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This article is about the Roman Catholic theological and doctrinal concept of Mary. See Virgin Mary for other conceptions of Mary. See Sisters Of Charity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary , the religious order of women whose members use the initals BVM following their names The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to '''The Blessed Virgin''' is a traditional title specifically used by Roman And Eastern Catholics , Anglo-Catholics , Eastern Orthodox and others to describe Mary, The Mother Of Jesus . It carries with it a belief not merely in the Virginity of Mary, but of her continuing role within the church and in the life of ordinary Catholics, for which Roman Catholicism in the ''Dogmatic Constitution of the Church'' ( 21 November 1964 ), passed during the Second Vatican Council , granted her the title ''Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix''. Colloquially she is often referred to as '''Our Lady'''. PERPETUAL VIRGINITY It is a fundamental Catholic teaching that Mary that the Greek term translated "brothers" can also mean certain types of close relatives such as "cousins". An explanation in the ''Protoevangelium of James'' is that they were half-brothers of Jesus, sons of a previous wife of Joseph. [http://www.catholic.com/library/Mary_Ever_Virgin.asp THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN CATHOLICISM of Mary in a Stained Glass window in St. Ultan's RC Church, Bohermeen in Ireland .]] Catholicism and as "the prototype of the Church" {Link without Title} . Marian devotions play a key part in the ritual and Liturgy of Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy . However, many of the traits attributed to her and devotions given her by those Christians who adhere to the Pope of Rome are not found among the Eastern Orthodox. The remainder of this article ought not to be taken as normative of Eastern Orthodox Christian doctrine regarding the Theotokos . MARIAN PRAYERS The most famous Marian prayer is the Rosary , a form of Prayer in which an Our Father , ten Hail Mary s and a Glory Be To The Father (together forming a "decade of the Rosary") are recited five times while meditating on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious) to be followed by a prayer called the " Hail Holy Queen " and perhaps the "Litany of Loreto ". Other famous Marian prayers include the " Magnificat " and the Litany Of The Blessed Virgin Mary . Marian hymns include ''O Mary, we Crown Thee With Blossoms Today'', ''O Purest of Creatures'', the '' Regina Coeli '', and the '' Ave Maria ''. May and October are usually seen within traditional Roman Catholicism as Marian months. The Little Office Of The Blessed Virgin Mary is a weekly cycle of prayers said throughout the day, based on the Liturgy Of The Hours , and consists of Hymn s, Psalm s, Scripture , and Patristic readings. APPARITIONS The central role of Mary in the belief and practice of Catholicism is reflected in the fact that many Catholic churches contain side Altar s dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She is also celebrated through major religious sites where it is claimed Apparitions or appearances of the Virgin have occurred, often with claims by witnesses that messages to humanity were delivered. :See: Marian Apparitions in 1950]] THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Since the Middle Ages , Catholic theologians had argued the question of whether or not Mary had been subject to original sin. In general, the Franciscans argued in favor of her " Immaculate Conception ", the doctrine that she, from the moment of her conception, had been preserved by God from all sin and all tendency to sin; the Dominicans , on the other hand, including most notably St. Thomas Aquinas , argued that Mary's sinlessness is a grace granted to her at some time after her conception. In 1854 , Pope Pius IX effectively ended the debate for Roman Catholics by proclaiming the dogma of the " Immaculate Conception ", stating that "the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race." (''Ineffabilis Deus'', issued on 8 December 1854 ). It was subsequently claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary during her sixteenth appearance in Lourdes on March 25 1858 announced to Bernadette Soubirous "I am the Immaculate Conception". The term ''Immaculate Conception'' is also widely used within Catholicism to refer to the Virgin Mary. DOGMA OF THE ASSUMPTION In 1950 , speaking Ex Cathedra (that is, for the whole Church), in his encyclical '' Munificentissimus Deus '' Pope Pius XII proclaimed the '' Dogma of the Assumption '', in which he stated that "at the end of her earthly course, Mary was assumed into heavenly glory, body and soul". He also stated that he was relying both on scripture and on "apostolic tradition". As an infallible pronouncement, the Dogma of the Assumption is thus a mandatory belief for Roman Catholics. No pope since has issued an infallible dogma. in Dublin]] MARY AS "CO-REDEMPTRIX" See full article Fifth Marian Dogma Some Catholics in the late twentieth century urged Pope John Paul II to Infallibly declare Mary ''Co-Redemptrix'', not meaning by this title that Mary herself redeems mankind, but that she cooperates with Jesus in His redemption of the world; as a co-pilot is not equal to the pilot of an airplane, so is the case with Jesus and His Mother. Professor Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University in Steubenville in the United States launched a petition to urge Pope John Paul to make such a move, by defining the teaching of the Church that Mary is ''Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces, and Advocate for the People of God.'' More than six million signatures were gathered from 148 countries. Signatories included Mother Teresa Of Calcutta , Cardinal John O'Connor of New York , 41 other cardinals and 550 bishops. However, such a proposal was also heavily criticised by many Catholics who suggested that only Christ could be a Redeemer and that such an act would drive a wedge in relationships with other apostolic tradition Christian faiths, notably the Orthodox Church and Anglicanism , neither of whom would accept such a designation. Though both Pope Pius XI in 1935 and Pope John Paul II himself in 1985 did use the word ''co-redemptrix'' to refer to Mary, no formal infallible dogma supporting such a designation has been issued, notwithstanding the petition. ACCUSATIONS OF IDOLATRY Some who ''adored'' Mary, telling them: "Mary should be honoured, but the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost should be adored. Nobody should adore Mary" (in Ott, Bk. III, Pt. 3 Ch. 3, §8). Thus we find, from the third century Church, veneration of Mary. Later, the belief that Mary intercedes for us with her Divine Son, and a clear distinction between ''latria'' and ''dulia'' together with a rejection of the notion of giving ''latria'' to Mary. The Saints, for their part, receive ''dulia''. This distinction between ''latria'', ''hyperdulia'', and ''dulia'', is key to understanding Catholic Tradition (the Orthodox do not distinguish ''hyperdulia'' from ''dulia''). These proclamations by the Roman Catholic Church, in addition to calling Mary the mother of God, which echoes the term Theotokos , instituted by an Ecumenical Council (instead of the mother of the human body of Jesus Christ, which may echo the term ''Christotokos'', specifically condemned as Nestorian by an Ecumenical Council ), the Queen of Heaven, and the Queen of the World has led to such accusations. It should be noted however, that Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe that Mary is the Mother of Jesus, and that He is both God and man. Catholics counter the Protestant attack by stating that many Protestants have fallen into the Nestorian heresy which claimed that the "man Jesus" is not both fully divine and fully human, two natures ( Ousia ) united inextricably in one person ( Hypostasis ). Instead, Nestorianism claims that the "man Jesus" had Divine nature bestowed upon him at some time later than His conception and, therefore, Mary could not have been the Mother of God. Instead, the Nestorian doctrine was that she was merely the "mother of his humanity". Catholics do not believe Mary is the source of Jesus' Divine nature, but the source of his human nature. Yet as a person he is truly God and truly man, thus making her His mother ''as a person'', if not the source of all traits. This has led to disagreement between Catholics and Protestant s. ''Marianism'' describes the excessive veneration of Mary, as opposed to Christ. The term was first used in the 19th century to condemn the "perversion of Christianity into Marianism." MARIAN TITLES AND FEAST DAYS IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the Roman Catholic Calendar are
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