The Assumption of Mary is a
belief of the Catholic Church, some Eastern Orthodox churches, and the
Anglican Church, that the Virgin Mary was physically
taken up into heaven at the end of her life. The Church derived the
knowledge of the mystery from Apostolic tradition.
This doctrine was defined as infallible
dogma, by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in his
Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus.
The dogmatic definition was only based on the view that this was what is
called the Latin the sensus fidelium the sense of the faithful. It was the
first dogmatic pronouncement that appealed to the sensus fidelium in a major
way..
In his August 15, 2004 homily given at Lourdes, Pope John
Paul II quoted John 14:3 as a scriptural basis for understanding the dogma
of the Assumption of Mary. In this verse, Jesus tells his disciples at the
Last Supper, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also."
According to Catholic theology, Mary is the pledge of the fulfillment of
Christ's promise.
Mary's assumption into heaven has been celebrated since the middle ages as
Marymass Day which is still a popular celebration in some English, Scottish,
and Australian cities and usually takes place on the weekend closest to
August 15. Some cities elect a Marymass Queen and stage parades often with
decorated horses and horse-drawn floats, flower shows, local bands, and
capped with the crowning of the Marymass Queen. The traditional food served at
these events for centuries has been the Marymass bannock. a sweetened
pancake, often served with honey. |