Assumption—a History…
Where did this whole “Assumption” Thing come from?
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, is one of the crowning doctrines of Mariology. It proclaims that Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This belief is not a novel invention of the twentieth century but the fruit of centuries of liturgical practice, theological reflection, and authoritative teaching grounded in Sacred Tradition.
Roots in Sacred Tradition
While the New Testament does not explicitly record Mary’s Assumption, early Christian tradition consistently testified to her unique participation in Christ’s victory over death. St. John of Damascus (d. 749), preaching in Jerusalem, declared:
“It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death” (Homily on the Dormition I, 10).
Similarly, the apocryphal Transitus Mariae texts, though not canonical, reflect the early Church’s conviction that Mary’s end was extraordinary. By the 6th century, the Feast of the Dormition was universally celebrated in the East, and Pope Sergius I (687–701) introduced it to Rome, affirming that the liturgy itself was a witness of belief.
The Council of Trent (1545–1563), while not defining Marian dogmas directly, reaffirmed that “no one, relying on his own judgment, shall…interpret Sacred Scripture contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers” (Session IV, Decree on Scripture). The patristic consensus regarding Mary’s unique holiness and incorruptibility paved the way for the doctrine’s formal definition.
Theological Development
St. Thomas Aquinas reasoned that it was “fitting” (conveniens) that Mary, as the Mother of God and preserved from sin, should not undergo bodily corruption (cf. Summa Theologiae III, q. 27). His principle of fittingness—though not proof in the strict sense—harmonized with the broader theological conviction that Mary’s privileges are always oriented toward her union with Christ.
Later scholastics and theologians continued to expound on the Assumption. Francisco Suárez (1548–1617) argued that although not explicitly revealed, the Assumption could be considered “theologically certain,” given the Church’s universal consensus.
Papal Teaching and Encyclicals
The Magisterium gradually made the Assumption an object of more explicit teaching. Pope Pius IX, in Ineffabilis Deus (1854), defining the Immaculate Conception, noted that Mary’s preservation from original sin pointed toward her complete glorification.
Pope Pius XII, before defining the dogma, prepared the faithful through Marian encyclicals. In Deiparae Virginis Mariae (1946), he consulted the world’s bishops, asking whether the Assumption should be defined. The response was overwhelmingly affirmative, revealing the sensus fidelium—the instinct of the faithful guided by the Holy Spirit.
Earlier, Pope Pius XII had already highlighted Mary’s exalted role in salvation history. In Mystici Corporis Christi (1943), he emphasized her union with Christ in His mission, foreshadowing her participation in His Resurrection. Likewise, Munificentissimus Deus (1950) drew from these earlier encyclicals, presenting the Assumption as the natural completion of Mary’s life.
The Dogmatic Definition of 1950
On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII, invoking his authority as successor of Peter, solemnly proclaimed in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus:
“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”
This pronouncement was ex cathedra, invoking papal infallibility as defined at Vatican I (1870). Pius XII carefully noted that this truth was not an innovation but the culmination of centuries of belief, the consensus of the faithful, and the testimony of the liturgy and Fathers. Importantly, the formula avoided specifying whether Mary died before her Assumption—respecting both Eastern and Western traditions.
The Assumption of Mary stands as a luminous testimony to the destiny of the faithful. It affirms not only Mary’s singular role but also the hope of the resurrection for all in Christ. Rooted in the unanimous consent of Tradition, attested by the liturgy, clarified by theologians, and proclaimed infallibly by Pope Pius XII, the dogma reveals the Church’s fidelity to divine revelation.
Mary’s Assumption reminds the faithful that salvation involves the whole person—body and soul. As the Council of Trent insisted, no private interpretation may override the voice of Tradition. In defining the Assumption, the Church safeguarded the deposit of faith, and in Pius XII’s words, “all the faithful may understand more clearly the wonderful destiny of the human body.”