assumption of Mary

assumption of Mary Question from on 05-21-2007:

Did Mary die, then resurrected and then went to Heaven, or she never died but went to Heaven after Jesus? Thanks, Kayve

Answer by Matthew Bunson on 06-02-2007:

This question has been asked before, so my apologies for repeating the answer previously given. The dogma of the Assumption – that Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven, after the completion of her earthly life (termed her dormition – or falling asleep in the Lord) – was proclaimed on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII in Munificentessimus Deus; There was extensive acceptance and support for the doctrines among theologians and saints for centuries prior to their formal proclamation by a pope. The doctrines were subject to intense study over a period of centuries, requiring a long process before formal acceptance was granted. We known very little about the exact date of the dormition and Assumption. It is possible, based on various writings, that the dormition occurred not too many years after Jesus’ death and Resurrection and took place either in Jerusalem or Ephesus. The earliest surviving reliable references to the Assumption are the sermons of St. Andrew of Crete, St. John Damascene, St. Modestus of Jerusalem and others. In the West, meanwhile, St. Gregory of Tours is generally credited with mentioning it first. St. John Damascene added that St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), informed Emperor Marcian and Empress Pulcheria (who wished to possess the mortal remains of the Mother of God) that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened was found empty; the Apostles thus concluded that the body was taken up to heaven. The doctrine was subsequently supported by a host of theologians, including Sts. Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure. The doctrine was also promoted by such eminent later theologians as St. Bernardine of Siena, St. Peter Canisius, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Robert Bellarmine. Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) declared it a probable opinion. The Feast of the Assumption was observed in Palestine during at least the 5th century, according to the life of St. Theodosius (d. 529). When it was celebrated in the Eastern Empire is a matter of some question, as it was divided between August 15 and January 18. Byzantine Emperor Maurice (d. 602) attempted to settle the date and chose August 15, according to the Liber Pontificalis, at least as far as the Eastern Empire was concerned. In Rome, the oldest and only feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary was January 1, the octave of the birth of Our Lord. Thus before the seventh century no other feast was recognized, although there is some question concerning the feast found in the so-called Gelasian Sacramentary for August 15. That feast, however, did not mention the corporeal assumption of Mary. The Byzantine feasts for Mary, including the Assumption, were introduced in the pontificate of Pope Sergius I around 700, from where they found acceptance in other territories, including those in the West that actually kept the other Eastern date of January 18. By the end of the 8th century, the feast was universally recognized in the West on August 15. The octave was added in 847 by Pope Leo IV, and in 863, Pope Nicholas I made it equal to Christmas and Easter. Father Frederick Jelly, O.P. approached the question of the dormition this way, in The Encyclopedia of Catholic Doctrine (by Our Sunday Visitor): “Although the dogma of the Assumption did not settle a number of questions regarding Mary’s departure from this life, the testimony of Tradition does seem to favor the theological opinions that she died and was most likely buried near the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, and that, in the likeness of her Son’s Resurrection, her body did not decompose after her death and burial but instead Mary was gloriously assumed intact.”

various ritual churches

various ritual churches Question from on 05-31-2007:

Hello Fr Levis, The concept of various ritual churches is new to me and I was wondering if you could claify something for me. Years ago at confirmation, my sponsor was a priest who was serving at our Latin church. I found out recently that he was ordained a Malabar Catholic priest snd is now a Malabar Bishop in Chicago. My question is, Since he is a Malabar priest, why was he able to celebrate Latin Mass and, was there any problem choosing a confirmation sponsor from a different ritual church? Thnka you and God Bless

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 06-01-2007:

Matthew, I see no real problem here. If he baptized you in the Malabar rite, yes, I think there would be a problem. Malabar priests baptize for their own rite, not another. God bless. Fr. Bob Levis

Marian Doctrine

Marian Doctrine Question from on 05-31-2007:

Hello Father, Thank you for taking the time to answer this. I am a soon to be Catholic going through RCIA. Unfortunately the rest of my family is still baptist and this leads to some disagreements on biblical issues among other things. I recently got into a discussion about Mary which, as you may know, is a point of great contention with protestants. I tried to explain that Mary is not worshiped as a redeemer or at all for that matter and that her roll and due respect in the process of redemption is as the facilitator of the redeemer and as such the mother of the church which is in Christ. Is this a fair way to present Mary or do I need to revise my explanation to them? and if so how? thanks again God bless, Dan

Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 06-01-2007:

Dan, You are correct, sharp, right. All Baptists love Jesus so I suggest that you bring out how intimate Jesus' love for his mother must be. Jesus in a short life spent most of it with his mother, Mary. 30 years with Mary, 3 years with the Apostles. His first miracle, at Cana, was worked thru Mary. Try this. Fr. Bob Levis

Making the sign of the cross

Making the sign of the cross Question from on 05-17-2007:

I am a cradle catholic, so sometimes when im asked a guestion about my faith, i dont always know the answer. resently i was asked why we make the sign of the cross.... i was stumped. i thought i knew, but i didnt want to answer because i was not 100% sure. i felt silly. can you please explain this to me, so i can answer this question. e.w.t.n. has been envaluable to me as far as education. there is so much that i do not know, but i feel w/ the help of e.w.t.n. that im am much more informed today . thank you, kelly.

Answer by David Gregson on 06-01-2007:

The Sign of the Cross is an invocation of the Blessed Trinity on the basis of Our Lord's Sacrifice on the cross. It is His Sacrifice of Himself, in atonement for our sins, that merited for us the priviledge of calling on God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to aid us in our need, and finally to bring us to everlasting life in heaven.

Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel Question from on 05-30-2007:

Dear Judie Brown--I was told that the teaching of the catholic church is that a baby does not have his or her own guardian angel during the nine months of pregnancy but is protected by the mother's guardian angel. It is at birth, so I am told, that a baby receives his or her own guardian angel. Is this true? Thank you, Warren.

Answer by Judie Brown on 06-01-2007:

Dear Warren The Catholic Encyclopedia, which is on line, makes this statement which is the statement upon which I base my opinion: "That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but it is the "mind of the Church", as St. Jerome expressed it: "how great the dignity of the soul, since each one has from his birth an angel commissioned to guard it." (Comm. in Matt., xviii, lib. II)." I believe that if St. Jerome had been privy to the scientific facts we have today, he would agree that each of one us has a guardian angel the moment we receive our immortal soul, which is at some point prior to birth, and to my mind is at conception/fertilization. If you read the entire Catholic Encyclopedia article (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07049c.htm) you will discern, as I have, the only definitive answer awaits us in Heaven. In the meantime, we can speculate. Judie Brown