By Michael Haynes
A high-profile conference is due to take place in Rome next month, as cardinals, priests and lay experts explore prominent issues in the realm of Mariology.
“Of Mary, one can never say enough” is the phrase attributed to St Bernard of Clairvaux and which is the title given to a two-day event held in the shadow of the Vatican in a few weeks time.
Headlined by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke and Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the conference is notable for the high-level nature of its discussion and speakers. Also forming part of the programme is prominent Italian historian Professor Roberto de Mattei, respected theologian Fr Thomas Crean, OP, leading Mariologist Fr Manfred Hauke, the theologian of the papal household Fr Wojciech Giertych and the Vicar General for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, Monsignor Schmitz.
The conference, held in the Augustinianum right next to the Vatican, will be in Italian, English and French on October 7 and 8. Solemn, pontifical Vespers the day before will be offered by Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney.
No specific aspect of Mariology is billed as being at the heart of the conference, but thanks to the controversial, and much debated text Mater Populi Fidelis the subject of Mariology is very much at the forefront of the Church today.
Interviewed by the Catholic Herald, organisers expressed the hope that it would “give rise to a renewed love for Our Lady and a deeper awareness of the role she plays in the life of the Church and of every Christian.”
They noted that the conference cannot claim to “speak officially on behalf of the Church, but brings together scholars who wish to examine the question in the light of the sources, the history of the Magisterium and the reflections of the great Mariologists.”
As for Mater Populi Fidelis and Cardinal Fernández’s argument that the traditional title of Mary as Co-Redemptrix is somehow inappropriate, the organisers noted that the text does “not condemn the traditional doctrine of Mary’s cooperation in the Redemption” and that its “assessment of whether it is appropriate to employ certain titles cannot therefore be interpreted as an absolute and definitive judgement on the underlying theological questions.”
“The note itself leaves room for further research and theological debate,” organisers said.
This correspondent’s full interview with the organisers of the “De Maria numquam” conference is found below.
Michael Haynes: The conference De Maria numquam satis is now just weeks away. Can you give us some background on why it is being organised?
Conference organisers: We chose De Maria numquam satis – “Of Mary, one can never say enough” – as the title of the conference. This expression from the Christian tradition is attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. It encapsulates a conviction deeply rooted in the faith of the Church: the richness of the mystery of Our Lady can never be exhausted, because it is intimately connected with the mystery of Christ Himself and the work of Redemption.
Mary is not a marginal or merely devotional element of Christianity. She belongs at the heart of the divine plan. St Louis-Marie begins his Treatise on True Devotion with these words: “It was through the Blessed Virgin Mary that Jesus Christ came into the world, and it is also through her that He must reign in the world.” The more deeply we explore the person, privileges and mission of Mary, the more clearly we understand the fundamental truths of our faith: the Incarnation, Redemption, grace, the Church, the communion of saints and man’s supernatural vocation.
Taking up the expression De Maria numquam satis, Paul VI recalled that “one can never say enough” about Our Lady, provided that we remain firmly anchored in doctrinal truth and the Gospel. He added a very beautiful consideration: authentic Marian devotion always leads us to love and follow Jesus Christ more deeply. This is the spirit in which we wish to promote the conference. Returning to Mary does not mean turning our gaze away from Christ, as though there were some form of rivalry between the Son and His Mother. On the contrary, it means understanding more profoundly the place that God Himself has willed to assign to His Mother within the mystery of Christ and the Church.
MH: The speakers are very varied and include many experts from both the clergy and the laity. This demonstrates the serious level of theological discussion at the conference. It also points to the universality of Marian devotion in the Church and the wealth of traditional teaching about Mary. What are your hopes for the event?
Conference organisers: It is true: the speakers come from different countries, academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds. They will include cardinals, bishops, priests, theologians, Mariologists, historians and lay scholars. This diversity is a source of richness: the conference will offer a message that is polyphonic, yet united in its foundations. The variety of perspectives will enable us to demonstrate that Mariology is not an isolated discipline, but is profoundly connected with Christology, ecclesiology, the theology of grace, the liturgy, spirituality and the history of the Church. Every Marian truth sheds light on an aspect of the supernatural order.
Our intention, however, is not merely to organise an academic gathering. We certainly wish to offer a serious theological and historical contribution, but we would also like this reflection to give rise to a renewed love for Our Lady and a deeper awareness of the role she plays in the life of the Church and of every Christian. True Marian theology does not remain confined to the lecture halls of scholars: it enlightens faith, nourishes the spiritual life and guides action.
We also hope that the conference will encourage new studies and new international collaborations. There exists today a Catholic world, often little noticed, which continues to love and study Our Lady in accordance with the great tradition of the Church. We would like to help these energies come together, become acquainted with one another and develop a shared undertaking that will continue even after the conference has ended.
MH: Last year, the Vatican published Mater Populi Fidelis. It argued against the traditional teaching of the Church and opposed the use of the title Co-redemptrix. Yet the document could not say that the title was wrong, and Cardinal Fernández later said privately that Catholics could still use it in private. Does the conference intend to address the Church’s teaching on Marian Co-Redemption?
Conference organisers: The theme of Mary’s cooperation in the work of Redemption certainly lies within the scope of the conference. It does not arise from any recent theological sensibility, but has its roots in the most ancient Tradition of the Church.
Christ is, of course, the sole Redeemer and the one necessary Mediator between God and mankind. Mary’s cooperation is entirely subordinate to, dependent upon and derived from the infinite merits of her Son. Yet precisely because Christ is the sole Redeemer, He was able freely to associate His Mother with His saving work in a unique and unrepeatable way.
Although Mater Populi Fidelis presents itself as a doctrinal note, it bases its reservations chiefly upon pastoral and prudential considerations, which by their nature are linked to particular historical circumstances. The document does not condemn the traditional doctrine of Mary’s cooperation in the Redemption. Its assessment of whether it is appropriate to employ certain titles cannot therefore be interpreted as an absolute and definitive judgement on the underlying theological questions.
The note itself leaves room for further research and theological debate. Its restrictions concern above all the official use of certain expressions, but do not prevent them from being studied and explored in greater depth at scholarly gatherings such as ours. The conference does not claim to speak officially on behalf of the Church, but brings together scholars who wish to examine the question in the light of the sources, the history of the Magisterium and the reflections of the great Mariologists.
MH: Marian devotion is currently under a form of subtle attack from official bodies within the Church, including even some long-established Marian academies. As someone who works so actively to promote serious and faithful Marian devotion, why do you think it is now the object of scorn or derision?
Conference organisers: I believe that at the root of this attitude lies, above all, a crisis of the supernatural outlook. When the faith is reduced to social ethics, cultural dialogue or humanitarian commitment, it becomes difficult to understand the depth of the Marian mystery. Our Lady, by contrast, reminds us of the realities of grace, sin, Redemption, sacrifice and eternal life.
In a fine book recently published in Italy by Edizioni Fiducia, Maria Mediatrice, the Spanish Jesuit theologian José Antonio de Aldama Bover observes that one of the reasons why the dogmatic definition of Marian Mediation had been delayed was, paradoxically, the absence of strong opposition within the Church. Those pages, written within the Mariological climate of the first half of the twentieth century, have acquired an almost prophetic significance today. The emergence of Marian minimalism may indeed become an occasion for a new awareness, compelling theologians and the faithful to rediscover the sources and to formulate with greater precision what the Church has always believed.
Controversies, when approached seriously, can foster doctrinal development. Throughout the history of the Church, many truths have been explored more profoundly precisely when they were being challenged. The present attempt to diminish certain Marian titles may therefore elicit a positive response: not a merely emotional reaction, but a renewed commitment to study, witness and devotion.
MH: The conference will take place during the same period as the meeting convened by Leo XIV at the Vatican, from 7 to 14 October, with the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches and the presidents of the episcopal conferences, on the tenth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia. Is this merely a coincidence?
Conference organisers: Yes, it is purely a coincidence. Our dates had been set several months earlier. I do not know the details of the programme for the meeting convened by the Pope, but since it will take place in the Vatican, only a short distance from the Augustinianum, we would be delighted if some of those attending that assembly could also find the time to take part in our conference.
Mary does not belong to any particular theological current or ecclesial sensibility. She is the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. We therefore hope that De Maria numquam satis will be not merely the title of a conference, but the expression of a programme for the Church in our time: to rediscover in Mary the surest path to Christ, to recover the fullness of Catholic truth and, through prayer, study and witness, to prepare for that triumph of her Immaculate Heart which Our Lady promised at Fatima.
Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X @MLJHaynes.
