The rehabilitation of Mary

Even before the 'Seattle Statement' was issued last month (read more), the position of Mary has been under a reexamination by Christians outside the Catholic Church.

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Even going that far implies that Mary's revival — and the Seattle Statement — could have historic consequences. As Spretnak says, it carves out a middle ground between the "biblical-plus" view of Mary and the view that she is just a "sister" to us humans, not really a unique figure in the story of salvation. It's a "new space entirely," that takes us "much closer to a pre-Reformation, and (for Catholics) a pre-Vatican II position."

There's the rub — not just for Protestants but for liberal Catholics who are uneasy with such titles for Mary as "Seat of Wisdom" and "Gate of Heaven," which seem to challenge Christ's central role in Christianity.

Still, the doubters may need to get with the program. Mary's comeback as Queen of the Universe makes her, in Spretnak's words, much more than "a nice lady mentioned in the Bible."

Read the complete article After Decades in the Background, Mary's Making a Comeback from the Los Angeles Times.

The rehabilitation of Mary in the hearts and minds of greater Christianity is a good thing. Those who are more open to the Virgin are more likely to accept her message and find the proper course in their lives through her intervention with Christ.

The one thing I am wary of is the movement to declare her 'co-redemptrix'. Perhaps there are valid theological arguments, but Christ ought to remain the central focus for all Christians. John Paul II wrote in Crossing the Threshold of Hope that "true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric, indeed, it is very profoundly rooted in the mystery of the blessed Trinity..."