The Queenship of Mary – August 22nd

Normally, on major feast days there is an “octave” or
eight days of celebration. Particularly this happens
during Christmas and Easter. For Catholics in the
United States “octaves” are not familiar. In Catholic
countries, however, it is much more common.

In the celebration of the Assumption of Mary there
is an eight-day celebration ending on August 22nd
with the Queenship of Mary. Instituted by Pope Pius
XII (1939-1958) in 1955 to be celebrated on May
31st, it was transferred to the eighth day after the Assumption
during Vatican Council II (1962-1965) to
link her as Queen of heaven and earth after her body
was taken up (assumed) into heaven.

From the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium,
we read: “The Immaculate Virgin was taken up body
and soul into heavenly glory when her earthly life
was over, and exalted by the Lord as “Queen” over
all, that she might be more fully conformed to her
Son, the Lord of Lords and conquer sin and death.”
In very old icons the Virgin Mary is pictured with
Jesus, the Sovereign King (pantocrator). The Middle
Ages gave us many beautiful hymns about Mary as
Queen. We still sing these today….Salve Regina,
Regina Caeli, and Ave Regina caelorum. Of course,
the Latin word “regina” is translated in English as
“queen”. Then, the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary
is entitled: “The Crowing of Mary as Queen of
Heaven and Earth.”

The title of Mary as Queen and a formal recognition
by the Church of Mary’s Queenship came from
several Marian Congresses which met in Lyons,
France (1900), Freiburg, Germany (1902) and Einsiedeln,
Switzerland (1906). Again, it was requested
after the institution of the Feast of Christ the King in
1925. By 1933 petitions to the Vatican came in from
all over the Catholic world to declare Mary as Queen.
At the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Mary’s
Immaculate Conception in 1954, Pope Pius XII gave
credence to Mary, as Queen in his encyclical letter:
Ad Caeli Reginam or “To the Queen of Heaven.” All
of these requests came mainly from the lay faithful.
It is understood by the Church, rather strictly that
Mary’s Queenship is not equal to Christ, The King,
but reflects a sense of maternal care and service. It
should never be understood as dominion or regal authority.
She is Queen because she is the mother of
the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

For many centuries, Christians have invoked Mary
as Queen. Blessed are you, Virgin Mary, because
you believed that the Lord’s words to you would be
fulfilled; now you reign with Christ forever.