Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate in the Contemporary Roman Liturgy

2. Need for greater clarity and fidelity in the English translations. At this stage I do not think it necessary to belabor the need for a careful revision of the English translations of these Marian liturgical texts. While I have not done an exhaustive analysis of all the translations (which was not the aim of this study), I believe that the euchological texts which I have analyzed are sufficiently representative. In a number of respects the translations of the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary are notably superior to the translations generally found in the English edition of the Roman Missal of Paul VI. Unfortunately, this is not enough.

At times the English renditions of these magnificent prayers betray a remarkable arbitrariness, (229) the acceptance of a questionable ideology (230) and an innocence of some of the finer points of the Marian theology which the Latin originals embody. To me the most egregious instance of this final issue is the constant rendition of ministra pietatis and ministra gratiæ as "handmaid of love" and "handmaid of grace" which ignores the consistent terminology employed in the papal Marian magisterium for the last hundred years. My strong recommendation is that a revision of the present English translations be undertaken with the collaboration of theologians thoroughly conversant with the magisterial tradition and competent in mariology. In this regard I wish to cite the words ofPope John Paul IIof 4 December 1993 to Bishops of the United States on the "ad limina" visit:

3. Magisterial value of these texts. In his introduction to the valuable study tool provided by Fathers Johnson and Ward for the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cardinal Noè says:

The Cardinal speaks here of the publication of these Masses as a "development by the magisterium... of the great riches that are represented by Mary, the Mother of God." This is a point which should not be missed. The development and approval of the Masses in the Collection have a definite magisterial value precisely because of the axiom that "the law of prayer is the law of faith" or legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi. (233) The Mass formularies of the present Roman liturgy testify strongly to the Church's belief in Mary's role as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate for the People of God. At the same time, these marvelous prayers of the Church militant are meant to draw her children ever more securely into the worship of the Church triumphant in union with Mary, her Mother. This is so because, as the Council Fathers happily put it:

Laus Iesu Virginique Matri Eius!

Msgr. Arthur B. Calkins is an official of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" in Rome, a contributing member of the Pontifical International Marian Academy and the author of Totus Tuus. He is internationally known for his numerous articles on Our Lady and for his scholarly work in the fields of dogmatic and spiritual theology. This article was originally published in Mary Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate, Theological Foundations: Towards a Papal Definition?, Queenship, 1995.

Notes

Key to Abbreviations

AAS: Acta Apostolicæ Sedis (1909 -- ).

Acta Pii IX: Pii IX Pontificis Maximi Acta (Graz, Austria: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1971).

Acta Syn: Acta Synodalia Sacrosancti Concilii Oecumenici Vaticani Secundi, Vol., I, Pt. IV (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1971).

ASC II: Alma Socia Christi: Acta Congressus Mariologici-Mariani Romæ Anno Sancto MCML Celebrati II: De Cooperatione B. V. Mariæ in Acquisitione et Distributione Gratiarum (Roma: Academia Mariana Internationalis, 1952).

ASS: Acta Sanctæ Sedis (1865-1908).

Cal-Barb: Ignazio M. Calabuig, O.S.M. - Rosella Barbieri, "Il Prefazio della Messa 'Sancta Maria in Præsentatione Domini'" in Virgo Liber Verbi: Miscellanea di Studi in Onore di P. Giuseppe Besutti, O.S.M. (Roma: Edizioni «Marianum», 1991) 605-627.

Calabuig: Ignacio Calabuig Adán, O.S.M., "Il Culto alla Beata Vergine: Fondamenti Teologici e Collocazione nell'Ambito del Culto Cristiano" in Elio Peretto, O.S.M. (ed.), Atti del 7˚ Simposio Internazionale Mariologico (21-23 giugno 1988) (Roma: Edizioni «Marianum»; Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane, 1989) 185-313.

Cassell's: D. P. Simpson, M.A., Cassell's Latin Dictionary (London: Cassell Ltd., 5th ed., 1984).

CCC: Catechism of the Catholic Church (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1994).

CMP: Sergius Alvarez Campos, O.F.M., Corpus Marianum Patristicum (Burgos, Spain: Ediciones Aldecoa, S.A., 1970-1985) 8 vols.

Col: Collectio Missarum de Beata Maria Virgine 2 vols. (Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1987). English translation: Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2 vols. (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992).

Flannery: Austin Flannery, O.P., ed., Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1975).

Gherardini: Brunero Gherardini, La Madre: Maria in una sintesi storico-teologica (Frigento (AV): Casa Mariana Editrice, 1989).

Inseg: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, I (1978 --) (Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1979 -- ).

Joncas: Jan Michael Joncas, "Mary in the Mysteries of Christ during Ordinary Time: Liturgical References," Marian Studies 43 (1992) 72-131.

Maria: Hubert du Manoir, S.J. (ed.), Maria: Études sur la Sainte Vierge 8 vols. (Paris: Beauchesne et Ses Fils, 1949-1971).

Mariology: Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M. (ed.), Mariology 3 vols. (Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1955-1961).

Miravalle: Mark I. Miravalle, S.T.D., Mary: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate (Santa Barbara, CA: Queenship Publishing, 1993).

Modi: Sacrosanctum Oecumenicum Concilium Vaticanum Secundum. Schema Constitutionis Dogmaticæ de Ecclesia Modi a Patribus Conciliaribus Propositi a Commissione Doctrinali Examinati - Caput VIII: De Beata Maria Virgine Deipara in Mysterio Christi et Ecclesiæ (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1964).

MSS IV: Maria in Sacra Scriptura: Acta Congressus Mariologici-Mariani Anno 1965 in Republica Dominicana Celebrati IV: De Beata Virgine Maria in Evangeliis Synopticis (Roma: Pontificia Academia Mariana Internationalis, 1967)

OL: Our Lady: Papal Teachings, trans. Daughters of St. Paul (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1961).

OR: L'Osservatore Romano, daily Italian edition. Roman numeral = volume; first Arabic numeral = number; second Arabic numeral indicates page.

ORE: L'Osservatore Romano, weekly edition in English. First number = cumulative edition number; second number = page.

Oremus: Martin D. O'Keefe, S.J., Oremus: Speaking with God in the Words of the Roman Rite (St. Louis: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1993).

Perrella: Salvatore M. Perrella, O.S.M., I «Vota» e i «Consilia» dei Vescovi Italiani sulla Mariologia e sulla Corredenzione nella Fase Antipreparatoria del Concilio Vaticano II (Roma: Edizioni «Marianum», 1994).

PFS: Cuthbert Johnson, O.S.B. and Anthony Ward, S.M., Præcelsa Filia Sion: Approaching the Euchological Vocabulary of the Collection Missarum de Beata Maria Virgine. Notitiæ 278-279 (Vol. 25 (1989) No. 9-10).

PMM: Giustino Farnedi, O.S.B. and Francesco Massola, Piccolo Messale della Madonna (Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana; Casale Monferrato: Edizioni Piemme, 1988).

Prob: Gabriele M. Roschini, O.S.M., Problematica sulla Corredenzione (Roma: Edizioni "Marianum," 1969).

RM 67: The Roman Missal in Latin and English for Sunday, Feast, Ferial and Votive Masses (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1968).

RM 70: Missale Romanum ex Decreto Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II Instauratum Auctoritate Pauli PP. VI Promulgatum (Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, editio typica altera 1975). English translation: The Roman Missal revised by Decree of the Second Vatican Council and published by authority of Pope Paul VI (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., second edition 1985).

Robichaud: Armand J. Robichaud, S.M., "Mary, Dispensatrix of All Graces" in Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M. (ed.), Mariology Vol. 2 (Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Co., 1957) 426-460.

Schug: John A. Schug, O.F.M. Cap., Mary, Mother (Springfield, MA.: St. Francis Chapel Press, 1992).

Sodi: Manlio Sodi, Con Maria verso Cristo: Messe della beata Vergine Maria (Milan: Edizioni Paoline, 1990).

Summa Aurea: Jean-Jacques Bourassé, Summa Aurea de Laudibus Beatissimæ Virginis Mariæ Vols. 1-12 (Paris: J.-P. Migne, 1862); Vol. 13 (Paris: J.-P. Migne, 1866).

Theotokos: Michael O'Carroll, C.S.Sp., Theotokos: A Theological Encyclopedia of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Wilmington: Michael Glazier, Inc.; Dublin: Dominican Publications, 1982).

Totus Tuus: Arthur Burton Calkins, Totus Tuus: John Paul II's Program of Marian Consecration and Entrustment (Libertyville, IL: Academy of the Immaculate "Studies and Texts, No. 1," 1992).

TPS: The Pope Speaks, 1 -- (1954 -- ).

(1) Cf. Miravalle passim.

(2) Cf. Juniper B. Carol, O.F.M., "Our Lady's Coredemption," Mariology 2:386-392; Robichaud 439-442.

(3) On the question of Marian mediation in the Fathers, cf. Domiciano Fernández, C.M.F., "'Maria Mediatrix' en la Epoca Patristica," Mater Fidei et Fidelium: Collected Essays to Honor Théodore Koehler on His 80th Birthday. Marian Library Studies (new series) Volume 17-23 (Dayton, Ohio: University of Dayton, 1985-1991) 207-217 and my comment on this essay in "Mater Fidei et Fidelium: An Overview," Divinitas 37 (1993) 161-162.

(4) Cf. Michael O'Carroll, C.S.Sp., "Mediation, Mary Mediatress," Theotokos 241-242.

(5) CCC #1124.

(6) AAS 66 (1974) 162 (St. Paul Editions, #56, p. 46).

(7) Idesbald Van Houtryve, O.S.B., "La Médiation de Marie dans la Liturgie," La Vie Diocésaine, Bulletin du Diocése de Malines, XI (1922) 245-259, 349-360.

(8) Maria 1:429-433, 545-547.

(9) Robichaud 436-439.

(10) Robert Javelet, Marie, La Femme Médiatrice (Paris: O.E.I.L., 1984) 135-143.

(11) Serapio de Iragui, O.F.M. Cap., "La mediación de la Virgen en la liturgia," ASC II:192-233.

(12) Flannery 137-141.

(13) PFS 633.

(14) Cf. General Introduction of Col #29-33.

(15) Cf. General Introduction of Col #34-37.

(16) AAS 59 (1967) 467 (St. Paul Edition 3).

(17) AAS 39 (1947) 541; cf. also Calabuig 216.

(18) Eamon R. Carroll, O.Carm., Understanding the Mother of Jesus (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1979) 93.

(19) Willian G. Most, "Reparation to the Immaculate Heart," Cross and Crown 8 (1956) 139.

(20) Miravalle XV.

(21) On its origin, diffusion and the status quæstionis on its use up to 1969, cf. Prob 14-23.

(22) Cf. Acta Syn 108; Prob 75; Theotokos 54.

(23) Cf. Juniper Carol's masterful handling of the objections in his magisterial article, "Our Lady's Coredemption," Mariology 2:422-424.