In 2018 Pope Francis added a new Marian feast to the Universal Calendar of the Church. The day after Pentecost (Whitmonday which is a public holiday in many countries) is dedicated to Mary, Mother of the Church. The title goes back to St. Ambrose in the fourth century and was invoked often over the years. Pope Paul VI at the close of Vatican II promoted this devotion as of great benefit to renewal. John Paul II added a mosaic to St. Peter’s square with that dedication and Pope Benedict provided a theological foundation for the title which Pope Francis then promulgated world-wide. The Church is the Body of Christ with Mary as mother not only of the head (Christ) but also of us the members.
JUNE62022
By Church Staff
