Consecration and entrustment to Mary
Encyclopedia
For centuries, Marian devotions
among Roman Catholics have included many examples of personal or collective acts of consecration
and entrustment to the Virgin Mary, with the Latin terms oblatio, servitus, commendatio and dedicatio having been used in this context.
Consecration
is an act by which a person is dedicated to a sacred service, or an act which separates an object, location or region from a common and profane mode to one for sacred use. Consecration to the Virgin Mary has been practiced by Catholics for many centuries, at the personal, societal and papal levels, where individuals, societies, regions and eventually the world were consecrated to her.
Consecration to the Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics has taken place from three perspectives, namely personal, societal and regional and with three forms: to the Virgin herself as a whole, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
and to the Immaculata. In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God. Pope Leo XIII, specially encouraged everyone to make acts of consecration to the Virgin Mary based on the methods of Saint Louis de Montfort
(who was beatified
by Leo), and granted indulgence
s for such consecrations. Pope Benedict XV also provided strong support for Marian consecration. Pope John Paul II's motto Totus Tuus
(i.e. totally yours) reflected his personal consecration to Mary.
The 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
in which the Virgin Mary was called the Immaculate Conception
built significant sensus fidelium
among Catholics at large, and consecrations to the Immaculata began to take form. Early in the 20th century, Saint Maximilian Kolbe
, called the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary", began a vigorous program of promoting consecration to the Immaculata and published Militia Immaculatae in multiple languages which reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month.
Theologian Garrigou-Lagrange
designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among Marian devotions
.
His student, Pope John Paul II made Marian devotions and consecrations a hallmark of his papacy, often referring to , and heavily relying on the spirituality of Saint Louis de Montfort
. He also consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
in the 4th century, and a form of personal consecration to Mary dates back to the 5th century, where its practitioners were called "servants of Mary" and the practice was sometimes referred to as "holy servitude". However, the first consistent and repeated use of the concept of consecration to Mary was perhaps by Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo
in the 7th century, and Pope John VII
also referred to it in the 8th century.
The notion that consecration to Mary is linked with consecration to Christ
and has an ultimate Christocentric
goal was already present in the 7th century writings of Ildephonsus, when he wrote: "What is delivered up to the Mother rebounds to the Son; thus passes to the King the honor that is rendered in the service of the Queen."
In the 8th century, Saint John Damascene continued the theme of consecration to Mary, and when he wrote "to you we consecrate (anathemenoi) our minds, our souls and our bodies, in a word our very selves" he used the Greek term anathemenoi which indicates "the setting aside for sacred use". By the 9th century, being a "servant of Mary" was practiced in Ireland.
The act of consecration of cities and regions dates back at least to the 9th century, when Abbo Cernuus
of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
composed a poem in which he attributed the failure of the Vikings in the Siege of Paris (885–886) to the consecration of the city to the Virgin Mary, and her protection over it. During the feuding Medieval period, abbeys, towns and cities began to consecrate themselves to the Virgin Mary to seek her protection. In the 12th century Cîteaux Abbey
in France used the motif of the protective mantle of the Virgin Mary which shielded the kneeling abbots and abbesses. In the 13th century Caesarius of Heisterbach was also aware of this motif, which eventually led to the iconography of the Virgin of Mercy
.
Although previous saints had discussed the notion of consecration, it was only in 11th century France that Saint Odilo at the Cluny Abbey
began to spread the formal practice of personal consecration to Mary. In the 12th century, the Cistercian orders began consecrating themselves to Mary, first individually and then as a group, and this practice then spread to the Benedictine
s and the Carmelites.
The 17th century also saw the adoption of the custom of consecrating the month of May
to the Blessed Virgin. The practice of consecration to Mary continued among Catholics and in the 18th century was further promoted by Saint Louis de Montfort
. Montfort's concept of consecraton was influenced by Henri Boudon's book Dieu seul: le Saint esclavage de l'admirable Mère de Dieu, (Only God, the Holy Slavery of the admirable Mother of God). By reading Boudon, Montfort concluded that any consecration is ultimately made to "God Alone", for only God merits the loving servitude of man. Later, "God Alone" became the motto of Montfort. Montfort's approach followed Boudon very closely, but differed on one element: while Boudon's consecration was founded on the Queenship of Mary, Montfort approach was based on the divine maternity.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the traditions of Marian consecration grew and by 1860 first communion
in France included an act of consecration to the Virgin Mary. By this time Marian consecrations had spread beyond continental Europe and in England Father Frederick Faber (a follower of John Henry Newman) had composed a hymn
of consecration to the Virgin Mary which included a petition to her motherly role.
Since the 19th century, devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
have been encouraged by several popes including Pius IX, Pius XII and John Paul II.
, a professor at the Angelicum (where he taught a 26 year old Pope John Paul II) studied and analyzed various forms and stages of Marian devotions
. He designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among these devotions. In his theological analysis, Marian devotions are categorized into stages, from beginner to advanced, as follows:
The theology of personal consecration to Mary was further explained by Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater
where building on he stated that the word "home" refers to the spiritual and inner life of believers, and "to take Mary into one's home" signifies a filial entrustment to her as mother in every aspect of life. John Paul II suggested Saint John as an example of how every Christian should respond to the gift of the spiritual motherhood of Mary.
in the early part of the 18th century. The heart of Montfort's classic work True Devotion to Mary
is a formal act of consecration to Mary, so through her, one can be consecrated to Christ. His approach is highly regarded among Catholics, and the Vatican's guidelines for Marian consecrations state:
Montfort's approach to true devotion and consecration has been supported by several popes over the centuries. In the 19th century, Pope Pius IX considered it the best and most acceptable form of Marian devotion, while Pope Leo XIII (who beatified Montfort) granted indulgences for practicing Montfort's method of Marian consecration. In the 20th century Pope Pius X acknowledged the influence of Montfort's writings in the composition of his encyclical Ad diem illum
and granted an indulgence in perpetuity to those who recite Montfort's formula of consecration to Mary. He also granted an apostolic blessing for just reading the book True Devotion to Mary
. Pope Pius XI stated that he had practiced Montfort's devotional methods since his early youth. Pope Pius XII declared Montfort a saint and stated that Montfort is the guide "who leads you to Mary and from Mary to Jesus". Pope John Paul II stated that reading Montfort had been a "turning point" in his own life.
Montfort defined consecration to Mary as "giving ourselves entirely to the Blessed Virgin, in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her". In Montfort's approach to Marian consecration, Jesus and Mary are inseparable. He views "consecration to Jesus in Mary" as a special path to being conformed to, united and consecrated to Christ, given that "of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus" and that the more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.
Montfort's goal was to lead people to degrees of union with God that would not be possible without true devotion to and consecration to the Virgin Mary. He argued that having come from the Father
and having returned to him, Jesus is "the Way", and given that Mary was integral to the movement of Jesus from the Father, and that she is intimately united with Jesus, she is an integral element of "The Way".
For Montfort the goal of consecration is "holiness": the renewal of the baptismal promise and continued search for unity with God. In his view people are often unaware that the soul is clouded by sin and self-love, and consecration begins a gradual process of sanctification in which a person's focus turns away from self-love and towards God through Mary. Relying on the assertion that "Mary is full of grace" he argued that in order to find grace with God, one must first discover Mary. Montfort's follower, Pope John Paul II echoed the same sentiment when he stated that as a young seminarian he had read and reread Montfort many times and "understood that I could not exclude the Lord's Mother from my life without neglecting the will of God-Trinity".
Montfort's process of Total Consecration has seven elements and effects: knowledge of one's unworthiness, sharing in Mary's faith, the gift of pure love, unlimited confidence in God and Mary, communication of the Spirit of Mary, transformation into the likeness of Jesus, and bringing more glory to Christ. Montfort's practice of consecration to Mary has both internal and external components. The internal components focus on surrendering oneself as a slave to Mary and to Jesus through her, and performing all actions "with Mary, in Mary, through Mary and for Mary". The suggested exterior practices include enrolment in Marian societies, or joining Marian religious orders, making Marian privileges known and appreciated, and giving alms in honor of Mary.
In Montfort's view it takes effort to progress along the scale of achieving closer union with God through consecration to Mary and that different individuals reach different levels along this scale, depending on their efforts and purity of intentions. But he did not hesitate to point out that the door was open for everyone to achieve high levels of spiritual progress through Marian consecration. Montfort's classification of the multiple levels of spiritual progress is similar to the "spiritual dwelling places" described by Saint Teresa of Avila
in the Interior Castle. Yet Montfort's view differs from Teresa's contemporary, Saint John of the Cross
in that Montfort sees the Marian path to Jesus as far more positive, encouraging and smooth than the path followed by Saint John in the Dark Night of the Soul
.
, which was just beginning to gain a following at about the same time in France, but had not yet received Church approval. Saint Francis de Sales
began to write on the perfections of the Heart of Mary as the model of love for God in the early parts of the 17th century and his work influenced St. Jean Eudes
who then develop the joint devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Although Saint Bonaventure had referred to the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary in the 13th century, the joint devotion to the hearts of Jesus and Mary was only initiated in the middle of the 17th century by Saint Jean Eudes who established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable
. Jean Eudes began his devotional teachings with the Heart of Mary, and then extended it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. However, it was only in 1805 that Pope Pius VII allowed a feast to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary
.
The two factors that helped the rapid progress of the devotion were the introduction of the Miraculous Medal
by Saint Catherine Laboure
in 1830 and the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, Paris of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners. More than four million Miraculous Medlas were distributed throughout the world within four years and in 1838 Father Desgenettes, the pastor of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, organized the Association in honor of the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Pope Gregory XVI made a confraternity the same year. In July, 1855, the Congregation of Rites approved the Office and Mass for the Immaculate Heart.
Another driving force for devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary appeared in the 1917 messages of Our Lady of Fátima
, which later gained millions of followers. The three children who reported the messages of Marian apparitions
at Fátima referred to the Immaculate Heart, emphasized the links between the two hearts of Jesus and Mary and stated that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary. The messages also stated that the children of Fátima would be used to make the Immaculate Heart known to the world. The third apparition reported at Fátima on July 13, 1917 specifically encouraged devotions and consecrations for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Although the reports of the Fátima apparitions were initially met with skepticism, they grew in popularity and were approved by the Holy See
in 1930, and continued to gain popularity thereafter. By the end of the 20th century, on May 13 and October 13 of each year, the country road that leads to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
was walked by about a million pilgrims a day.
On May 13, 1967, the 50th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Paul VI visited Fatima, Portugal
and issued the Apostolic Exhortation Signum Magnum
(meaning a great sign in Latin) in which he asked "all sons of the Church to renew their consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary".
Resonating with the theme of Fátima, Pope John Paul II's program of "Marian consecration and entrustment" related and equated consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
with consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The theme that John Paul II developed and repeated in various forms was based on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
and he suggested: "let us go to the Heart of Jesus through the Heart of Mary". The pope's rationale for consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary relied on many different, yet mutually complementary arguments, as to why one can approach Jesus and achieve a special unity with him based on the intimate union of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
In 1986, when addressing the participants in the 1986 International Theological Symposium on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Pope John Paul II stated:
had been the subject of debate during the Middle Ages
with opposition provided by no lesser figures than Saint Thomas Aquinas
. However, supportive arguments by William of Ware
and Duns Scotus
and general belief among Catholics made the doctrine more acceptable, so that the Council of Basel supported it in the 15th century, but the Council of Trent
side-stepped the question. Pope Sixtus IV tried to pacify the situation by forbidding either side from criticizing each other, and placed the feast of the Immaculate Conception on the Roman Calendar in 1477, Clement XI making the feast obligatory in 1708. Popular and theological support for the concept continued to grow and by the 18th century it was widely depicted in art.
By the end of the 18th century, two separate factors had combined forces to support the approval of a dogma for Immaculate Conception. On one hand, the theological arguments had been further refined and gained popularity so that for about a century before its dogmatic definition, almost the entire Church believed the Immaculate Conception. On the other hand, the 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
in which the Virgin Mary was called the Immaculate Conception had built significant sensus fidelium
among Catholics at large. Hence in 1854 Pope Pius IX, with the support of the majority of Roman Catholic bishops, declared it a dogma in Ineffabilis Deus
. This greatly helped the spread of devotions and consecrations to the Immaculata.
In the early part of the 20th century, Saint Maximillian Kolbe began his efforts for promoting consecrations to the Immaculata, partly relying on the 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
. Kolbe's theological basis for Marian consecration relied on his view of the Holy Spirit
as the "Uncreated Immaculate Conception" that works in concert with the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate. He argued that since Mary is Immaculate, by her very nature she is the perfect instrument of the Holy Spirit in the mediation of all graces, given that "every grace is a gift of the Father through his Son by the Holy Spirit". Like Montfort, Kolbe emphasized the renewal of the baptismal promises by making a total consecration to the Immaculata, which he considered the most perfect means of achieving unity with Jesus.
In 1915, while still in seminary
, Kolbe and six friends formed the Militia Immaculatae and four years later began publishing the magazine Knight of the Immaculate. Kolbe then founded the monastery of Immaculate City and continued publishing Militia Immaculatae in multiple languages, which eventually reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month, until it was stopped when Kolbe was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he volunteered to die in place of another prisoner. Kolbe's efforts in promoting consecration to the Immaculata made him known as the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary".
In the 12th century, the Cistercian orders began consecrating themselves to Mary, first individually and then as a group, and this practice then spread to the Benedictine
s and the Carmelites, who were formed around the 12th century. For many centuries, the Carmelites have worn the Brown Scapular as a sign of their consecration to Mary, and her protection over them. In the 13th century the Servite Order
(Servants of Mary) was approved in Florence, Italy, and although its key focus was on the sorrows of Mary, the members were consecrated to her.
Over the centuries, a number of Marian movements and societies have been consecrated to the Virgin Mary, e.g. the fourth vow taken by the Marianist Fathers, whose order was formed in the 18th century, during the French Revolution
includes a consecration to the Virgin Mary. In the 1948 Apostolic Constitution Bis Saeculari
Pope Pius XII encouraged Marian consecrations by the Marian societies such as Sodality of Our Lady
.
In October 1917, Saint Maximillian Kolbe and six other friar
s formed the Militia Immaculata
with the goal of using every possible means to promote total consecration to Mary. Kolbe wanted the entire Franciscan Order consecrated to the Immaculata by an additional vow. The idea was well received, but faced the hurdles of approval by the hierarchy of the order and the lawyers, so it was never formally adopted during his life and was no longer pursued after his death.
On Sunday, October 8, 2000, upon the completion of the ceremonies for the Jubilee of the Bishops, Pope John Paul II and the bishops consecrated and entrusted themselves and the Catholic Church in the new millennium to Mary.
On May 12, 2010 at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Fátima, Portugal, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco Marto
Pope Benedict XVI consecrated all priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
followed that trend.
The 1917 messages reported by three children in Fatima, Portugal
resulted in four consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by two popes. In the messages of Our Lady of Fatima
, the Virgin Mary specifically asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Based on these messages both popes Pius XII and John Paul II consecrated Russia
and the world to the Virgin Mary.
Both Pius XII and John Paul II felt a close bond to Fatima in that Pius XII was being made an archbishop in Rome on May 13, 1917 just as the first messages of Fatima were being reported and John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981 in Saint Peter's Square
and attributed his recovery to Our Lady of Fatima
. Pope Pius XII's two consecrations were made in October 1942 and July 1952 and those of John Paul II in May 1982 and March 1984. This paralleled the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.
The Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
on October 31, 1942 was made at major turning points in World War II
. Pope Pius XII consecrated not only the Catholic Church but the whole human race to the Virgin Mary, doing so as “Father of Christianity” as the representative of Christ
, who has all power in heaven and on earth”, referring to . The consecration was performed via a Portuguese
radio broadcast, and then renewed on December 8, 1942 in Rome.
Consecration of the world and the human race to the Immaculate Heart meant that non-Christians would also be consecrated. However, Pope Leo XIII had already covered that theological ground in Annum Sacrum
by consecrating the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in which non-Christians were also consecrated.
According to author Edward Sri, given the emphasis Pius XII had placed on the Queenship of Mary, the consecration emphasized the importance Pius XII placed on the powerful role of Mary as an intercessor and a protector of humanity. Mariologist Gabriel Roschini
wrote that the 1942 consecration of humanity to Mary can be viewed as an apex for Marian culture.
In July 1952 Pope Pius XII specifically performed the Consecration of Russia
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary via the Apostolic Letter Sacro Vergente
.
On 13 May 1982 in Fatima Portugal, Pope John Paul II again consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and said:
On March 25, 1984 Pope John Paul II again performed the solemn consecration of the world, and implicitly Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
before the statue of the Virgin Mary of Fatima brought to Saint Peter's Square
in Vatican City for the ceremony. In his "program of Marian consecration and entrustment" John Paul II considered consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Divinely intended to complement the consecration to the sacred Heart of Jesus.
On June 28, 2003 John Paul II entrusted Europe
to the Virgin Mary, and renewed that entrustment again on August 31, 2003.
book of indulgenced prayers.
The prayer originally composed by Saint Louis de Montfort is as follows:
Saint Maximillian Kolbe composed a consecration prayer, known as the Immaculata prayer
, and a shorter version that is used for the daily renewal of the consecration:
The prayer used by Pope John Paul II as his act of entrustment of all Bishops to Mary was considerably longer. It began with John 19:26 and included the entrustment as follows:
Marian devotions
A Marian devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to the Virgin Mary. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to, or venerate her; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts...
among Roman Catholics have included many examples of personal or collective acts of consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
and entrustment to the Virgin Mary, with the Latin terms oblatio, servitus, commendatio and dedicatio having been used in this context.
Consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
is an act by which a person is dedicated to a sacred service, or an act which separates an object, location or region from a common and profane mode to one for sacred use. Consecration to the Virgin Mary has been practiced by Catholics for many centuries, at the personal, societal and papal levels, where individuals, societies, regions and eventually the world were consecrated to her.
Consecration to the Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics has taken place from three perspectives, namely personal, societal and regional and with three forms: to the Virgin herself as a whole, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
and to the Immaculata. In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God. Pope Leo XIII, specially encouraged everyone to make acts of consecration to the Virgin Mary based on the methods of Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
(who was beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by Leo), and granted indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s for such consecrations. Pope Benedict XV also provided strong support for Marian consecration. Pope John Paul II's motto Totus Tuus
Totus Tuus
Totus Tuus was Pope John Paul II's apostolic motto. It is a Latin phrase meaning "totally yours" and expressed his personal Consecration to Mary based on the spiritual approach of Saint Louis de Montfort and the Mariology in his works...
(i.e. totally yours) reflected his personal consecration to Mary.
The 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
in which the Virgin Mary was called the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
built significant sensus fidelium
Sensus fidelium
The concept of sensus fidelium in Roman Catholic teachings can be implicitly traced back to the early Fathers of the Church...
among Catholics at large, and consecrations to the Immaculata began to take form. Early in the 20th century, Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFM Conv was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.He was canonized on 10 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II, and...
, called the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary", began a vigorous program of promoting consecration to the Immaculata and published Militia Immaculatae in multiple languages which reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month.
Theologian Garrigou-Lagrange
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange
Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. was a Catholic theologian and, among Thomists of the scholastic tradition, is generally thought to be the greatest Catholic Thomist of the 20th century. Outside the ranks of Thomists of that sort, his reputation is somewhat more mixed. He taught at the...
designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among Marian devotions
Marian devotions
A Marian devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to the Virgin Mary. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to, or venerate her; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts...
.
His student, Pope John Paul II made Marian devotions and consecrations a hallmark of his papacy, often referring to , and heavily relying on the spirituality of Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
. He also consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
History and development
The beginnings of the notion of "belonging to Mary" can be seen in the writings of Saint Ephrem the SyrianEphrem the Syrian
Ephrem the Syrian was a Syriac and a prolific Syriac-language hymnographer and theologian of the 4th century. He is venerated by Christians throughout the world, and especially in the Syriac Orthodox Church, as a saint.Ephrem wrote a wide variety of hymns, poems, and sermons in verse, as well as...
in the 4th century, and a form of personal consecration to Mary dates back to the 5th century, where its practitioners were called "servants of Mary" and the practice was sometimes referred to as "holy servitude". However, the first consistent and repeated use of the concept of consecration to Mary was perhaps by Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo
Ildephonsus of Toledo
Saint Ildefonsus or Ildephonsus was the metropolitan bishop of Toledo from 657 until his death. He was a Visigoth and his Gothic name was Hildefuns, which evolved into the Castilian name Alfonso. Ildefonsus, however, is known as San Ildefonso in Castilian and there are several places named after him...
in the 7th century, and Pope John VII
Pope John VII
Pope John VII was pope from 705 to 707. The successor of John VI, he was of Greek ancestry. He is one of the popes of the Byzantine captivity.-Biography:...
also referred to it in the 8th century.
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and has an ultimate Christocentric
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
goal was already present in the 7th century writings of Ildephonsus, when he wrote: "What is delivered up to the Mother rebounds to the Son; thus passes to the King the honor that is rendered in the service of the Queen."
In the 8th century, Saint John Damascene continued the theme of consecration to Mary, and when he wrote "to you we consecrate (anathemenoi) our minds, our souls and our bodies, in a word our very selves" he used the Greek term anathemenoi which indicates "the setting aside for sacred use". By the 9th century, being a "servant of Mary" was practiced in Ireland.
The act of consecration of cities and regions dates back at least to the 9th century, when Abbo Cernuus
Abbo Cernuus
Abbo Cernuus , Abbo Parisiensis, or Abbo of Saint-Germain was a Neustrian Benedictine monk and poet of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris. He was born about the middle of the ninth century....
of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
composed a poem in which he attributed the failure of the Vikings in the Siege of Paris (885–886) to the consecration of the city to the Virgin Mary, and her protection over it. During the feuding Medieval period, abbeys, towns and cities began to consecrate themselves to the Virgin Mary to seek her protection. In the 12th century Cîteaux Abbey
Cîteaux Abbey
Cîteaux Abbey is a Roman Catholic abbey located in Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, south of Dijon, France. Today it belongs to the Trappists, or Cistercians of the Strict Observance . The Cistercian order takes its name from this mother house of Cîteaux, earlier Cisteaux, near Nuits-Saint-Georges...
in France used the motif of the protective mantle of the Virgin Mary which shielded the kneeling abbots and abbesses. In the 13th century Caesarius of Heisterbach was also aware of this motif, which eventually led to the iconography of the Virgin of Mercy
Virgin of Mercy
The Virgin of Mercy is a subject in Catholic art, showing a group of people sheltering for protection under the outspread cloak of the Virgin Mary. It was especially popular in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a specialised form of votive portrait, and is also found in other...
.
Although previous saints had discussed the notion of consecration, it was only in 11th century France that Saint Odilo at the Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey
Cluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was built in the Romanesque style, with three churches built in succession from the 10th to the early 12th centuries....
began to spread the formal practice of personal consecration to Mary. In the 12th century, the Cistercian orders began consecrating themselves to Mary, first individually and then as a group, and this practice then spread to the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
s and the Carmelites.
The 17th century also saw the adoption of the custom of consecrating the month of May
May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary
May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to special Marian devotions held in the Catholic Church during the month of May honoring the Virgin Mary as "the Queen of May". These services may take place inside or outside...
to the Blessed Virgin. The practice of consecration to Mary continued among Catholics and in the 18th century was further promoted by Saint Louis de Montfort
Louis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
. Montfort's concept of consecraton was influenced by Henri Boudon's book Dieu seul: le Saint esclavage de l'admirable Mère de Dieu, (Only God, the Holy Slavery of the admirable Mother of God). By reading Boudon, Montfort concluded that any consecration is ultimately made to "God Alone", for only God merits the loving servitude of man. Later, "God Alone" became the motto of Montfort. Montfort's approach followed Boudon very closely, but differed on one element: while Boudon's consecration was founded on the Queenship of Mary, Montfort approach was based on the divine maternity.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the traditions of Marian consecration grew and by 1860 first communion
First Communion
The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Catholic Church ceremony. It is the colloquial name for a person's first reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Catholic Church...
in France included an act of consecration to the Virgin Mary. By this time Marian consecrations had spread beyond continental Europe and in England Father Frederick Faber (a follower of John Henry Newman) had composed a hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
of consecration to the Virgin Mary which included a petition to her motherly role.
Since the 19th century, devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
have been encouraged by several popes including Pius IX, Pius XII and John Paul II.
Personal consecration
Theologian Reginald Garrigou-LagrangeReginald Garrigou-Lagrange
Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. was a Catholic theologian and, among Thomists of the scholastic tradition, is generally thought to be the greatest Catholic Thomist of the 20th century. Outside the ranks of Thomists of that sort, his reputation is somewhat more mixed. He taught at the...
, a professor at the Angelicum (where he taught a 26 year old Pope John Paul II) studied and analyzed various forms and stages of Marian devotions
Marian devotions
A Marian devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to the Virgin Mary. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to, or venerate her; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts...
. He designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among these devotions. In his theological analysis, Marian devotions are categorized into stages, from beginner to advanced, as follows:
- Occasional prayer, e.g. praying the Hail MaryHail MaryThe Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...
from time to time. - Regular and daily devotion, e.g. the devout recitation of the RosaryRosaryThe rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
on a daily basis. - A formal act of consecration to Mary, and living in habitual dependence on her, as a means of uniting with Christ.
The theology of personal consecration to Mary was further explained by Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater
Redemptoris Mater
Redemptoris Mater is the name for certain Roman Catholic seminaries which operate under the auspices of the Neocatechumenal Way and claim as their mission the formation of priests for the "New Evangelization". These seminaries are distributed worldwide, with nearly 1,500 seminarians currently in...
where building on he stated that the word "home" refers to the spiritual and inner life of believers, and "to take Mary into one's home" signifies a filial entrustment to her as mother in every aspect of life. John Paul II suggested Saint John as an example of how every Christian should respond to the gift of the spiritual motherhood of Mary.
Montfort's total devotion and consecration
The process of Total Consecration to Mary was introduced by Saint Louis de MontfortLouis de Montfort
St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
in the early part of the 18th century. The heart of Montfort's classic work True Devotion to Mary
True Devotion to Mary
True Devotion to Mary is a book by Saint Louis de Montfort on the Roman Catholic theme of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.The book is published by Montfort Publications , Baronius Press, TAN Publishing and Aventine Press but is also available online...
is a formal act of consecration to Mary, so through her, one can be consecrated to Christ. His approach is highly regarded among Catholics, and the Vatican's guidelines for Marian consecrations state:
Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment.
Montfort's approach to true devotion and consecration has been supported by several popes over the centuries. In the 19th century, Pope Pius IX considered it the best and most acceptable form of Marian devotion, while Pope Leo XIII (who beatified Montfort) granted indulgences for practicing Montfort's method of Marian consecration. In the 20th century Pope Pius X acknowledged the influence of Montfort's writings in the composition of his encyclical Ad diem illum
Ad Diem Illum
Ad diem Illum Laetissimum is an encyclical of Saint Pope Pius X on the Immaculate Conception, Given at Rome in St. Peter's on the second day of February, 1904, in the first year of his Pontificate. It is issued in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate conception...
and granted an indulgence in perpetuity to those who recite Montfort's formula of consecration to Mary. He also granted an apostolic blessing for just reading the book True Devotion to Mary
True Devotion to Mary
True Devotion to Mary is a book by Saint Louis de Montfort on the Roman Catholic theme of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.The book is published by Montfort Publications , Baronius Press, TAN Publishing and Aventine Press but is also available online...
. Pope Pius XI stated that he had practiced Montfort's devotional methods since his early youth. Pope Pius XII declared Montfort a saint and stated that Montfort is the guide "who leads you to Mary and from Mary to Jesus". Pope John Paul II stated that reading Montfort had been a "turning point" in his own life.
Montfort defined consecration to Mary as "giving ourselves entirely to the Blessed Virgin, in order to belong entirely to Jesus through her". In Montfort's approach to Marian consecration, Jesus and Mary are inseparable. He views "consecration to Jesus in Mary" as a special path to being conformed to, united and consecrated to Christ, given that "of all God's creatures Mary is the most conformed to Jesus" and that the more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.
Montfort's goal was to lead people to degrees of union with God that would not be possible without true devotion to and consecration to the Virgin Mary. He argued that having come from the Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
and having returned to him, Jesus is "the Way", and given that Mary was integral to the movement of Jesus from the Father, and that she is intimately united with Jesus, she is an integral element of "The Way".
For Montfort the goal of consecration is "holiness": the renewal of the baptismal promise and continued search for unity with God. In his view people are often unaware that the soul is clouded by sin and self-love, and consecration begins a gradual process of sanctification in which a person's focus turns away from self-love and towards God through Mary. Relying on the assertion that "Mary is full of grace" he argued that in order to find grace with God, one must first discover Mary. Montfort's follower, Pope John Paul II echoed the same sentiment when he stated that as a young seminarian he had read and reread Montfort many times and "understood that I could not exclude the Lord's Mother from my life without neglecting the will of God-Trinity".
Montfort's process of Total Consecration has seven elements and effects: knowledge of one's unworthiness, sharing in Mary's faith, the gift of pure love, unlimited confidence in God and Mary, communication of the Spirit of Mary, transformation into the likeness of Jesus, and bringing more glory to Christ. Montfort's practice of consecration to Mary has both internal and external components. The internal components focus on surrendering oneself as a slave to Mary and to Jesus through her, and performing all actions "with Mary, in Mary, through Mary and for Mary". The suggested exterior practices include enrolment in Marian societies, or joining Marian religious orders, making Marian privileges known and appreciated, and giving alms in honor of Mary.
In Montfort's view it takes effort to progress along the scale of achieving closer union with God through consecration to Mary and that different individuals reach different levels along this scale, depending on their efforts and purity of intentions. But he did not hesitate to point out that the door was open for everyone to achieve high levels of spiritual progress through Marian consecration. Montfort's classification of the multiple levels of spiritual progress is similar to the "spiritual dwelling places" described by Saint Teresa of Avila
Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
in the Interior Castle. Yet Montfort's view differs from Teresa's contemporary, Saint John of the Cross
John of the Cross
John of the Cross , born Juan de Yepes Álvarez, was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite friar and priest, born at Fontiveros, Old Castile....
in that Montfort sees the Marian path to Jesus as far more positive, encouraging and smooth than the path followed by Saint John in the Dark Night of the Soul
Dark Night of the Soul
Dark Night of the Soul is a treatise by Saint John of the Cross containing a commentary explaining his poem of the same name.-Poem and treatise by Saint John of the Cross:...
.
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Saint Louis de Montfort's devotions and consecrations were developed in the first few years of the 18th century, and did not explicitly refer to the Immaculate Heart of MaryImmaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
, which was just beginning to gain a following at about the same time in France, but had not yet received Church approval. Saint Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales was Bishop of Geneva and is a Roman Catholic saint. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism, and was an accomplished preacher...
began to write on the perfections of the Heart of Mary as the model of love for God in the early parts of the 17th century and his work influenced St. Jean Eudes
Jean Eudes
Jean Eudes was a French missionary, founder of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary and of the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, and author of the Propers for Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.-Biography:John Eudes, born at Ri, Orne, was a brother of the...
who then develop the joint devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
. Jean Eudes began his devotional teachings with the Heart of Mary, and then extended it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. However, it was only in 1805 that Pope Pius VII allowed a feast to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
.
The two factors that helped the rapid progress of the devotion were the introduction of the Miraculous Medal
Miraculous Medal
The Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, is a medal created by Saint Catherine Labouré following a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary...
by Saint Catherine Laboure
Catherine Labouré
Saint Catherine Labouré was a sister of the Daughters of Charity and a Marian visionary who relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous Medal worn by millions of Catholics and even non-Catholics today.- Early life :She was born in the Burgundy region of France to...
in 1830 and the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, Paris of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners. More than four million Miraculous Medlas were distributed throughout the world within four years and in 1838 Father Desgenettes, the pastor of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, organized the Association in honor of the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Pope Gregory XVI made a confraternity the same year. In July, 1855, the Congregation of Rites approved the Office and Mass for the Immaculate Heart.
Another driving force for devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary appeared in the 1917 messages of Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
, which later gained millions of followers. The three children who reported the messages of Marian apparitions
Marian apparitions
A Marian apparition is an event in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more people. They are often given names based on the town in which they were reported, or on the sobriquet which was given to Mary on the occasion of the apparition...
at Fátima referred to the Immaculate Heart, emphasized the links between the two hearts of Jesus and Mary and stated that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be honored together with the Heart of Mary. The messages also stated that the children of Fátima would be used to make the Immaculate Heart known to the world. The third apparition reported at Fátima on July 13, 1917 specifically encouraged devotions and consecrations for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Although the reports of the Fátima apparitions were initially met with skepticism, they grew in popularity and were approved by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in 1930, and continued to gain popularity thereafter. By the end of the 20th century, on May 13 and October 13 of each year, the country road that leads to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima is a Roman Catholic Marian basilica in Fátima, Portugal...
was walked by about a million pilgrims a day.
On May 13, 1967, the 50th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Paul VI visited Fatima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
and issued the Apostolic Exhortation Signum Magnum
Signum Magnum
Signum Magnum is an Apostolic Exhortation on consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Pope Paul VI.It was issued on May 13, 1967 in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, on the 50th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, which it addresses.-Sources:*...
(meaning a great sign in Latin) in which he asked "all sons of the Church to renew their consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary".
Resonating with the theme of Fátima, Pope John Paul II's program of "Marian consecration and entrustment" related and equated consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
with consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The theme that John Paul II developed and repeated in various forms was based on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
The Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary refers to the historical, theological and spiritual links in Catholic devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary...
and he suggested: "let us go to the Heart of Jesus through the Heart of Mary". The pope's rationale for consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary relied on many different, yet mutually complementary arguments, as to why one can approach Jesus and achieve a special unity with him based on the intimate union of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
In 1986, when addressing the participants in the 1986 International Theological Symposium on the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Pope John Paul II stated:
Our act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary refers ultimately to the Heart of her Son, for as the Mother of Christ she is wholly united to his redemptive mission. As at the marriage feast of Cana, when she said "Do whatever he tells you", Mary directs all things to her Son, who answers our prayers and forgives our sins.
The Immaculata
The theological underpinnings of Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
had been the subject of debate during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
with opposition provided by no lesser figures than Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
. However, supportive arguments by William of Ware
William of Ware
William of Ware was a Franciscan friar and theologian, born at Ware in Hertfordshire. He almost certainly studied at Oxford University and lectured on the Sentences of Pierre Lombard there, but he is not listed among the Oxford masters...
and Duns Scotus
Duns Scotus
Blessed John Duns Scotus, O.F.M. was one of the more important theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages. He was nicknamed Doctor Subtilis for his penetrating and subtle manner of thought....
and general belief among Catholics made the doctrine more acceptable, so that the Council of Basel supported it in the 15th century, but the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
side-stepped the question. Pope Sixtus IV tried to pacify the situation by forbidding either side from criticizing each other, and placed the feast of the Immaculate Conception on the Roman Calendar in 1477, Clement XI making the feast obligatory in 1708. Popular and theological support for the concept continued to grow and by the 18th century it was widely depicted in art.
By the end of the 18th century, two separate factors had combined forces to support the approval of a dogma for Immaculate Conception. On one hand, the theological arguments had been further refined and gained popularity so that for about a century before its dogmatic definition, almost the entire Church believed the Immaculate Conception. On the other hand, the 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
in which the Virgin Mary was called the Immaculate Conception had built significant sensus fidelium
Sensus fidelium
The concept of sensus fidelium in Roman Catholic teachings can be implicitly traced back to the early Fathers of the Church...
among Catholics at large. Hence in 1854 Pope Pius IX, with the support of the majority of Roman Catholic bishops, declared it a dogma in Ineffabilis Deus
Ineffabilis Deus
Ineffabilis Deus is the name of a Papal bull by Pope Pius IX. It defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary...
. This greatly helped the spread of devotions and consecrations to the Immaculata.
In the early part of the 20th century, Saint Maximillian Kolbe began his efforts for promoting consecrations to the Immaculata, partly relying on the 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
. Kolbe's theological basis for Marian consecration relied on his view of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
as the "Uncreated Immaculate Conception" that works in concert with the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate. He argued that since Mary is Immaculate, by her very nature she is the perfect instrument of the Holy Spirit in the mediation of all graces, given that "every grace is a gift of the Father through his Son by the Holy Spirit". Like Montfort, Kolbe emphasized the renewal of the baptismal promises by making a total consecration to the Immaculata, which he considered the most perfect means of achieving unity with Jesus.
In 1915, while still in seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, Kolbe and six friends formed the Militia Immaculatae and four years later began publishing the magazine Knight of the Immaculate. Kolbe then founded the monastery of Immaculate City and continued publishing Militia Immaculatae in multiple languages, which eventually reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month, until it was stopped when Kolbe was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he volunteered to die in place of another prisoner. Kolbe's efforts in promoting consecration to the Immaculata made him known as the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary".
Societal consecration
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
s and the Carmelites, who were formed around the 12th century. For many centuries, the Carmelites have worn the Brown Scapular as a sign of their consecration to Mary, and her protection over them. In the 13th century the Servite Order
Servite Order
The Servite Order is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. Its objects are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation of devotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. The members of the Order use O.S.M. as their post-nominal...
(Servants of Mary) was approved in Florence, Italy, and although its key focus was on the sorrows of Mary, the members were consecrated to her.
Over the centuries, a number of Marian movements and societies have been consecrated to the Virgin Mary, e.g. the fourth vow taken by the Marianist Fathers, whose order was formed in the 18th century, during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
includes a consecration to the Virgin Mary. In the 1948 Apostolic Constitution Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari
Bis Saeculari , is an Apostolic Constitution, of Pope Pius XII on the Sodality of Our Lady. It reminisces the two hundredth anniversary of the Papal bull Gloriosae Dominae of Pope Benedict XIV in 1748....
Pope Pius XII encouraged Marian consecrations by the Marian societies such as Sodality of Our Lady
Sodality of Our Lady
The Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady The Sodality of Our Lady (also known as the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary (in Latin, Congregationes seu sodalitates B. Mariæ Virginis) is a Roman Catholic Marian Society founded in 1563 by young Belgian Jesuit, Jean Leunis (or Jan), at the...
.
In October 1917, Saint Maximillian Kolbe and six other friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
s formed the Militia Immaculata
Militia Immaculata
The Militia Immaculata, or "Army of the Immaculate," is a worldwide Catholic evangelization movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917 in response to protests against the Pope by Freemasons in Rome...
with the goal of using every possible means to promote total consecration to Mary. Kolbe wanted the entire Franciscan Order consecrated to the Immaculata by an additional vow. The idea was well received, but faced the hurdles of approval by the hierarchy of the order and the lawyers, so it was never formally adopted during his life and was no longer pursued after his death.
On Sunday, October 8, 2000, upon the completion of the ceremonies for the Jubilee of the Bishops, Pope John Paul II and the bishops consecrated and entrusted themselves and the Catholic Church in the new millennium to Mary.
On May 12, 2010 at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Fátima, Portugal, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco Marto
Jacinta and Francisco Marto
Francisco Marto and his sister Jacinta Marto , also known as Blessed Francisco Marto and Blessed Jacinta Marto, together with their cousin, Lúcia dos Santos were the children from Aljustrel near Fátima, Portugal, who said they witnessed three apparitions of an angel in 1916 and...
Pope Benedict XVI consecrated all priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Consecration of locations and regions
The consecration of cities and regions to the Virgin Mary dates back at least to the 9th century, and during the feuding Medieval period, abbeys, towns and cities began to consecrate themselves to the Virgin Mary to seek her protection. In the 17th century France was consecrated to the Virgin Mary by Louis XIII and a number of other countries such as PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
followed that trend.
The 1917 messages reported by three children in Fatima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
resulted in four consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by two popes. In the messages of Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
, the Virgin Mary specifically asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Based on these messages both popes Pius XII and John Paul II consecrated Russia
Consecration of Russia
The Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a belief in the Roman Catholic Church that a specific act of consecration on the part of the Pope has been required by the Virgin Mary in return for which there would be world peace....
and the world to the Virgin Mary.
Both Pius XII and John Paul II felt a close bond to Fatima in that Pius XII was being made an archbishop in Rome on May 13, 1917 just as the first messages of Fatima were being reported and John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981 in Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
and attributed his recovery to Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
. Pope Pius XII's two consecrations were made in October 1942 and July 1952 and those of John Paul II in May 1982 and March 1984. This paralleled the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pope Leo XIII in 1899.
The Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary took place on October 31, 1942 just before major turning points in World War II. Pope Pius XII performed a Marian consecration, entrusting not only the Catholic Church but the whole human race to the Virgin Mary, doing so as “Father of...
on October 31, 1942 was made at major turning points in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Pope Pius XII consecrated not only the Catholic Church but the whole human race to the Virgin Mary, doing so as “Father of Christianity” as the representative of Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, who has all power in heaven and on earth”, referring to . The consecration was performed via a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
radio broadcast, and then renewed on December 8, 1942 in Rome.
Consecration of the world and the human race to the Immaculate Heart meant that non-Christians would also be consecrated. However, Pope Leo XIII had already covered that theological ground in Annum Sacrum
Annum Sacrum
Annum Sacrum is an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII on the consecration of the entire world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was delivered in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome on the 25th day of May, 1899, the twenty-second year of his pontificate....
by consecrating the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in which non-Christians were also consecrated.
According to author Edward Sri, given the emphasis Pius XII had placed on the Queenship of Mary, the consecration emphasized the importance Pius XII placed on the powerful role of Mary as an intercessor and a protector of humanity. Mariologist Gabriel Roschini
Gabriel Roschini
Gabriel M. Roschini, O.S.M. , was a Roman Catholic Italian priest and professor of Mariology, who published over 900 titles on Mariology. During the pontificate of Pope Pius XII, he worked closely with the Vatican on Marian publications....
wrote that the 1942 consecration of humanity to Mary can be viewed as an apex for Marian culture.
In July 1952 Pope Pius XII specifically performed the Consecration of Russia
Consecration of Russia
The Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a belief in the Roman Catholic Church that a specific act of consecration on the part of the Pope has been required by the Virgin Mary in return for which there would be world peace....
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary via the Apostolic Letter Sacro Vergente
Sacro Vergente
Sacro Vergente anno is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Pius XII to all people of Russia. In it Pope consecrates all the people of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Because of the Virgin Mary, he has great faith in the future of their country but is anguished about the Soviet hostility towards...
.
On 13 May 1982 in Fatima Portugal, Pope John Paul II again consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and said:
Consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means drawing near, through the mother's intercession, to the very fountain of life that sprang from Golgotha. This fountain pours forth unceasingly redemption and grace. In it reparation is made continually for the sins of the world. It is a ceaseless source of new life and holiness.
On March 25, 1984 Pope John Paul II again performed the solemn consecration of the world, and implicitly Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
before the statue of the Virgin Mary of Fatima brought to Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
in Vatican City for the ceremony. In his "program of Marian consecration and entrustment" John Paul II considered consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as Divinely intended to complement the consecration to the sacred Heart of Jesus.
On June 28, 2003 John Paul II entrusted Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to the Virgin Mary, and renewed that entrustment again on August 31, 2003.
Prayers of consecration
A number of different prayers may be used as part of the consecration to the Virgin Mary. The "Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary" appears in the official RaccoltaRaccolta
The Raccolta is a book, published from 1807 to 1950, that listed Roman Catholic prayers and other acts of piety, such as novenas, for which specific indulgences were granted by Popes...
book of indulgenced prayers.
The prayer originally composed by Saint Louis de Montfort is as follows:
Today, I, a faithless sinner, renew in your hands my Baptismal vows; I renounce Satan forever, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, and will carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and will be more faithful to Him than I have ever been. With the entire heavenly court as my witness, I choose you this day for my Mother. I deliver and consecrate myself to you, my body and soul, myself, both interior and exterior, and the worth of my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to you the total right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, according to your wish, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity.
Saint Maximillian Kolbe composed a consecration prayer, known as the Immaculata prayer
Immaculata prayer
The Immaculata prayer is a Roman Catholic Marian prayer composed by Saint Maximillian Kolbe.It is a prayer of consecration to the Immaculata, i.e...
, and a shorter version that is used for the daily renewal of the consecration:
Immaculata, Queen and Mother of the Church, I renew my consecration to you for this day and for always, so that you might use me for the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus in the whole world. To this end I offer you all my prayers, actions and sacrifices of this day.
The prayer used by Pope John Paul II as his act of entrustment of all Bishops to Mary was considerably longer. It began with John 19:26 and included the entrustment as follows:
Here we stand before you
to entrust to your maternal care
ourselves, the Church, the entire world.
Plead for us with your beloved Son
that he may give us in abundance the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of truth which is the fountain of life.
See also
- Marian devotionsMarian devotionsA Marian devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to the Virgin Mary. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to, or venerate her; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts...
- Roman Catholic Mariology
Further reading
- Kalvelage, Francis Mary, 2001. Kolbe, saint of the Immaculata Ignatius Press, ISBN 0898708850
- Norman, Nicholas, 1988. Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Paluch Press 1952 ASIN: B003DML8SK