The Assumption and Mary's Place
Why do Catholics pray to Mary?
Main teaching: De fide
The big question
Catholics pray the Hail Mary, keep Marian feasts, and ask Mary to pray for them. Other Christians sometimes object that this is worshipping a creature, or at least that it distracts from Christ, the one mediator. What does the Church actually teach about where Mary is now and what she does?
What the Church teaches
Having completed the course of her earthly life, Mary was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory (Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus, 1950; DH 3903; CCC 966).
How sure is this? De fide. The second universally agreed ex cathedra definition.
Mary is Mother of the Church, the spiritual mother of all believers (Paul VI, 1964; Lumen Gentium 53, 61; CCC 963–970).
Mary’s role in salvation is entirely dependent on Christ’s. It flows from his merits and draws all its power from them; it does not add to them or compete with them (Lumen Gentium 60–62; CCC 970).
Mary is honoured with a special veneration, which differs essentially from the adoration given to God alone (Lumen Gentium 66; CCC 971).
How sure is this? Church teaching, set out by the Second Vatican Council. That veneration of the saints is good and useful is de fide (Trent, Session XXV; DH 1821).
Where it comes from
Scripture. Scripture does not narrate the Assumption. The definition rests on the Church’s living faith, with Scripture pointing toward it. Mary is the “woman” whom the Fathers saw foreshadowed in Revelation: “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). St Paul says the resurrection comes to each “in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23); Mary, who belongs to Christ most closely, shares it first.
Mary’s motherhood of believers comes from the Cross: “Woman, behold, your son!… Behold, your mother!” (John 19:26–27). And her one instruction in the Gospels points away from herself: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).
The early Church. From at least the sixth century, East and West celebrated a feast of Mary’s “falling asleep” (the Dormition) and her being taken up. St John Damascene (died about 749) preached on it. It is telling that no church has ever claimed to possess relics of Mary’s body, though relics of the apostles and martyrs were treasured everywhere.
How theologians explain it
Why the Assumption is fitting. Pius XII gave reasons that link it with the other Marian truths. The body that gave flesh to the Son of God, and that was never touched by sin, should not see corruption. As Christ’s mother and closest companion in his work, she shares first in his Resurrection. And she is a sign of hope for us: what happened to her will happen, at the end, to all who belong to Christ (CCC 966).
Did Mary die? Munificentissimus Deus deliberately says “having completed the course of her earthly life”, leaving open whether she died first. The Eastern tradition, and most Western theologians, hold that she did die, like her Son, before being raised. Some have held she did not. The Church has not decided.
Mary’s prayer for us. Asking Mary to pray for us is like asking a friend to pray for us, which Scripture encourages (James 5:16). Christ remains the one mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). Mary’s role does not rival his; it shares in it, as a mother shares in her son’s work. Vatican II compares it to the way creatures share in God’s goodness without diminishing it (Lumen Gentium 62).
Three kinds of honour. The tradition distinguishes honours that differ in kind, not just in degree:
| Name | Given to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Latria (adoration, worship) | God alone | He is our Creator and final end |
| Hyperdulia (special veneration) | Mary | Her unique role as Mother of God |
| Dulia (veneration) | The saints and angels | Their holiness and friendship with God |
Giving latria to anyone but God would be idolatry. Honouring Mary and the saints honours the God whose grace made them holy.
Sorting Marian titles. Not every title of Mary has the same weight:
| Title | Status |
|---|---|
| Mother of God | De fide (Ephesus, 431) |
| Ever-Virgin | De fide (649) |
| Immaculate Conception | De fide (1854) |
| Assumed into heaven | De fide (1950) |
| Mother of the Church | Taught (proclaimed by Paul VI, 1964; CCC 963) |
| Queen of Heaven | Taught (Pius XII, Ad Caeli Reginam, 1954) |
| Mediatrix of all graces | Not defined; the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith urged caution with it in Mater Populi Fidelis (2025) |
| Co-redemptrix | Not defined; the same note judged it inappropriate (2025) |
Approved apparitions such as Lourdes and Fatima are private revelations (Lesson 1.1). Catholics may find them helpful, but are not obliged to believe them.
Philosophy bridge
The philosophy course’s Ethics branch treats respect as the virtue of giving honour according to someone’s excellence. That is why honour comes in different kinds. We honour parents, teachers and heroes differently from each other, and all of them differently from God. Worship of God and veneration of Mary are different kinds of honour, not two amounts of the same thing.
What the Church does not claim
- Not that Catholics worship Mary. Worship (latria) belongs to God alone.
- Not that Mary is a second saviour. Her role depends entirely on Christ’s.
- Not that Catholics must believe every apparition. Approved apparitions are private revelations.
- Not that Mary did not die. The question is left open.
Check your understanding
- What exactly did Pius XII define in 1950?
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That Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory.
- Why might it be significant that no church ever claimed relics of Mary’s body?
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Because relics of the apostles and martyrs were treasured everywhere. The absence of claims to Mary’s body fits the early belief that her body was taken up into heaven.
- Explain the difference between latria, hyperdulia and dulia.
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Latria is the adoration given to God alone. Hyperdulia is the special veneration given to Mary for her unique role. Dulia is the veneration given to the saints and angels. They differ in kind, not just degree.
- How can Mary have a role in salvation if Christ is the one mediator?
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Her role flows entirely from Christ’s and draws all its power from him. It shares in his mediation, as a mother shares in her son’s work, and does not rival or add to it.
- Sort these titles: Mother of God; Queen of Heaven; Co-redemptrix.
Show answer
Mother of God is de fide (Ephesus). Queen of Heaven is taught by the Church (Pius XII, 1954). Co-redemptrix is not defined, and in 2025 the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith judged it inappropriate.