The news of the resignation filled all news sources but one news that surely the mainstream media will not dare cover is the one where the Holy Father appointed a bishop as a special envoy to a particular celebration or gathering of the faithful.
In his letter, written in Latin, where he named Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, as his special envoy to the solemn celebration of the World Day of the Sick at the Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting (Germany), the Holy Father entrusted the archbishop's mission “to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all graces” [intercessioni Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae, Mediatricis omnium gratiarum].
The shrine has a very significant place in the heart of the Holy Father. On 11 September 2006, the newly elected as Pope Benedict XVI, returned to the shrine and donated the episcopal ring he wore when he was the Archbishop of Munich. The ring is now a part of the scepter held by the Blessed Virgin.
The Second Vatican Council and numerous popes have invoked the Blessed Virgin as “Mediatrix,” the popes calling the Virgin “Mediatrix of all graces” is rarer. Pius XI in Caritate Christi Compulsi, mentioned it and in his 1932 encyclical on the Sacred Heart. Other documents issued by Pope Benedict XV, Pope Pius XI, Venerable Pius XII, and Blessed John XXIII also used the title
Blessed John Paul II in 1979, 1980, and 1987, raised the dignity of churches dedicated under this title to cathedral or basilica status and referred to the Blessed Virgin in one of the documents (the 1987 apostolic constitution Frequentissimae) as the “most chaste Mediatrix of all graces.”
In the vision of Don Bosco of the two columns, I believe that the chaining of the Boat of St. Peter (the Church) to the column of the BVM is the solemn definition of the 5th Marian dogma. The symbolism of "chaining" can be equated with defining a dogma because then the Pope will be speaking unambiguously about the doctrine. No more debates, no more arguing. I believe that Bl. JP2 steered the Boat of St. Peter into the direction of the two columns, but unless the next Pope defines Mary as Mediatrix of all graces, Co-redemptrix, and Adovcate ex-cathedra, the Church will not be anchored SECURELY on the column of the BVM. As Father Peter Fehlner said something to the effect of: w/o the dogma the Church is paralyzed.
ReplyDeleteLet us pray for Pope Benedict, for the College of Cardinals, and for the next Pontiff.