Saint Felix I and Saint Damasus I – The Divine Motherhood of Mary (Doctrina Pontificia IV, nn. 8-14)
The first popes documented in Doctrina Pontificia IV are Saint Felix I (269-274) and Saint Damasus I (366-384), with the documents of the Roman Council of 382. These popes are crucial for the definition of the divine motherhood of Mary before the Council of Ephesus (431).
| Collection | Doctrina Pontificia IV: Documentos Marianos, nn. 8-14 |
| Popes | Saint Felix I (269-274) | Saint Damasus I (366-384) |
| Council | Roman, 382 (under Damasus) |
| Theme | Divine motherhood and virginal motherhood of Mary |
Saint Felix I (269-274), n. 8: Formula of Faith
Saint Felix I is the first pope on the list of Doctrina Pontificia IV. His formula of faith affirms the incarnation of the Word of God from Mary the Virgin, taking its place in the proto-dogmatic tradition on virginal motherhood. Although the text is brief, its authenticity is disputed: according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the letter was later interpolated by a follower of Apollinaris, and the fragment presented to the Council of Ephesus in 431 is considered spurious.
Saint Damasus I (366-384), n. 9: The Divine Motherhood of Mary
Damasus I is one of the most important popes for pre-Ephesian Mariology. His document n. 9 is a poem (Carmen de Christo, PL 13,376) that affirms the divine motherhood of Mary: the Virgin, a Mother who had not known marriage, was to give birth to her own Author.
“Virginei tumuere sinus, innuptaque Mater / Arcano obstupuit compleri viscera partu, / Auctorem paritura suum”, The virginal womb swelled, and the unwed Mother was astonished to see her womb filled with a mysterious birth, she who was to give birth to her own Author…
The Roman Council of 382, nn. 11-14
The Roman Synod of 382, presided over by Damasus, produced three fundamental letters on Mary:
- nn. 11-12, Epistle II to the East: It affirms that the Son proceeded from the Virgin for our redemption, so that He might be born a perfect man, and it condemns those who say that the Lord took from Mary the Virgin an imperfect humanity. Bonosus and Jovinian, who denied the perpetual virginity of Mary, were condemned only after the death of Damasus, under Pope Siricius.
- n. 13, Epistle III to the Bishop of Antioch: It confirms orthodox doctrine against the Eastern errors concerning the person of Christ and the role of Mary.
- n. 14, Epistle IV to the same: It goes more deeply into the question of the divine motherhood, preparing the theological ground for Ephesus.
Historical Significance
Damasus I inaugurates the papal tradition of defining Marian doctrine with theological precision. Without his documents, the Council of Ephesus (431) would have found the dogmatic ground less well prepared. The divine motherhood of Mary and the true humanity that the Son of God received from her here become clear pontifical doctrine.
Further Reading
Explore Mariology, Lumen Gentium ch. VIII, and the Postgraduate Program in Mariology.
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