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D . MARY IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH
- "All the promises of God find their ‘Yes' in Christ:
that is why we offer the ‘Amen' through him, to the glory
of God" (2 Corinthians 1:20). God's ‘Yes' in Christ
takes a distinctive and demanding form as it is addressed to
Mary. The profound mystery of "Christ in you, the hope
of glory" (Colossians 1:27) has a unique meaning for her.
It enables her to speak the ‘Amen' in which, through the
Spirit's overshadowing, God's ‘Yes' of new creation is
inaugurated. As we have seen, this fiat of Mary was distinctive,
in its openness to God's Word, and in the path to the foot of
the cross and beyond on which the Spirit led her. The Scriptures
portray Mary as growing in her relationship with Christ: his
sharing of her natural family (Luke 2:39) was transcended in
her sharing of his eschatological family, those upon whom the
Spirit is poured out (Acts 1:14, 2:1-4). Mary's ‘Amen'
to God's ‘Yes' in Christ to her is thus both unique and
a model for every disciple and for the life of the Church.
- One outcome of our study has been awareness of differences
in the ways in which the example of Mary living out the grace
of God has been appropriated into the devotional lives of our
traditions. Whilst both traditions have recognized her special
place in the communion of saints, different emphases have marked
the way we have experienced her ministry. Anglicans have tended
to begin from reflection on the scriptural example of Mary as
an inspiration and model for discipleship. Roman Catholics have
given prominence to the ongoing ministry of Mary in the economy
of grace and the communion of saints. Mary points people to
Christ, commending them to him and helping them to share his
life. Neither of these general characterizations do full justice
to the richness and diversity of either tradition, and the twentieth
century witnessed a particular growth in convergence as many
Anglicans were drawn into a more active devotion to Mary, and
Roman Catholics discovered afresh the scriptural roots of such
devotion. We together agree that in understanding Mary as the
fullest human example of the life of grace, we are called to
reflect on the lessons of her life recorded in Scripture and
to join with her as one indeed not dead, but truly alive in
Christ. In doing so we walk together as pilgrims in communion
with Mary, Christ's foremost disciple, and all those whose participation
in the new creation encourages us to be faithful to our calling
(cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17, 19).
- Aware of the distinctive place of Mary in the history of salvation,
Christians have given her a special place in their liturgical
and private prayer, praising God for what He has done in and
through her. In singing the Magnificat, they praise God
with her; in the Eucharist, they pray with her as they do with
all God's people, integrating their prayers in the great communion
of saints. They recognize Mary's place in "the prayer of
all the saints" that is being uttered before the throne
of God in the heavenly liturgy (Revelation 8:3-4). All these
ways of including Mary in praise and prayer belong to our common
heritage, as does our acknowledgement of her unique status as
Theotókos, which gives her a distinctive place
within the communion of saints.
Intercession and Mediation in the Communion of Saints
- The practice of believers asking Mary to intercede for them
with her son grew rapidly following her being declared Theotókos
at the Council of Ephesus. The most common form today of such
intercession is the ‘Hail Mary'. This form conflates the
greetings of Gabriel and Elizabeth to her (Luke 1:28,42). It
was widely used from the fifth century, without the closing
phrase, "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our
death", which was first added in the 15th century, and
included in the Roman Breviary by Pius V in 1568. The English
Reformers criticized this invocation and similar forms of prayer,
because they believed that it threatened the unique mediation
of Jesus Christ. Confronted with exaggerated devotion, stemming
from excessive exaltation of Mary's role and powers alongside
Christ's, they rejected the "Romish doctrine of …
the Invocation of Saints" as "grounded upon no warranty
of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God"
(Article XXII). The Council of Trent affirmed that seeking the
saints' assistance to obtain favours from God is "good
and useful": such requests are made "through his Son
our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our sole Redeemer and Saviour"
(DS 1821). The Second Vatican Council endorsed the continued
practice of believers asking Mary to pray for them, emphasizing
that "Mary's maternal role towards the human race in no
way obscures or diminishes the unique mediation of Christ, but
rather shows its power … in no way does it hinder the direct
union of believers with Christ, but rather fosters it"
(Lumen Gentium 60). Therefore the Roman Catholic Church
continues to promote devotion to Mary, while reproving those
who either exaggerate or minimize Mary's role (Marialis Cultus
31). With this background in mind, we seek a theologically grounded
way to draw more closely together in the life of prayer in communion
with Christ and his saints.
- The Scriptures teach that "there is one mediator between
God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself
as a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5-6). As noted earlier,
on the basis of this teaching "we reject any interpretation
of the role of Mary which obscures this affirmation" (Authority
II 30). It is also true, however, that all ministries of
the Church, especially those of Word and sacrament, mediate
the grace of God through human beings. These ministries do not
compete with the unique mediation of Christ, but rather serve
it and have their source within it. In particular, the prayer
of the Church does not stand alongside or in place of the intercession
of Christ, but is made through him, our Advocate and Mediator
(cf. Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, 12:24, 1 John 2:1). It finds
both its possibility and practice in and through the Holy Spirit,
the other Advocate sent according to Christ's promise (cf. John
14:16-17). Hence asking our brothers and sisters, on earth and
in heaven, to pray for us, does not contest the unique mediatory
work of Christ, but is rather a means by which, in and through
the Spirit, its power may be displayed.
- In our praying as Christians we address our petitions to God
our heavenly Father, in and through Jesus Christ, as the Holy
Spirit moves and enables us. All such invocation takes place
within the communion which is God's being and gift. In the life
of prayer we invoke the name of Christ in solidarity with the
whole Church, assisted by the prayers of brothers and sisters
of every time and place. As ARCIC has expressed it previously,
"The believer's pilgrimage of faith is lived out with the
mutual support of all the people of God. In Christ all the faithful,
both living and departed, are bound together in a communion
of prayer" (Salvation and the Church 22). In the
experience of this communion of prayer believers are aware of
their continued fellowship with their sisters and brothers who
have ‘fallen asleep,' the ‘great cloud of witnesses'
who surround us as we run the race of faith. For some, this
intuition means sensing their friends' presence; for some it
may mean pondering the issues of life with those who have gone
before them in faith. Such intuitive experience affirms our
solidarity in Christ with Christians of every time and place,
not least with the woman through whom he became "like us
in all things except sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
- The Scriptures invite Christians to ask their brothers and
sisters to pray for them, in and through Christ (cf. James 5:13-15).
Those who are now ‘with Christ', untrammelled by sin, share
the unceasing prayer and praise which characterizes the life
of heaven (e.g. Revelation 5:9-14, 7:9-12, 8:3-4). In the light
of these testimonies, many Christians have found that requests
for assistance in prayer can rightly and effectively be made
to those members of the communion of saints distinguished by
their holy living (cf. James 5:16-18). It is in this sense that
we affirm that asking the saints to pray for us is not to be
excluded as unscriptural, though it is not directly taught by
the Scriptures to be a required element of life in Christ. Further,
we agree that the way such assistance is sought must not obscure
believers' direct access to God our heavenly Father, who delights
to give good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:11). When, in
the Spirit and through Christ, believers address their prayers
to God, they are assisted by the prayers of other believers,
especially of those who are truly alive in Christ and freed
from sin. We note that liturgical forms of prayer are addressed
to God: they do not address prayer ‘to' the saints, but
rather ask them to ‘pray for us'. However, in this and
other instances, any concept of invocation which blurs the trinitarian
economy of grace and hope is to be rejected, as not consonant
with Scripture or the ancient common traditions.
The Distinctive Ministry of Mary
- Among all the saints, Mary takes her place as Theotókos:
alive in Christ, she abides with the one she bore, still ‘highly
favoured' in the communion of grace and hope, the exemplar of
redeemed humanity, an icon of the Church. Consequently she is
believed to exercise a distinctive ministry of assisting others
through her active prayer. Many Christians reading the Cana
account continue to hear Mary instruct them, "Do whatever
he tells you", and are confident that she draws the attention
of her son to their needs: "they have no wine" (John
2:1-12). Many experience a sense of empathy and solidarity with
Mary, especially at key points when the account of her life
echoes theirs, for example the acceptance of vocation, the scandal
of her pregnancy, the improvised surroundings of her labour,
giving birth, and fleeing as a refugee. Portrayals of Mary standing
at the foot of the cross, and the traditional portrayal of her
receiving the crucified body of Jesus (the Pietà),
evoke the particular suffering of a mother at the death of her
child. Anglicans and Roman Catholics alike are drawn to the
mother of Christ, as a figure of tenderness and compassion.
- The motherly role of Mary, first affirmed in the Gospel accounts
of her relationship to Jesus, has been developed in a variety
of ways. Christian believers acknowledge Mary to be the mother
of God incarnate. As they ponder our Saviour's dying word to
the beloved disciple, "behold your mother" (John 19:27)
they may hear an invitation to hold Mary dear as ‘mother
of the faithful': she will care for them as she cared for her
son in his hour of need. Hearing Eve called "the mother
of all living" (Genesis 3:20), they may come to see Mary
as mother of the new humanity, active in her ministry of pointing
all people to Christ, seeking the welfare of all the living.
We are agreed that, while caution is needed in the use of such
imagery, it is fitting to apply it to Mary, as a way of honouring
her distinctive relationship to her son, and the efficacy in
her of his redeeming work.
- Many Christians find that giving devotional expression to
their appreciation for this ministry of Mary enriches their
worship of God. Authentic popular devotion to Mary, which by
its nature displays a wide individual, regional and cultural
diversity, is to be respected. The crowds gathering at some
places where Mary is believed to have appeared suggest that
such apparitions are an important part of this devotion and
provide spiritual comfort. There is need for careful discernment
in assessing the spiritual value of any alleged apparition.
This has been emphasized in a recent Roman Catholic commentary.
Private revelation … can be a genuine help in understanding
the Gospel and living it better at a particular moment in
time; therefore it should not be disregarded. It is a help
which is offered, but which one is not obliged to use …
The criterion for the truth and value of a private revelation
is therefore its orientation to Christ himself. When it
leads us away from him, when it becomes independent of him
or even presents itself as another and better plan of salvation,
more important than the Gospel, then it certainly does not
come from the Holy Spirit. (Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, Theological Commentary on the Message of
Fatima, 26 June, 2000).
We are agreed that, within the constraints set down in this
teaching to ensure that the honour paid to Christ remains
pre-eminent, such private devotion is acceptable, though never
required of believers.
- When Mary was first acknowledged as mother of the Lord by
Elizabeth, she responded by praising God and proclaiming his
justice for the poor in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
In Mary's response we can see an attitude of poverty towards
God that reflects the divine commitment and preference for the
poor. In her powerlessness she is exalted by God's favour. Although
the witness of her obedience and acceptance of God's will has
sometimes been used to encourage passivity and impose servitude
on women, it is rightly seen as a radical commitment to God
who has mercy on his servant, lifts up the lowly and brings
down the mighty. Issues of justice for women and the empowerment
of the oppressed have arisen from daily reflection on Mary's
remarkable song. Inspired by her words, communities of women
and men in various cultures have committed themselves to work
with the poor and the excluded. Only when joy is joined with
justice and peace do we rightly share in the economy of hope
and grace which Mary proclaims and embodies.
- Affirming together unambiguously Christ's unique mediation,
which bears fruit in the life of the Church, we do not consider
the practice of asking Mary and the saints to pray for us as
communion-dividing. Since obstacles of the past have been removed
by clarification of doctrine, by liturgical reform and practical
norms in keeping with it, we believe that there is no continuing
theological reason for ecclesial division on these matters.
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