Popes of the Fifth-Sixth Centuries – Mary Mother of God and Ever-Virgin (Doctrina Pontificia IV, nn. 30-43)
The popes of the sixth and seventh centuries, Gelasius I, Symmachus, John II, Vigilius, and Honorius I, continue to defend and consolidate the teaching of Ephesus about Mary as the Mother of God (Theotokos) and as ever-virgin (semper Virgo), as they face new Christological and Monophysite challenges.
| Collection | Doctrina Pontificia IV: Marian Documents, nn. 30-43 |
| Popes | Gelasius I | Symmachus | John II | Vigilius | Honorius I |
| Period | Fifth-Seventh Centuries (492-638) |
| Topic | Mary’s consent, perpetual virginity, divine motherhood |
Saint Gelasius I (492-496), n. 30: Mary’s consent
Gelasius I develops a theme that would be central to medieval Mariology: Mary’s consent at the Annunciation as the condition of the Incarnation. Mary was not a passive instrument: the Word waited for her “yes”. This text anticipates the great medieval reflections (Bernard, Thomas, Bonaventure) on the active role of Mary in the Incarnation.
“Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi… non invito sed volenti mysterium incarnationis impletur”
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you… the mystery of the Incarnation is accomplished not in one who resists, but in one who freely accepts.
Symmachus (498-514), n. 31: Ever-Virgin and Mother of God
Pope Symmachus, in a context of theological disputes with the East, reaffirms against the Monophysites that Mary is truly Mother of God (vere Theotokos) and ever-virgin, without ever having known man.
John II (533-535), n. 32: Mary the Virgin, true Mother of God
John II is the first pope to use the name “John” officially (he had previously changed his name upon being elected). His document on Mary specifies that the divine motherhood is true (vere Mater Dei), not merely metaphorical or functional, a response against residual Nestorian interpretations.
Vigilius (537-555), n. 33: true Mother of Jesus Christ
Vigilius, pope in a time of great political and theological turbulence (it was the period of the controversy of the “Three Chapters”), holds firm to the Ephesian doctrine: Mary is vera mater Iesu Christi, true Mother of Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man.
Honorius I (625-638), nn. 37-43: Mary Ever-Virgin and Mother of God
Honorius I is the most prolific pope in this section: seven documents (nn. 37-43) on the divine motherhood and perpetual virginity. His writings to the Patriarch of Constantinople are especially rich in Mariological language. For the first time in papal history, Honorius uses the expression “plena gratia” for Mary, in line with Lk 1:28, anticipating the theology of the fullness of grace that will be central to the definition of the Immaculate Conception in 1854.
“Virgo sancta ac plena gratia, quae Filium Dei nostri sine corruptione concepit et peperit, in omni puritate et sanctitate semper mansit”
The Virgin, holy and full of grace, who conceived and bore the Son of our God without corruption, remained always in all purity and holiness.
Further reading
Explore Mariology, Lumen Gentium ch. VIII, Redemptoris Mater, and the Postgraduate Program in Mariology.
Postgraduate Program in Mariology
Would you like to deepen your formation in Mariology? Discover the Postgraduate Program in Mariology of Locus Mariologicus – an academic formation that unites theological rigor, spiritual life, and the living tradition of the Church.
Delve deeper into the Perpetual Virginity of Mary.
Would you like to study Mariology seriously?
This article grows out of the works in the Locus Mariologicus library. The Postgraduate Program in Mariology takes you to the same source, with academic guidance: Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, and the Magisterium, from the first dogma to contemporary questions.
Responses