Position of the Bishop of Haarlem, Msgr. Dr. Jozef Marianus Punt The Lady of all Nations … Who once was Mary?
At the moment a discussion is taking place concerning a clause in the prayer of “The Lady of all Nations”. The occasion for the discussion was a concern expressed by the Secretary of the Congregation of Faith, Archbishop A. Amato, regarding “one particular aspect” of this devotion, that is the clause “who once was Mary”. This concern was communicated to certain Bishops of the Philippines, to the religious community, “Family of Mary”, as well as to the Bishop of Haarlem, Mgr. Dr. J. Punt.
The concern of the Congregation is part of a long tradition. Initially the first local Bishop, Msgr. J. Huibers, who dealt with this devotion sixty years ago, struggled with this clause.
At first he considered the removal of the clause, but upon later reflection he accepted it and granted permission for the ‘Imprimatur’. Up to this day, the prayer has as well received the Imprimatur of approximately seventy Bishops and Cardinals worldwide. This indicates that they saw no contradiction with any teaching of the Church. In 1996, the Prefect of the Congregation permitted the public release of the devotion. In 2002, the local Bishop recognised in its essence the authenticity of the apparitions.
Naturally, the Bishop contacted the Congregation and expressed his opinion on this matter. In the meantime, he has asked the authorities of the devotion to respect the pastoral concern of the Congregation by leaving out or praying silently the clause during public prayer until further notice. The Bishop realizes that for many people this may cause a tension between conviction and obedience, but he refers to the example offered by the visionary herself.
Once she experienced a similar type of dilemma and then heard the following words from ‘the Lady’: “obedience comes first”. Of course, obedience does not exclude ongoing and open dialogue on this issue, he states. Also the great and actual importance of this prayer, that asks the “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father” to send “now” the Holy Spirit over our wounded world, completely remains.
In all this, the Bishop also sees a positive side. With this discussion a deeper dialogue is launched. Behind this clause, given after the proclamation of the Dogma of Our Lady’s Assumption, lies a fundamental question: Who truly is Mary in God’s plan of Salvation? What is Her role in the coming of the Holy Spirit? Who is She to be for this time and this world?
It was to this dialogue that Pope John Paul II in 2002 explicitly encouraged theologians.
R. Soffner Coordinator of the Advisory Commission regarding Devotion of the Lady of all Nations Diocese of Haarlem / Amsterdam , Netherlands
I think Mnsgr. Amato made a mistake by writing this letter. He should have considered that the prayer was said so for half a century with full support of bisshops worldwide. I thought he had studied?
__________________
Dutchy
Date:
BISHOP CHANGES PRAYER AS ROME OBJECTS TO WORDS FROM 'APPROVED' DUTCH VISION
BISHOP CHANGES PRAYER AS ROME OBJECTS TO WORDS FROM 'APPROVED' DUTCH VISION
A Dutch bishop who approved a controversial apparition has asked devotees to change a prayer associated with that revelation after concerns were expressed by the Vatican.
The apparition, known as "Our Lady of All Nations," involved appearances of the Blessed Mother to an Amsterdam woman named Isje ("Ida") Johanna Peerdeman, whose main experiences began on March 25, 1945, at the close of World War II -- when Ida, an office worker at an industrial firm, was 40 and receiving the visit of a Dominican priest.
At that time the seer was drawn to an adjoining room by a mysterious force. "There she saw a brilliant light," said a book published years ago in Holland. "A Lady stepped towards her out of this light and spoke to her. To the seeress' question, 'Are you Mary?' she replied, 'They will call me 'Lady, Mother.'" During a series of 56 apparitions, lasting 14 years, a wide array of prophecies were given to Ida, along with an image of the Blessed Mother standing on a globe with a cross behind her and the following prayer:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Holy Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster, and war. May the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate! Amen."
The Vatican has taken issue with the phrase, "who once was Mary." The current controversy began when the Secretary of the Vatican's Congregation of Faith, Archbishop A. Amato, wrote to bishops in the Philippines regarding this “one particular aspect” of the devotion and asking that it be eliminated. The local bishop, Joseph Mary Punt, of Haarlem-Amsterdam, has issued a directive in compliance with the Vatican request, which was made after an inquiry by a group in the Philippines.
"This concern was communicated to certain Bishops of the Philippines, to the religious community, 'Family of Mary,' as well as to the Bishop of Haarlem, Mgr. Dr. J. Punt," notes a press release from the Dutch diocese. "The concern of the Congregation is part of a long tradition. Initially the first local Bishop, Monsignor J. Huibers, who dealt with this devotion sixty years ago, struggled with this clause. At first he considered the removal of the clause, but upon later reflection he accepted it and granted permission for the ‘Imprimatur’. Up to this day, the prayer has as well received the Imprimatur of approximately seventy Bishops and Cardinals worldwide. This indicates that they saw no contradiction with any teaching of the Church. In 1996, the Prefect of the Congregation permitted the public release of the devotion. In 2002, the local Bishop recognized in its essence the authenticity of the apparitions. Naturally, the Bishop contacted the Congregation and expressed his opinion on this matter. In the meantime, he has asked the authorities of the devotion to respect the pastoral concern of the Congregation by leaving out or praying silently the clause during public prayer until further notice.
"The Bishop realizes that for many people this may cause a tension between conviction and obedience," says the press release, issued last week, "but he refers to the example offered by the visionary herself. Once she experienced a similar type of dilemma and then heard the following words from ‘the Lady’: 'obedience comes first.' Of course, obedience does not exclude ongoing and open dialogue on this issue, he states. Also the great and actual importance of this prayer, that asks the 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father' to send 'now' the Holy Spirit over our wounded world, completely remains."
The Amsterdam apparitions were recognized in 2002 by Bishop Punt.
