Mother of the Church (Latin:Mater Ecclesiae) is atitle given toMary in theCatholic Church, as officially declared byPope Paul VI in 1964. The title first appeared in the 4th century writings of SaintAmbrose of Milan, as rediscovered byHugo Rahner.[1] It was also used by PopeBenedict XIV in 1748[2] and then by PopeLeo XIII in 1885.[3]Pope John Paul II placed it in theCatechism of the Catholic Church[4] andPope Francis inserted a memorial by this title into theRoman Calendar, celebrated annually onWhit Monday, the day afterPentecost.[5]
The Church has traditionally portrayed the Blessed Virgin Mary together with the apostles and disciples gathered at that first Pentecost, joined in prayer with the first members of the Church. The titleMater Ecclesiae is found in the writings of Berengaud, bishop of Treves (d. 1125).[6] In the 1895 encyclicalAdjutricem populi (Helper of the People) Pope Leo XIII wrote, "She is invoked as Mother of the Church and the teacher and Queen of the Apostles". Following the title's usage by Leo XIII, it was later used many times in the teachings ofJohn XXIII and Paul VI,[7]John Paul II andBenedict XVI.
The use of theMater Ecclesiae title to the Virgin Mary goes back toAmbrose of Milan in the 4th century, but this was not known until its 1944 rediscovery by Hugo Rahner.[1] Rahner's Mariology, following Ambrose, sees Mary in her role within the Church. His interpretation, based solely on Ambrose and theearly Fathers,[1] greatly influenced Vatican II[8] and Pope Paul VI,[9] who, quoting Ambrose, declared Mary the "Mother of the Church".
The Blessed Mother of God, the New Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven her maternal role with regard to Christ's members, cooperating with the birth and growth of divine life in the souls of the redeemed. – Pope Paul VI's "Credo of the People of God".[10]
A former archbishop ofMilan, Paul VI used similar language to that of Saint Ambrose of Milan, calling MaryModel of the Church in light of her faith, love and complete unity with Christ andMother of the Church because she gave birth to Christ.[11] During his speech upon the closing of the third session of the Second Vatican Council on November 21, 1964,[12] Paul VI said: "We declare Mary Most Holy Mother of the Church, that is, of all the Christian people"[9]
InRedemptoris Mater Pope John Paul II referred to Paul VI's "Credo of the People of God" as a reaffirmation of the statement that Mary is the "mother of the entire Christian people, both faithful and pastors" and wrote that the Credo "restated this truth in an even more forceful way":[13]
In 1980, during the UNIV Forum,[14] an annual gathering of university students from all over the world held inRome duringHoly Week and born by inspiration ofSaint Josemaría Escrivá, founder ofOpus Dei, a young man taking part in the gathering told Pope John Paul II that he was not able to find an image ofOur Lady inSt. Peter's Square, considered the heart of Christendom. In fact, although there are 162 statues of saints, none of them depict the Mother of God. The pope answered immediately: "then we should finish the square". WhenBlessed Álvaro del Portillo, successor of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, heard this story, he asked the Spanish architect Javier Cotelo to find a good solution for the image. In July 1980 and January 1981, Cotelo submitted to the pope a proposal of using one of the windows of the building located between St. Peter's Square and the Cortile di San Damaso, since from there the image could be seen from any part of the square. The pope accepted the suggestion and on December 7, 1981, a mosaic ofMaria Mater Ecclesiae ("Our Lady, Mother of the Church") was installed following Cotelo's proposal. On the following day, the Feast of theImmaculate Conception, the pope blessed the mosaic from his window; this mosaic is considered to be last stone of St. Peter's Square.[15] Moreover, this mosaic overlooks the spot on the square where anassassination attempt on Pope John Paul II was made in 1981. It is thus also considered a tribute to the intercession of Mary in saving his life.
In 1987, John Paul repeated this titleMother of the Church in his encyclicalRedemptoris Mater and at a general audience on September 17, 1997.[16]
With regard to the title "Mother of the Church", John Paul usedRedemptoris Mater as an opportunity to explain how the Blessed Virgin Mary's maternity of Christ's faithful derives from her maternity of Christ, as well as how Mary serves as a "type", or model, of the Church as a whole.
On September 17, 1997, Pope John Paul II devoted a Wednesday general audience to the title "Mother of the Church" with regard to its application to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pope Benedict XVI referred to theCredo of Paul VI and stated that it sums up all of the scriptural texts that relate to the matter.[20]
Benedict addresses the issue, why Roman Catholic Mariology is related to ecclesiology, the teaching about the Church. On first sight, he argues, it may seem accidental, that the Council moved Mariology into ecclesiology. This relation helps to understand what "Church" really is. The theologian Hugo Rahner showed that Mariology was originally ecclesiology. The Church is like Mary.[21] The Church is virgin and mother, she is immaculate and carries the burdens of history. She suffers and she is assumed into heaven. Slowly she learns, that Mary is her mirror, that she is a person in Mary. Mary on the other hand is not an isolated individual, who rests in herself. She is carrying the mystery of the Church.[21]
In 2018,Pope Francis decreed that theMemorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church be inserted into theRoman Calendar on the Monday afterPentecost (also known asWhit Monday) and to be celebrated every year, outranking even obligatory memorials.[5]The decree was signed on February 11, 2018, the memorial ofOur Lady of Lourdes, on the 160th anniversary of theLourdes apparitions. It was issued on March 3, 2018.
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