Summary: | The purpose of the article is to show how Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński taught on the mediation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The presentation is chronological. It covers three periods in the life and teaching of the Primate of the Millennium: before the Second Vatican Council, participation in the work of the Council and the post-conciliar period. The analysis of the texts shows the richness of approaches and some evolution in teaching. While before the Council it was dominated by showing Mary as the Mediatrix of all graces, during the Council and after the Council the teaching on the spiritual motherhood of Mary (Mother of the Church) comes first, and the issue of Mary’s mediation is an aspect of this motherhood. In addition, the thesis that the conciliar teaching on Mary’s participation in Christ’s only mediation is for Cardinal Wyszyński a theological foundation for showing Mary’s intercessory role and her distribution of graces seems justified. Cardinal Wyszyński, whose Episcopal motto was: Soli Deo per Mariam, was able to reconcile wisely the theological approach of the Council with pastoral practice. Thanks to this, his kerygmatic Mariology brought blessed fruits for the life of the Church in Poland.
|