A Pre-Vatican II Theology of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces

This article will focus on the second part of the theme by presenting a brief history of the pre-Vatican II Marian mediation movement begun in 1896 when a number of Catholic theologians and clergy were proposing a dogmatic definition of a Marian doctrine such as her coredemption or her universal mediation of grace. In 1921, Cardinal Mercier focused part of this wider Marian movement on Mary's title as "mediatrix of all graces." What had prompted their interest in this specific title? What theology supported their cause? After a short review of the pre-Vatican II history, this presentation will examine one of the movement's theological arguments and conclude with a few comments of evaluation and lessons for the present.

A Brief History of the Movement for the Dogmatic Definition of Mary's Mediation

After the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the definition of papal infallibility by the First Vatican Council in 1870, some Catholic bishops and theologians were interested in finding another Marian doctrine for the pope to define as a new dogma. Pope Leo XIII's series of Rosary encyclicals in the 1880s and 1890s prompted René-Marie de La Broise (1860-1906), a French Jesuit and professor at the Institut Catholique of Paris, to publish in 1896 the first explicit proposal for a papal definition about Mary's role in the distribution of all graces, such as Mary's intercession or mediation of all graces, or her spiritual motherhood.¹ La Broise promoted this idea in more articles and in a joint paper given at the second international Marian Congress held in 1902 in Fribourg, Switzerland.² At this same Congress, Jean-Vincent Bainvel, S.J. (1858-1937), gave a paper entitled "Mary, Mother of Grace" and quoted La Broise as proposing that a definition of Mary's spiritual maternity and her role in the distribution of all graces that come to us by Christ, was more important than defining her Assumption.³ Inspired by the presentations at this Congress, François Xavier Godts (1839-1928), a Belgian Redemptorist, published the first book in 1904, promoting the dogmatic definition of Mary's universal mediation.⁴

At the same time as these theologians were making their scholarly proposals, a Belgian Carmelite superior, Mother Madeleine of Jesus (1862-1946), was receiving mystical visions from Jesus asking for the dogmatic definition of his mother's

mediation.⁵ In 1906, when the newly appointed Archbishop of Malines, Belgium, DésiréJoseph Mercier (1851-1926) visited Mother Madeleine, she asked him to speak to Pope Pius X about making this dogmatic definition.⁶ Although Mercier simply replied that he would consider it, from 1907 to 1914, he began speaking publicly of Mary as "Distributrix of divine graces," "Mother of divine grace" and "mediatrix."⁷ After Germany invaded Belgium in 1914, Cardinal Mercier made a public vow to Jesus and to Mary. Although the details are uncertain, it appears that Mercier promised, if Belgium would be liberated from German occupation, that he would at least "ask the pope to institute a special feast in honor of Mary mediatrix because it was to her all-powerful mediation that we entrusted the outcome of our prayers" and perhaps even to do all he could to bring about the dogmatic definition of Mary's universal mediation.⁸

While protesting against the German occupation and atrocities in Belgium, Mercier became famous around the world. At the same time, Mercier worked to fulfill his vow by pastoral letters, indulgences, and petitions to the pope. In his 1915 and 1918 pastoral letters, Mercier asked for prayers that the church would define as a dogma, the belief that "Mary, Mother of the Church, is the universal Mediatrix of the human race."⁹ Mercier even granted a 200 days indulgence (the maximum that cardinals could grant) to all who would make the triple invocation:¹⁰ "Mary, Mother of Christ, pray for us. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Mary, universal Mediatrix of the human race, intercede for us."¹¹ In 1915 and 1916, Mercier also promoted several petitions to Pope Benedict XV asking for the dogmatic definition of Mary's universal mediation. These petitions came from four groups within Belgium: 1) the theology faculty of the Catholic University of Louvain; 2) the male religious superiors of the Dominicans, Servites, Jesuits, Capuchins, Redemptorists, "Josephites," and Benedictines in Belgium; 3) the dean, canons, and clergy of the Metropolitan See of Malines; and 4) the entire Belgian episcopacy.¹²

These prayers and petitions yielded results. In 1921, Pope Benedict XV made May 31st the feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, complete with its own Mass and Office, for Belgium and all the dioceses that would request it.¹³ Capitalizing on his international fame gained during World War I, Mercier promptly invited all bishops of the world to ask for the feast, and so many

requested it that the feast became almost universal.¹⁴ In 1924, Pope Pius XI established three commissions-one in Belgium, one in Rome, and one in Spain-to study the definability of Mary's universal mediation of grace. Although the result of the Roman Commission remains unknown, the Belgian and Spanish Commissions' reports presented long arguments in favor of Mary's mediation.¹⁵

In 1924 Mercier organized a Marian Congess in Antwerp and wrote his most famous pastoral letter, "On the Universal Mediation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and 'True Devotion to Mary' as Expounded by Blessed Grignion de Montfort."¹⁶ In 1925, the Montfort Fathers sent Mercier's letter to every bishop in the world asking them to sign the conveniently enclosed petition for both the dogmatic definition and the canonization of then-Blessed Louis Marie de Montfort.¹⁷ All together, 449 bishops signed the petition, including Eugenio Pacelli, the future

Pope Pius XII.¹⁸ Unfortunately, Mercier died in 1926 before Pope Pius XII canonized Montfort in 1947.¹⁹