception.
The veneration of Mary was consolidated in the year 431 when, at theCouncil of Ephesus, the descriptive,Theotokos, or Mary the bearer (or mother) of God, was declared adogma. Thereafter Marian devotion, centred on the subtle and complex relationship between Mary, Jesus, and the Church, began to flourish, first in the East and later in the West.
TheReformation diminished Mary's role in many parts of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. TheCouncil of Trent andCounter Reformation intensified Marian devotion among Roman Catholics. Around the same period, Mary became an instrument of evangelisation in the Americas and parts of Asia and Africa, e.g. gaining impetus from reported apparitions atOur Lady of Guadalupe, which resulted in a large number of conversions to Christianity inMexico.
Following the Reformation,baroque literature on Mary experienced unprecedented growth, with over 500 instances ofMariological writings during the 17th century alone.[4] During theAge of Enlightenment, the emphasis onscientific progress andrationalism put Catholictheology and Mariology often on the defensive later in the 18th century. Books, such asThe Glories of Mary byAlphonsus Liguori, were written in defence of the cult of Mary.
In the Orthodox andEastern Catholic Churches the Assumption of Mary may be celebrated as theDormition, or the "Falling Asleep" of the Mother of God, it is an important feast day, not based on a scriptural canon but affirmed by tradition.
"Our Lady" is a common title to give to Mary as a sign of respect and honor. In French she is calledNotre Dame and in Spanish she isNuestra Señora.[9]
| English | Latin | Greek | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Our Lady" | Nostra Domina | Commonly used to prefix many Marian titles | |
| "Full of Grace", "Blessed", "Most Blessed", "Blessed Virgin Mary" | Gratia plena,Beata,Beatissima,Beatae Mariae Virginis (BMV) | Κεχαριτωμένη[11] (kecharitomene) | from the angel's greeting to Mary inLuke 1:28; |
| "Virgin", "the Virgin" | Virgo | Παρθένος[12][13] (Parthenos) | Greekparthenos used inMatthew 1:22;Ignatius of Antioch refers to Mary's virginity and motherhood (c. 110); |
| "Cause of our Salvation" | causa salutis | according toIrenaeus of Lyons (150–202);[14] | |
| "Mother of God" | Mater Dei | Μήτηρ Θεοῦ (Meter Theou) | often abbr. ΜΡ ΘΥ in Greekiconography; |
| "God-bearer" | Deipara,Dei genitrix | Θεοτόκος (Theotokos) | lit. "one who gives birth to God"; a common title inEastern Christianity withchristological implications; adopted officially duringCouncil of Ephesus (431) in response toNestorianism, which questioned the Church's teaching that Jesus Christ's nature was unified; |
| "Ever-virgin" | semper virgo | ἀειπάρθενος[12] (aei-parthenos) | Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170 – c. 235) held Mary to be "all-holy ever-virgin"[15] |
| "Holy Mary", "Saint Mary" | Sancta Maria | Ἁγία Μαρία[12] (Hagia Maria) | Greek invocation is infrequent in contemporary Eastern Christianity;[16] |
| "Most Holy" | Sanctissima,tota Sancta[17] | Παναγία (Panagia) | Hippolytus held Mary to be "all-holy ever-virgin"[15] |
| "Most Pure" | Purissima | Parallels have been drawn between theArk of the Covenant and the Holy Mother. She travels to the hill country of Judea, where John leaps at her approach, Elizabeth cries out and says "Who Am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me", stays in Zechariah's home for three months, blessing it. Afterward she goes to Jerusalem. | |
| "Immaculate" | immaculata | ἀκήρατος[12] (akeratos) | The Angel Gabriel calls Mary "Full of Grace". This is taken by many Christians to imply that Mary was free from all sin. |
| "Lady", "Mistress" | Domina | Δέσποινα[12] (Despoina) | related, "Madonna" (Italian:Madonna, fromma "my" +donna "lady"; fromLatindomina); also, "Notre Dame" (French:Notre Dame,lit. 'our lady'); |
| "Queen of Heaven" | Regina caeli,Regina coeli | As the mother of Jesus, who in mainstream Christianity is God and King of Heaven, multiple Christian denominations give her the title "Queen of Heaven". Mary is identified with the figure inRevelation 12:1; | |
| "Queen of all creation" | Regina totius creati | This term is used byPope Francis in hisencyclical letterLaudato si' (2015).[18] |
| Image Type | Typical Art Style | Description |
|---|---|---|
 Eleusa icon | Byzantine | In this 12th-century depiction by an unknown artist, Mary holds her baby's face to her cheek as an expression of maternal tenderness. The evocative pose was copied two centuries later by the great Russian Orthodox iconographer and saintAndrei Rublev. The original was saved from destruction several times in its history. After theRussian Revolution it was housed in theTretyakov Gallery inMoscow, but representations from theRussian Orthodox Church ensured it is once again in a nearby church, where services are held. |
 Hodegetria | Byzantine | Mary holds Christ in her left hand and with her right hand she "shows the way" by pointing to Him; |
 Sedes Sapientiae | Romanesque | Christ is seated in His mother Mary's lap, symbolically the "Throne of Wisdom"; |
 "Gothic Madonna" | Gothic | Based loosely on ByzantineHodegetria iconography; typically depicts a standing, smiling Mary and playful Christ Child; considered one of the earliest depictions of Mary that is strictlyWestern;[23] |
 Madonna Lactans | Gothic andRenaissance | The Virgin is depicted breastfeeding the Holy Infant. Our Lady Nursing, as painted in theCatacomb of Priscilla in Rome,c. 250, is one of the earliest depictions (if not the earliest depiction) of Mary;[24] Discouraged by theCouncil of Trent and rare subsequently. |
 Mater Misericordiae | Gothic,Renaissance,Baroque | A regal, celestial Mary is depicted covering the faithful in her protective mantle; first arose in the late 13th century in Central Europe and Italy; depiction is commonly associated withplague monuments.[25] |
 Maestà | Gothic | Mary is seated in majesty, holding the Christ Child; based on ByzantineNikopoia iconography; |
 Pietà | Renaissance | Mary cradles the dead body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion; this type emerged first in the 13th century in Germany as anAndachtsbild or devotional icon relating to grief; ItalianPietàs appeared in the 14th century;[26] Michelangelo'sPietà (1498–1499) is considered a masterpiece; |
 Mater Amabilis | Renaissance,Baroque | Iconic Western depiction with many variations; based loosely on ByzantineGlykophilousa ("sweet kisses") iconography; Mary turns her gaze away from the Christ Child as she contemplates His futurePassion; Renaissance emphasis on classical ideal types, realistic human anatomy, andlinear perspective are evident; |
 Madonna della seggiola | Renaissance round painting | Mary with toddlers Jesus and his cousin,John the Baptist, looking on, painted 1513–1514 duringRaphael's Roman period. The unusual non-linear style and colouring is more reminiscent ofTitian andSebastiano del Piombo and bears out their influence. This painting has been greatly admired by many people, includingNathaniel Hawthorne, and by subsequent painters of the stature ofIngres.[27] |
In theLoreto Litanies Mary's prayers are invoked under more than fifty separate titles, such as "Mother Most Pure", "Virgin Most Prudent", and "Cause of Our Joy".[28]
Other devotional titles include:
With the exception of Jesus Christ, who is believed to have a twofold nature, both human and divine, (dyophysitism), the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered among many Christians to be the unique human being about whom there is a dogma. She is connected to four different dogmas and numerous Marian titles. Christian invocations, titles, and art bear witness to the prominent role she has been accorded in the history and programme ofsalvation in parts ofChristendom, although this is not shared by many (mainlyreformed) Christian churches.
In theHail Mary prayer, she is addressed as "full ofgrace" byArchangel Gabriel of theAnnunciation speaking in the Name of God. TheNicene Creed, declares that Jesus was "incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man". This has given rise to the descriptive, "spouse of theHoly Spirit".
Tradition has it that the Virgin Mother of God wasanointed by the Holy Spirit, hence putting her on a par with the anointing of the Kings, Prophets, Judges, and High Priests of Israel, as Jesus Christ is said to have been. This in turn opens the way to titles such as:
In the Roman Catholic and in the Orthodox Churches, the Virgin Mother of God is venerated in a special form expressed in Greek ashyperdulia, that is, secondary only to the adoration reserved for theTriune God. She is venerated and honoured in this way since no other being--whether angelic or human--has greater power than Mary tointercede with God in the distribution of Grace to His children.
Titles of images related to epithets include:
Titles of images related to places of worship include:
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A number of titles of Mary found in Latin America pertain to cultic images of her represented in iconography identified with a particular already existent title adapted to a particular place.Our Lady of Luján in Argentina refers to a small terracotta image made in Brazil and sent to Argentina in May, 1630. Its appearance seems to have been inspired byMurillo's Immaculates. Our Lady of Copacabana (Bolivia): is a figure related to devotion to Mary under the title "Most Blessed Virgin de la Candelaria, Our Lady of Copacabana". About four feet in height, the statue was made by Francisco Tito Yupanqui around 1583 and is garbed in the colors and dress of an Inca princess.[32]
Theotokos means "God-bearer" and is translated as "Mother of God". This title was given to Mary at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431 AD.(cf. Luke 1:43).[35]
TheQur'an refers toMary (Arabic:مريم,romanized: Maryam) by the following titles:
τῆς παναγίας ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας[the all-holy, ever-virgin Mary]
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