Pope Clement XIII, XIV, and Pius VI – Mariology in the Enlightenment and French Revolution (Pontifical Doctrine IV, nos. 221-231)

In the latter half of the 18th century, Popes Clement XIII (1758-1769), Clement XIV (1769-1774), and Pius VI (1775-1799) confronted the challenges posed by Enlightenment and the French Revolution, which not only threatened the Papacy but also Marian devotion as an expression of “superstition.” Their Marian documents are, in part, a response to this cultural challenge.Collection: Doctrina Pontificia IV: Papal Documents on Mary, nn. 221-231Popes: Clement XIII (1758-1769) | Clement XIV (1769-1774) | Pius VI (1775-1799)Period: 1758-1799 (Enlightenment and French Revolution)

Clement XIII (1758-1769), nn. 221-224:

Clement XIII’s pontificate is marked by the expulsion of the Jesuits (to be finalized by his successor) and the rise of anti-religious Enlightenment. His four Marian documents include:– n. 221, Bull “Quantum ornamenti” (November 8, 1760): On Mary’s spiritual ornaments and her intercession for the Church in times of tribulation – n. 222, Brief “Cum primum” (January 17, 1761): Privileges of the Carmelite Scapular – n. 223, Brief “Commissi” (March 16, 1767): Marian devotion in missions – n. 224, Brief “Eximia pietatis” (March 14, 1768): Celebration of Marian feasts in new dioceses

Clement XIV (1769-1774), n. 225: “Ratio pastoralis”

Clement XIV, the Pope who suppressed the Society of Jesus (1773), is paradoxically one of the most Marian Popes of the 18th century. The Brief Ratio pastoralis (November 21, 1769) asserts that devotion to Mary is inseparable from authentic Christian faith and that shepherds should actively promote it in their dioceses.

Pius VI (1775-1799), nn. 226-231:

Pius VI lived through the French Revolution, was imprisoned by Napoleon’s armies, and died a captive in Valence (1799). His six Marian documents demonstrate how, in times of persecution, the Papacy turned to Mary as a beacon of hope. The Constitution Auctorem fidei (August 28, 1794), Pius VI’s most important document, condemns the Pistoia Jansenist Synod, which had attacked numerous Marian devotions as “superstition”:The proposition which states that […] the worship of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary is to be understood in such a way as if it were adoration… is false, scandalous, impious; but the proposition which asserts that Mary is the Mediatrix […] is pious and sound.> (“The proposition that establishes […] that the veneration of the Most Holy Virgin Mary is to be understood as if it were adoration… is false, scandalous, and impious; but the proposition that asserts Mary to be a Mediator […] is pious and sound.”)

Additional Reading:

Explore Mariology, Marialis Cultus (Paul VI), and Postgraduate Studies in Mariology.