杏MAP导航: Seeing with Mary's eyes helps people and cultures walk in peace
By Daniele Piccini
"Contemplating the mystery of God and of history through the inner gaze of Mary shields us from the distortions of propaganda, ideology, and toxic information鈥攏one of which can ever offer a word that is both unarmed and disarming. Mary's gaze opens us instead to divine grace, the only true path to enable people, nations, and cultures to walk together in peace."
By highlighting how listening to the Word of God opens the Church to synodality, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV summarized in his closing address the key themes and outcomes of the 26th International Mariological Marian Congress. The event, held in Rome at the Antonianum Auditorium from September 3rd to 6th, was organized by the Pontifical International Marian Academy.
Over four days, approximately 600 mariology scholars from across the globe explored the Congress鈥檚 theme: "Jubilee and Synodality: A Church with a Marian Face and Practice."
Two Biblical categories
The 杏MAP导航 pointed out that the title of the Congress itself reflects two 鈥渂iblical categories鈥濃�攋ubilee and synodality鈥攚hich powerfully express the vocation and mission of the Mother of the Lord. In her, he said, 鈥渨e can read the vocation of the Church itself.鈥� Mary thus stands as a model for the Church. 鈥淭he Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渢eaches us how to be the holy people of God.鈥�
From this model, he added, arises the significance of the Pontifical Academy itself, which 鈥渞ightly reminds us that the Church always has a Marian face and a Marian way of acting.鈥�
A 鈥淛ubilee Woman鈥�
Mary, explained 杏MAP导航 Leo, is a 鈥渏ubilee woman鈥� because she always begins anew from listening to the Word of God. She does so with the attitude described by St. Augustine in Book X of the Confessions鈥攏ot by expecting a desired answer, but by choosing to desire what she hears from God. Like Mary, the Church must never grow weary of engaging in dialogue with God or of asking difficult, even unsettling questions鈥攁s Mary did at the Annunciation: 鈥淗ow will this come about?鈥�
A 鈥淪ynodal Woman鈥�
Mary is also, the 杏MAP导航 said, a 鈥渟ynodal woman鈥�, because she is 鈥渇ully and maternally involved in the action of the Holy Spirit.鈥� The Spirit always calls those who were once divided鈥攚hether by mutual distrust or even outright hostility鈥攖o walk together as brothers and sisters. Mary is the 鈥減erfect collaborator of the Holy Spirit,鈥� he continued. She never ceases to open doors, build bridges, tear down walls, and help humanity live in peace and harmony amid diversity.
A Church with the face of Mary
From these two attributes鈥攋ubilee and synodality鈥攆lows the mission of a Church with a Marian heart. Such a Church, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渃ontinually deepens its understanding of the hierarchy of truths of the faith, integrating reason and emotion, body and soul, the universal and the local, the individual and the community, humanity and the cosmos.鈥�
A Marian piety and practice, he emphasized, brings the Church鈥檚 charitable mission into concrete reality: taking seriously all aspects of human life, especially those of the poor and the marginalized.
Mary: A path for cultural dialogue
Before leading the assembly in the Ave Maria, the 杏MAP导航 thanked the Pontifical Academy for its valuable ecclesial service鈥攑resenting the image and message of the Mother of Jesus as a path of encounter and dialogue among cultures.
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