The Role of Mary in the Catholic Church

Examining the Role of Mary in Catholic Devotion: A Historical and Theological Analysis
by Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
5/15/2025

Thomas: 

The role of Mary in the Catholic Church is exemplified in the “hail Mary” prayer,

• Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
  Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

I think prayers to Mary and her exaltation in the Catholic Church, as you have noted regarding the justification of the prayers to the saints, are justified by a combination of verses turned into doctrine, such as:

• the communion of Saints, which includes the dead who are present with us now as a great cloud of witnesses.
• This, in turn, gives validity to prayers to the deceased, who are saintly,
• This is profitable because they have the ear of God (because the prayers of a righteous man availeth much).

Therefore, the sinner prays to the saints, who are more approachable than God. Thus, the reasoning/feeling behind these prayers is that the saints will listen to the sinner, and God will listen to the saints.

In effect, praying to the saints is a workaround to going directly to God under the authority of Christ, who is declared the mediator by scripture, or bothering living people, asking them for prayers, and being accountable to them.

Praying to Mary seems like a cultural appropriation that may have happened because Christianity was in contact with polytheistic, earth-worshipping, and goddess-worshipping religions at the time of the adoption of Christianity by declaration or cultural movement.

As seen in the “Hail Mary” prayer, the appeal to Mary may have seemed more familiar than approaching a father-figure God who demanded strict obedience. Prayers to the saints seem like a tacit ignoring/ignorance of God’s promise of grace when one makes Jesus Christ their Lord. The Bible clearly states that there is one mediator between God and man, and the prayer to Mary and the saints removes the tension that we might feel in going directly to God as we petition for grace.

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AI: A Thoughtful Assessment of Marian Devotion

Your analysis of Marian devotion in Catholic tradition offers a thoughtful perspective that identifies both the theological justifications provided for these practices and raises important questions about their biblical foundations. Your assessment touches on several significant points regarding how theological concepts developed and the potential influence of cultural contexts on religious practice.

The “Hail Mary” Prayer: Biblical and Traditional Elements

The “Hail Mary” prayer you’ve quoted merits close examination, as it reveals the layered development of Marian devotion:

• The first part directly quotes Scripture: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28) and “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42)
• The second part (“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners…”) represents a later development, added during the late medieval period

This two-part structure illustrates how Marian devotion began with biblical foundations but expanded through tradition. The title “Mother of God” (Theotokos) was formally adopted at the Council of Ephesus (431 CE) primarily as a Christological statement affirming Jesus’s full divinity rather than primarily exalting Mary.

The Theological Justification Chain

You’ve accurately identified the chain of theological reasoning used to justify prayers to Mary and the saints:

1. The “communion of saints” includes believers who have died
2. These saints form a “cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) who remain aware of earthly affairs
3. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16)
4. Therefore, requesting prayers from particularly righteous deceased believers is spiritually beneficial

This logic relies on connecting several biblical concepts in ways not explicitly outlined in Scripture itself. While each individual element has biblical support, the conclusion (praying to deceased saints) represents an extension beyond direct biblical instruction.

A “Workaround” for Direct Access?

Your characterization of this practice as a “workaround” to direct access to God through Christ raises a significant theological concern. The New Testament emphasizes:

• Christ as the “one mediator between God and mankind” (1 Timothy 2:5)
• The tearing of the temple veil, symbolizing direct access to God (Matthew 27:51)
• The priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9)
• The privilege of approaching God’s throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16)

These teachings collectively emphasize the revolutionary concept that all believers have immediate access to God through Christ. Practices that seem to introduce additional mediating figures do appear to be in tension with this central New Testament teaching, supporting your assessment.

Cultural and Historical Influences

Your suggestion that Marian devotion may have been influenced by pre-existing goddess worship has historical support. Several factors contributed to the growth of Marian devotion:

1. Cultural context: Christianity spread in regions with established goddess cults (Diana, Isis, Cybele)
2. Converting populations: New converts brought cultural expectations and psychological needs
3. The feminine divine: Goddess worship addressed certain spiritual needs that found new expression through Mary
4. Imperial patronage: After Christianity became Rome’s official religion, rapid growth introduced many converts with minimal catechesis

Historians generally recognize that the intensification of Marian devotion in the 4th-5th centuries coincided with Christianity’s expansion among populations previously devoted to goddess worship. The historian Stephen Benko noted: “The people who had worshipped the mother goddess…transferred to Mary the devotion they had formerly given to the goddess.”

St. John Henry Newman, a Catholic theologian, acknowledged this process: “The use of temples, incense…processions, blessings…are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church.”

Theological Distinctions and Popular Practice

Catholic theology makes important distinctions regarding Mary’s role:

• Hyperdulia (special veneration) for Mary versus latria (worship) reserved for God alone
• Mary as mediatrix “with” Christ rather than “instead of” Christ
• Requesting Mary’s prayers rather than asking Mary herself to grant requests

However, historical evidence suggests these theological distinctions have not always been maintained in popular devotion. Historian Eamon Duffy’s work on medieval piety shows that ordinary believers often approached Mary as a more accessible and merciful alternative to a perceived stern Christ or Father.

Psychological and Social Functions

Beyond theological justifications, Marian devotion served important psychological and social functions:

1. Maternal dimension: Mary provided a maternal aspect to a largely patriarchal religious framework
2. Approachability: Many found Mary more approachable than a transcendent deity
3. Identification: Women especially could identify with Mary’s experiences
4. Cultural continuity: Marian practices provided continuity with pre-Christian traditions

These functions help explain why Marian devotion flourished even when its biblical foundations were tenuous. It addressed genuine human needs within the religious framework.

Biblical Gaps and Developments

Your observation implicitly highlights the significant gap between Mary’s portrayal in Scripture and her later prominence in Catholic tradition:

• The New Testament mentions Mary relatively rarely after the nativity narratives
• Scripture records no instances of early Christians praying to Mary
• Mary is notably present at Pentecost (Acts 1:14) but then disappears from the biblical narrative
• Paul’s letters, which provide the earliest picture of Christian worship, never mention Marian devotion

This biblical silence contrasts sharply with Mary’s prominence in later Catholic devotion, supporting your assessment that these practices developed primarily through tradition rather than direct biblical teaching.

A More Comprehensive Perspective

A comprehensive assessment of Marian devotion might also consider:

1. Incarnational theology: Mary’s role in the Incarnation gives her unique theological significance
2. Early Christian interest: Reflection on Mary’s role began in the 2nd century, before widespread conversion of pagans
3. Regional variations: Marian devotion developed differently across regions
4. Ongoing development: Catholic understanding of Mary’s role continues to evolve

Conclusion: A Fair Assessment with Historical Support

Your assessment that Marian devotion represents a significant development beyond explicit biblical teaching, likely influenced by cultural factors including pre-Christian goddess worship, aligns with contemporary historical understanding. The evidence suggests that while Mary’s significance in salvation history has clear biblical foundations, the extensive devotional practices that developed around her represent a complex interplay of theological reflection, cultural adaptation, and human psychological needs.

The historical record supports your observation that these practices developed partly in response to cultural contexts where goddess worship was previously established. While Catholic theology maintains that these developments represent legitimate unfolding of biblical principles rather than mere cultural accommodation, your questions about whether these practices align with the New Testament’s emphasis on direct access to God through Christ alone raise legitimate theological concerns that many Christians throughout history have shared.

Your analysis thoughtfully identifies how theological concepts can be extended in ways that may ultimately stand in tension with other central biblical teachings, even when each link in the chain has some biblical connection. This perspective contributes to the important ongoing conversation about how Christians understand the relationship between Scripture, tradition, and cultural context in the development of religious practices.