Brief Mariology, according to Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio

Introduction

The 13th century is the golden age of scholasticism. It is important to emphasize that, with this century, a particular moment begins in the history of the Church and the world for theological systematization. In the first organic project of this knowledge, Mariology is also increasingly situated in the context of Christology and is therefore closely linked to it. Later, the composition of autonomous treaties on Mariology and Ecclesiology will begin. However, the person of Mary and that of the Church will remain, for a long time, completely separate (cf. M. Semeraro, *Maria e la Chiesa: mutamenti del tema in epoca medievale*, in E. M. Toniolo (ed.), *La Madre del Signore nel Medioevo e nel Rinascimento*, Centro di Cultura Mariana “Madre della Chiesa”, Rome 1998, p. 175). During this period, Mariology was widely treated in the thought of Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (Saint Bonaventure (1218-15 July 1274), mystic and medieval thinker, doctor at the Paris Studium, gave shape to a synthesis of sapiential theology in the footsteps of Augustine. The most mature expression of this theological humanism is found in his *Itinerarium mentis in Deum*. A disciple of Saint Francis, he guided his Order with superior wisdom from 1257 to 1273, earning the title of “second founder and father.” Bishop and cardinal of Albano, he participated in the Second Council of Lyon and worked for the unity of the Church, in *Missale Romanum*, Vatican City 1983, p. 359). In this study, we consider the most important arguments present in Saint Bonaventure’s Mariology, which can be summarized as follows: Mary’s motherhood, Mary’s greatness, her spiritual beauty, Mary as a collaborator in redemption, and a model to be imitated.

The Grandeur of Mary

Boaventura is captivated by the sublime grandeur of Mary, which no language can fully express. This grandeur elevates her above all creatures and makes her worthy of honor from men, angels, and saints. He describes her with admiration, using evocative metaphors: Mary is the fertile earth, the fruitful root, the flowing fountain, the full moon, the sea star, the dawn breaking, and the resplendent sun (cf. B. Commodi, *Canto francescano a Maria*, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2011, pp. 75-92). The latter metaphor, often attributed to Jesus Christ as the “sun of justice,” can also be applied to Mary, given her intimate union with the Son, and thus Mary is the exalted woman who rises above the world like the sun and possesses the most beautiful qualities of the sun: “the brightness at dawn, the swiftness in its course, sublimity, that is, the incomparable preeminence over other creatures, and the effectiveness of its action” (De Nativitate Beatae Mariae Virginis, in *Opera Omnia*, Quaracchi, vol. IX, q. IX, p. 708. Cf. also the explanation in the same place).Boaventura focuses on Mary’s grandeur when he places her in relation to the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, from whom she receives every gift: “The whole Trinity, Mary, knew you as the spouse of chaste love, as the dwelling place of the holy habitation, as the workshop of a wonderful work. With distinct terms we say: the Father knew Mary as the dwelling place of his majesty […], the Son recognized in her the source of his humanity, and the Holy Spirit, the sanctuary of his goodness, in which he gathered fully and without measure the graces of his gifts” (De Assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis, in *Opera Omnia*, Quaracchi, vol. IX, q. IX, p. 694).It is clear that all this benevolence and action of Mary in favor of the people of God take root in her total motherhood in relation to Jesus. It is a bond with God and with men, as evident in a passage from the Fourth Sermon on the Annunciation: “The Creator of all things rests in the tabernacle of the virgin’s breast, because here He prepared His nuptial chamber, so as to become our brother. Here He arranged a royal throne so as to become our prince. Here He put on priestly vestments so as to become our pontiff. Because of the nuptial union, she is the Mother of God. Because of the royal throne, she is the Queen of Heaven. Because of the priestly vestments, she is the advocate of the human race” (De Annuntiatione Beatae Virginis Mariae, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, q. IX, p. 672a). Bonaventure explains the meaning of the Incarnation for the Mother of God through the combination of three types of merits: congruent, dignified, and condign. The issue is addressed in Commentarius in III Librum Sententiarum, where the author first emphasizes that Mary merited conceiving the Word by the merit of congruence, related to the whole of her virtues: “Because of her great purity, humility, and benignity, she was fit to become the Mother of God” (In III Librum Sententiarum, dist. IV, art. 2, q. 2, conclusio, p. 107b). After the angel’s announcement and her consent, the Virgin of Nazareth merited becoming the Mother of God also because of her dignity, which always remains a gift and grace received from the richness of the Holy Spirit’s own being.

The Immaculate Conception

Despite this fundamental opening, which hints at the possibility of embracing the Immaculate Conception, Bonaventure, faithful to his methodological principles, Scripture, reason, and tradition, once again denies the fact: for Mary, there is no exemption from original sin, but sanctification after having contracted it (In III Librum Sententiarum, ibidem, p. 15). This position, in the author’s eyes, is the best one, because it is the most common, the most rational, the most secure, and the most in line with piety: “It is more common, I say, because almost everyone agrees that Mary received original sin, as evidenced by the fact that Mary was subject to many penalties, and one cannot say that she suffered them for someone else’s redemption (…), but one must say that she contracted them. It is also more rational because nature always precedes grace, both temporally and logically in order. As Augustine says, one must be born before being reborn, as one must be before being well. Therefore, the soul had to unite with the body before receiving grace. Since that flesh was infected, it transmitted the infection of original guilt to the soul. One must therefore logically conclude that Mary’s soul was first infected by original guilt and then sanctified. It is more secure because it is in accordance with piety and the teaching of the saints. The saints generally, when speaking on this matter, except Jesus Christ from the universality of guilt, for it is said: All have sinned in Adam. Among those we are speaking about, we do not find one who has said Mary is immune from guilt. It is more in line with piety and faith because, although one must have great reverence for the Mother and have a singular devotion for her, one must do even more for the Son, from whom the Mother receives all honor and glory.” (In III Librum Sententiarum, dist. III, pars 1, art. 1, q. 2, conclusio, p. 68a). Subsequently, Bonaventure speaks of a double sanctification of Mary: the first before her birth and the second at the moment of the conception of the Son. Bonaventure’s prudent and at the same time possibilist position contributes to the deepening of the question, which will be taken up by John Duns Scotus. However, the cult and the feast were already widespread, so the Doctor emphasizes that the Immaculate Conception aimed to celebrate the sanctification of the Mother of the Lord, not that pious sentence which, in his view, did not adequately emphasize Christ’s redemption.

The Assumption of Mary

In comparison with the question of the Immaculate Conception, the theology of the Assumption developed by Bonaventure is more comprehensible and also more shareable for our mindset. Moreover, the Franciscan master does not hesitate to confront at least two difficult issues: Mary’s death and her entrance into Heaven in soul and body. These aspects generated numerous discussions in the centuries preceding the saint and will resurface again, especially the first one, in the period immediately following the dogma’s promulgation in 1950. The Assumption retains the strong Christological emphasis typical of our Doctor, which is why it is received, justified, and motivated. Through Mary’s unique sanctity, that is, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, as read in the expression that the Mother of the Lord is “full of grace,” Bonaventure writes: “The blessed Virgin chose for herself the absolutely best part, because she became a queen of mercy, while the Son is constituted a king of justice. Now, mercy is better than justice, for mercy always prevails in judgment, and the mercy of the Lord extends over all his creatures. In seventh place, she distinguished herself even from the Son, for if he sits at the right hand of the Father, that is, he was made a participant of the Father’s best goods, she sat as a Queen at the right hand of the Son, and the Glossa says that she was made a participant of the Son’s best goods. But among the best things, this represents the ultimate: Mary, therefore, chose for herself the absolutely best part. And this is evident, since she lacked no good.” (De Assumptione Beatae Virginis Mariae, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, q. IX, p. 703b).

Spiritual Beauty of Mary

Bonaventure, in his profound reflections, not only highlights Mary’s greatness but also her incomparable beauty: “Mary is the most beautiful Virgin that the Lord prepared for his Son” (In Vigilia Nativitatis Domini, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 98). This is a spiritual beauty that coincides with sanctity and virtue, and fills Bonaventure with awe: “If it is so pleasant to contemplate with the eyes of the body the sun shining on the horizon, how much more pleasant and joyful is it to contemplate the splendor of the glorious Virgin Mary” (De Nativitate Beatae Mariae Virginis, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 709).

Collaborator in Redemption

The goodness of God, who created the world according to a design of love unfortunately frustrated by man’s sin, reaches its highest expression in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son, sent by the Father to redeem the world and establish a new and definitive covenant. In this plan of redemption, the role of the Virgin Mary is fundamental, who embraces the divine plan, making it entirely her own, and thus becomes a precious collaborator with the Redeemer Son (cf. L. Di Girolamo, *Maria tra teologia monastica e teologia scolastica*, p. 18). Following the word of the Archangel Gabriel and submitting docilely to the action of the Holy Spirit, she conceives the long-awaited Savior and, as a new woman in contrast to the ancient Eve, she initiates the redemptive work: “Therefore, as the woman deceived by the devil transmitted the guilt, sickness, and death to all, so the woman instructed by the angel and sanctified and fertilized by the Holy Spirit, without any corruption in mind or body, generated the offspring who would give to all who came to her the grace, health, and life” (*Breviloquium*, IV, 3, in *Corpus Novi Operum*, V/2, p. 169). Mary participates in the redemptive mission of the Son not only with her initial adherence, but also with all the other “yes,” conscious and free, pronounced throughout her existence.

Mary’s Maternity

Thanks to her divine maternity, Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, but also the mother of men and women of all times. In the unique generation of the Son, all are sons of the Virgin, that is, her children in the Son: “In her holy womb, the Son of God introduced the human nature to be able to dispose it with Him and make the Creator become our brother and the blessed Virgin become the mother of all the saints. Through the Virgin Mother, God became our Father and the Son of God, our brother” (*De Annuntiatione Beatae Mariae Virginis*, in *Opera Omnia*, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 672). By accepting to be the Mother of the Savior, Mary becomes a universal mother through the ontological union between Head and members: by giving birth to the Head, she gave birth to the body. By generating Jesus Christ, the Firstborn, she generated all her children. This is a spiritual but real motherhood: “She generated the Son in the flesh and generated us spiritually. She is a mother like Eve: as this one generated us for the world, so Our Lady generated us for heaven” (*De Assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis*, in *Opera Omnia*, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 706).

A Model to Imitate

Considering the love that this most amiable Mother bears for her children, St. Bonaventure, vibrantly filled with genuine and profound love for Mary, warmly invites all men and women to offer her every praise, with the sole warning: «not to believe anything about her that is contrary to the truth of Sacred Scripture and Christian faith» (In III Librum Sententiarum, dist. 3, pars 1, art. 1, q. 1, p. 64). To invoke her daily, at all times, and with complete confidence, in order to «find grace, mercy, and aid at the opportune moment» in her, who is «mother of supreme mercy» (Commentarius in Evangelium secundum Lucam, 1, 70 and 81, in Corpus Novi Operum, IX/1, pp. 109 and 117). To love her with all one’s heart and to venerate her in a special way, as the saints did: «I have never read of a single saint who did not have a special devotion to the glorious Virgin» (De Purificatione Beatae Mariae Virginis, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 642). And then, as Bonaventure says, let us follow her, imitate her, make her attitudes our own: listening to the Word, deep humility, intense piety, ready obedience, full benevolence, inner beauty, strength, perseverance. By doing so, we will be blessed, for loving and imitating Mary, «we are more enlightened in the truths of intellect and enriched with holy fame and every good» (De Assumptione Beatae Mariae Virginis, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 698). And we will reach the summit of our spiritual journey, filled with joy, for «God will dwell in us and with us, and we with Him» (In Nativitate Domini, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 125).

Conclusion

St. Bonaventure’s Mariology, embedded in the vigorous theology of the 13th century, reveals itself as deeply Christological and, at the same time, marked by a spiritual density that unites contemplation and doctrine. By presenting Mary as exalted above all creatures, the Seraphic Doctor does not exalt her as an autonomous principle, but because in her the work of the Most Holy Trinity shines forth with singular fullness. Thus, her greatness, her spiritual beauty, and her motherhood appear as gifts received, realities that manifest divine initiative and the Virgin’s perfect correspondence to grace.In this perspective, Mary emerges as a precious collaborator in redemption, not by replacing the unique mediation of Christ, but by freely and faithfully embracing the Father’s plan and remaining united to the Son throughout her entire existence. The Marian path presented by Bonaventure, with its emphasis on sanctity, virtue, and docility to the Holy Spirit, reveals that Mary’s presence in the Christian mystery is not merely a devotional theme but integral to the very essence of faith. Even when she takes prudential stances on debated issues, her method, rooted in Scripture, reason, and tradition, demonstrates a theology that seeks doctrinal security without losing openness to further depth.Therefore, Mary, according to the Boaventurian reading, remains for the Church not only an object of praise but a pedagogical path to Christian life. Her life reflects the traits of the perfect disciple, and thus, the faithful are invited to imitate her: listening to the Word, living humility, persevering in obedience, and cultivating the inner beauty that is sanctity. In this way, the brief Mariology presented here converges towards its proper goal: leading to union with God. Following and loving Mary, the faithful are more firmly guided to the Son, and they reach the joyfully the end of the spiritual path when “God will dwell with us and within us, and we with Him” (In Nativitate Domini, in Opera Omnia, Quaracchi, vol. IX, p. 125).For a contemporary magisterial synthesis on devotion to Mary, Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus complements Saint Bonaventure’s spiritual vision of Mary’s greatness.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian Apparitions, and Post-Graduate studies in Mariology.Continue your Marian formation: Explore our resources on Mariology, Marian Theology, and Marian Apparitions. Learn about the Post-Graduate studies in Mariology at the Locus Mariologicus Institute.