Second Document
HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE.
THE MARIAN DOGMAS:  MARY MEDIATRIX; MARY CO REDEMPTRIX;MARY QUEEN; AND MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH.     __

We, Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pontiff, Successor of St. Peter, Bishop of Rome and Patriarch of Palmar de Troya.

We, as Universal Doctor of the Church, proclaim the following Infallible Doctrine:

In the most ancient and Holy Tradition, the Church has, from generation to generation, continued firmly to believe that the Blessed and ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, has exercised and does exercise Universal Mediation in the dispensation of all Graces.  This irrefutable truth we see most clearly in the Holy Gospel; in concrete form, in the passage of the Marriage of Cana.  The sacred defence of the Universal Mediation of Mary we find primarily in the Holy Gospel, which is the Word of God.  We meet this truth in the many centuries old belief of the faithful; who, with the light they receive from God, generally precede the theologians.  It is certain doctrine, that the one Mediator between the Father and ourselves is Our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless the Lord has desired to place the sceptre in the hands of His Most Holy Mother, the Virgin Mary.  In this way is accomplished the wise maxim "ad Jesum per Mariam" (to Jesus through Mary).  It would be the attitude of the foolish and arrogant to pretend to go directly to Christ.  Because there has come to us a salutary Doctrine, which is the magisterial exposition which proclaims how Christ came to us.  We know that Christ came to us through Mary; and we know as well that Christ is the Truth, the Life and the Way, _ which shows us that He is our Divine Master.  If we profess that we are disciples of the Divine Master, in consequence we have to follow His Way; whereby is proved; if Christ came to us through Mary, we have to go to Christ through Mary.

We proclaim and teach as infallible Doctrine, that the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, EXERCISES UNIVERSAL MEDIATION IN THE DISPENSATION OF ALL GRACES.  And we proclaim that this Doctrine is the logical consequence of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, _ granted that God prepared a woman exceptional and unique to be His own Mother.  Therefore the Universal Mediation of Mary is one more of the many prerogatives with which the Most Holy Trinity has adorned Her.  Because Mary is the Mother of God, She was conceived without stain of original sin, through the anticipated merits of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Equally, through being the Mother of God, She is the one full of grace.  For being the Mother of God, She was Assumed into Heaven, remaining in Heaven with body and soul at the side of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Studying and analysing the sublime prerogatives of the Virgin Mary, with the same reasoning, as a logical consequence, one admits without any scruple that the Virgin Mary is Universal Mediatrix.

We declare that this Holy Dogma is very easy to understand, since the faithful of all the centuries have been witnesses of this truth.  We know that, in the great crisis that the Church has experienced, the Most Holy Virgin Mary has manifestly intervened in innumerable apparitions, fulfilling Her sublime mission as Divine Shepherdess of souls.  Thus We proclaim that Mary, in the name of Christ, shepherds the sheep as Divine Shepherdess.  Likewise We proclaim that Mary exercises in the Church the most sweet mission of Divine Doctor.  Therefore, She who is full of grace and full of prerogatives, can easily exercise Universal Mediation.  The Most Holy Virgin Mary, on innumerable occasions, has given the victory to Christian armies, among which, let us not forget the Battle of Lepanto.  Mary has given the victory over heresy to innumerable Missionaries.  History is full of authentic passages which speak to us of the most mighty intercession of the Virgin Mary.  The Church today is undergoing a time of confusion, darkness, self destruction and general apostasy.  He who wishes can see it.  Who can tell us the reason why the Church is suffering these terrible moments?  The answer is clear and quick.  The condition of the Church is so grievous because men do not invoke the Most Holy Virgin as they ought to do.  It in necessary and urgent that all the members of the Church turn their eyes towards the Mother of God.  It is necessary that all, knees to the ground, hearts contrite, lips in supplication, implore for the Church the most powerful intervention of the Virgin Mary.  In this way will be fulfilled the promise of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with that of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of Our own, PROCLAIM AS INFALLIBLE TRUTH THAT THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD AND OUR MOTHER, IS UNIVERSAL MEDIATRIX IN THE DISPENSATION OF ALL GRACES.

We. with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with that of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of Our own, PROCLAIM THAT THE MOST HOLY VIRGIN MARY IS CO REDEMPTRIX OF THE HUMAN RACE.  SHE IS ASSOCIATED IN A MOST SINGULAR WAY WITH THE SALVIFIC WORK OF REDEMPTION.

So that all should understand, We declare that the Virgin Mary, for being conceived without sin, was logically dispensed from torments, sufferings, bitterness and so forth.  Nevertheless, the Virgin Mary passed Her venerable life on earth with innumerable bitterness.  Reason itself shows us in a clear light that such sufferings would be contradictory for Her who had nothing to purify.  It is clearly seen that all the sufferings of the Virgin Mary were for Her to be associated with the Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in this way to co operate with Christ in the Redemption of the human race.

We, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with that of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of Our own, PROCLAIM AS INFALLIBLE TRUTH THE QUEENSHIP OF THE VIRGIN MARY.

We declare, teach and proclaim that the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, is Queen of Heaven and Earth; She is Queen of all creation, exercising royal command in Heaven, being subject to Her all Angels and Saints of the Court of Heaven; and all things as well.  We declare with our common Doctor Saint Bernard; what God can do by nature, Mary can do by grace; which means to say that the Most Holy Virgin Mary is omnipotence supplicating; that is to say, Mary commands on the Earth and in Heaven because so desires Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings.

We proclaim with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with that of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of Our own, THE INFALLIBLE DOCTRINE "MARIA MATER ECCLESIAE", which is to say, MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH.

We recall that Our venerated predecessor, Pope Paul VI, at the close of the Vatican Council II, proclaimed Mary Mother of the Church.  However, it remained to impose this as Infallible Doctrine on the whole Church.  We proclaim that this truth can easily be found in the Holy Gospel.  There we find the passage of the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary.  There in the place of Golgotha, Our Lord gave us in testament His own Mother, the Virgin Mary.  As Bishops, Priests and faithful in general can verify, what We are proclaiming has been proclaimed beforehand by Christ.  We proclaim and teach, as Universal Doctor of the Church, that the Most Holy Virgin Mary is wholly Mother of the Whole Christ.  Serving this truth, the Council of Ephesus proclaimed that Mary is Mother of God, because the Divinity of Christ cannot be separated.  If, as the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul of Tarsus, teaches us, the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ, it is a clear consequence to proclaim the spiritual Motherhood of the Church in Mary _ since we cannot separate the Mystical Body of Christ from His Physical Body _ whence follows as truth infallible that Mary is Mother of the Church.  This represents the profound analysis of the sound Doctrine of Her who is wholly Mother of the whole Christ.  As a logical consequence, we all in the different Hierarchical orders, including the faithful, form the Mystical Body of Christ.  Since the Virgin Mary is Mother of the Church, the clear meaning is that Mary is our Mother.

We desire to impose on all Bishops, Priests, Religious and faithful in general, that in the recitation of the "Ave Maria", there be Inserted the words "and our Mother", in perpetuity, leaving the second part of the Ave Maria as follows; “Sancta Maria, Mater Dei et Mater nostra, ora pro nobis etc.”   (Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother etc.).   We grant a Plenary Indulgence to all those who, in the Holy Rosary, recite all the Ave Marias as We have disposed; which Plenary indulgence is gained as often as they recite the Holy Rosary with devotion, and pray for Our intentions.

In order to celebrate solemnly in the Church the day of Mary Mediatrix, We establish the 15th May each year as Her Feastday under the title of 'Mary Mediatrix', since as we know, the month of May is the month of Mary.  We ordain that this great Feast of Mary Mediatrix be preceded by a solemn Novena, and as well, that on the day of Her Feast there begin the octave; giving to the Novena, as well as to the Octave, the highest liturgical rank.

We re establish the 31st. May for celebrating the Queenship  of Mary.  For Mary, Co Redemptrix, we appoint two days in the year; the one called Friday of Sorrows, the other the 15th. of September.   And We establish the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, on the 13th of October, coinciding with the last apparition of Fatima.  In this way the month of October will increase as a month of the Rosary.

     We, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with that of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and of Our own, declare.

IF ANYONE SAY THAT MARY IS NOT MEDIATRIX, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA. 

IF ANYONE DENY THAT MARY IS CO REDEMPTRIX, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA. 

IF ANYONE DENY THAT MARY IS QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA. 

IF ANYONE DENY THAT MARY IS MOTHER OF THE CHURCH, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA.

We, as Universal Doctor of the Church, in proclaiming these Dogmas of Faith, give full certitude to the members of the Church, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman; and at the same time We point out the sure path to go to Jesus Christ.  In this way, We proclaim that the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, is the exalted woman foretold in Genesis by the Eternal Father, She who would crush the head of the infernal dragon.  Certainly, all Catholics who proclaim and defend these Dogmas, together with Mary, crush the head of Lucifer and his followers.  We can say with gladness and joy; “Lord, now Thy servant can die, since he has shown the whole Church the authentic path of Jesus Christ, where one arrives by following the most beautiful path of Mary.”

Given in the city of Seville, seat of the Patriarch Saint Isidore, luminary of the Church, on the 12th. of August, year of Our Lord Jesus Christ MCMLXXVIII.

With Our Apostolic Blessing.

Gregorius XVII P. P.

(The original document carries here the signature and seal of His Holiness).

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