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Q: I understand that Orthodox Christians venerate the Mother of God, and call her the Most Holy Theotokos. What does Theotokos mean? Does the Catholic Church refer to her as the Theotokos? How are the basic teachings of the Orthodox Churches concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary similar to the basic Catholic teachings, and how are they different? I have several Orthodox friends and we have had some discussions on this. They do not pray the Hail Mary, but they do have prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
(Hunter)
Dear Hunter:
The word 'Theotokos' means 'God bearer'. It is a Greek word used more commonly in the Eastern Rite Churches, though as you will see, it occasionally appears in Vatican documents. It began to be used officially by the Church after the Council of Ephesus in 431, but it was in general circulation much earlier.
As you may know, the Orthodox Churches have a slightly different understanding of original sin than the Catholic Church. Both Churches believe that Adam's sin resulted in a fallen and sinful world, but our Orthodox brothers and sisters do not accept the Catholic teaching that we are born with the stain of original sin on our souls, only that we all bear the consequences of that sin. Consequently, our Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, our belief that Mary, in view of her position as the Mother of God - the Theotokos - was preserved from the stain of original sin, is not acceptable to Orthodox believers. Like Catholics, they believe that the Blessed Mother led a sinless life, but regard the belief that she was uniquely filled with grace from the very beginning of her life as somehow detracting from her humanity. The Catholic Church, however, has always recognized Mary's oneness "with all human beings in their need for salvation" (Lumen Gentium, Chapter VIII), and has never regarded her as some sort of divine or even semi-divine being, as is sometimes believed by those outside of our Church.
Conscious of this misunderstanding on the part of our Protestant and our Orthodox brothers and sisters, the Catholic Church has made every effort over the years to make her teaching on Mary as clear as possible. While never wishing to diminish the role of the Blessed Mother, the Church is well aware how titles applied to her such as Mediatrix, Advocate and, perhaps most of all, Co-Redemptrix can be a source of confusion for some Christians of other denominations, including the Orthodox community. So although Church documents hail Our Blessed Mother as cooperating "by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the Saviour's work of restoring supernatural life to the soul," they also state quite clearly that "no creature could ever be classed with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer":
"We have but one Mediator, as we know from the words of the apostle: 'For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all' (1 Tim. 2: 5-6). The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. For all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin in men originate, not from some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. They flow forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rest on his mediation, depend entirely on it, and draw all their power from it. In no way do they impede the immediate union of the faithful with Christ. Rather, they foster this union." (Lumen Gentium).
Contrary to those who might see Marian doctrine as some sort of barrier to Church unity, Pope John Paul II described the Catholic and Orthodox Churches as "united by love and praise of the Theotokos" (Redemptoris Mater, 1987), and went on to speak of the love of Orthodox Christians for Mary:
" The brethren of these Churches have experienced a complex history, but it is one that has always been marked by an intense desire for Christian commitment and apostolic activity, despite frequent persecution, even to the point of bloodshed. It is a history of fidelity to the Lord, an authentic pilgrimage of faith in space and time, during which Eastern Christians have always looked with boundless trust to the Mother of the Lord, celebrated her with praise and invoked her with unceasing prayer. In the difficult moments of their troubled Christian existence, they have taken refuge under her protection, conscious of having in her a powerful aid." (Ibid)
God bless,
Father Norbert