Theological Icons of the Virgin Mary in the Teachings of Pope Francis

Abstract

At the center of the world’s attention is man as a being who is called to complete his life in communion with God. To fulfill this purpose, after the fall of the first people, God sends his Son, who received human nature from his mother—the Virgin Mary. The motherhood of Jesus‘ mother is the reason for taking the right attitude toward the woman through whom we received the Creator of life. It is rightly spoken of the Marian veneration, which is shown by the cult of hyperdulia. The doctrine of the Catholic Church takes a position on all the important aspects of this reverence as well as the correct attitude of the believer to mariological topics that resonate in theological circles. An important and irreplaceable role is also played by the teachings of the popes, which are presented in different ways and on different occasions. Pope Francis takes a stand on the issues arising from the participation of the Virgin Mary in the history of salvation. In the study we will point out the theological images of the Virgin Mary in the teachings of Pope Francis as they are contained in the documents of his pontificate.