“God in these times wishes the Blessed Mother to be more known, loved, and honored than she has ever been . . . They will perceive the splendors of this Queen, will consecrate themselves entirely to her service as subjects and slaves of love. They will experience her motherly kindness and affection for her children. They will love her tenderly and will appreciate how full of compassion she is and how much they stand in need of her help. In all circumstances they will have recourse to her as their advocate and mediatrix with Jesus Christ. They will see clearly that she is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus and will surrender themselves to her, body and soul, without reserve in order to belong entirely to Jesus” (St. Louis Marie Grignion De Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, n. 55).
Dominican of the great Marian saint, St. Louis Marie De Montfort, becomes the occasion for a true examination of conscience for the Church today. Do we love and honor Our Blessed Mother like never before? Do our local pastors and common faithful of today perceive the splendors of this Queen given to us by the Most High God? Are the people of God throughout the world consecrating themselves regularly to her as their Spiritual Mother, given to them by the crucified Savior? Are they seeking her unparalleled intercession to her Son as Mediatrix and Advocate?
Unfortunately, these questions must be answered in the negative and this, in spite of the inspired leadership and personal invitation to all Christians for a full appreciation of, and consecration to, Our Lady by the pontiff that later history may well refer to as “Pope John Paul the Great.” As we recently celebrated his eighty-fourth birthday, the world news again gave considerable laud to the Pope, who can rightly be considered an historical giant of our era. But John Paul II is not John Paul II without being the “Totus Tuus” – entirely consecrated to her; consecrating the world entirely to her; and inviting every Christian to become precisely what St. Louis prophetically envisioned as “slaves of love” who belong entirely to Jesus through her.
The decline in Marian devotion that occurred immediately after the Second Vatican Council (and recently acknowledged by Cardinal Ratzinger and other Church commentators) was the result of numerous factors, including a misunderstanding of authentic Catholic ecumenism. The conciliar teaching on ecumenism never allows for a dilution of the fullness of Catholic teaching or devotion concerning Our Lady for the sake of artificial union with our brother and sister Christians who are not in the fullness of faith. Rather, helping them to see the splendor of the Queen will help our Christian brothers and sisters to see more clearly and profoundly the inestimable glory of their King, and to except the “safest, easiest . . . and most perfect way” to full life in his kingdom.
The Church in our day must turn to, and proclaim like never before, the whole truth and life of Our Lady: Marian Consecration, daily Rosary, and solemnly acknowledging her roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces and Advocate, which will allow her to exercise fully her roles for our present age, which in many ways is in great crisis.
For this reason, I am most happy to hear of, and to bless wholeheartedly, this new Weekly Marian Internet Magazine, Mother of All Peoples. I strongly encourage all my brother bishops, priests, theologians, and the faithful the world over to welcome the Mother of All Peoples Weekly Marian Internet Magazine into their homes and into their hearts (cf. Jn. 19:27). It is profoundly Marian, and at the same time fully orthodox and ecumenical, within the proper understanding given by the Second Vatican Council (cf. Lumen Gentium 60, 62, 66, 67).
Fill your minds and hearts with the whole and generous truth about Our Lady as presented in this magazine. It will only increase your love for Jesus and His Most Sacred Heart, precisely through the Immaculate Heart of His Mother and your Mother.
Edouard Cardinal Gagnon, P.s.s.
President Emeritus, Pontifical Council for the Family
President Emeritus, Pontifical Committee
For International Eucharistic Congresses