All About Mary
Exaggeration in Marian Devotion
Q: When is Marian devotion exaggerated?
A: The history of devotion shows exaggerations in both directions: deification and exaggerated identification with human needs, wants and concerns. Marian devotion exceeds sound theology basically when
(1) her status as creature is disregarded (explicitly or implicitly);
(2) when her subordination to the sole mediator Jesus Christ is questioned or practically ignored, and
(3) when Mary replaces the existence, the magisterial teaching, and sacramental activity of the Church.
Alas, most deifications are implicit heresies, not intended as such but victim of lack of theological cognizance and a consequence of affective exuberance.
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