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Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven This article is about the title of the Virgin Mary as Queen The title Queen of Heaven has long been a Catholic tra- of Heaven. For Queen of Heaven in antiquity, see Queen dition, included in prayers and devotional literature, and of heaven (antiquity). seen in Western art in the subject of the Coronation of “Mary Queen of Heaven” redirects here. For the Catholic the Virgin, from the High Middle Ages, long before it parish church, see Mary Queen of Heaven (Erlanger, was given a formal definition status by the Church. Kentucky). Queen of Heaven is a title given to the Blessed Vir- 1 Theological basis See also: Ad Caeli Reginam Queen of Heaven (Latin Regina Caeli) is one of many Queen titles used of the Virgin Mary. The title derived in part from the ancient Catholic teaching that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was bodily and spiritually assumed into heaven, and that she is there honored as Queen.[2] Pius XII explained on the theological reasons for her title of Queen in a radio message to Fatima of May 13, 1946, Bendito seja:[3] He, the Son of God, reflects on His heav- enly Mother the glory, the majesty and the do- minion of His kingship, for, having been asso- ciated to the King of Martyrs in the ... work of human Redemption as Mother and cooper- ator, she remains forever associated to Him, with a practically unlimited power, in the dis- tribution of the graces which flow from the Re- demption. Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest: through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him, Mary The Crowning of the Virgin by the Trinity. Velázquez, 1645 is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by gin Mary by Christians mainly of the Roman Catholic right of conquest, and by singular choice [of [4] Church, and also, to some extent, in Anglicanism and the Father]. Eastern Orthodoxy, to whom the title is a consequence of the First Council of Ephesus in the fifth century, in which According to Catholic doctrine, Mary was assumed into the Virgin Mary was proclaimed extquotedbltheotokos heaven and is with Jesus Christ, her divine Son and is extquotedbl, a title rendered in Latin as Mater Dei, in En- represented in the Book of Revelation (chapter 11:19– glish extquotedblMother of God extquotedbl. 12:6) as the woman clothed with the sun who gives birth [5] The Catholic teaching on this subject is expressed in the to Christ. papal encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam,[1] issued by Pope Pius In his 1954 encyclical Ad caeli reginam (“To the Queen XII. It states that Mary is called Queen of Heaven be- of Heaven”), Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the cause her son, Jesus Christ, is the king of Israel and heav- title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely enly king of the universe; indeed, the Davidic tradition associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, of Israel recognized the mother of the king as the Queen because of her preeminent perfection and because of her Mother of Israel. The Eastern Orthodox Churches do intercessory power.[6] Ad caeli reginam states that the not share the Catholic dogma, but themselves have a rich main principle on which the royal dignity of Mary rests liturgical history in honor of Mary. is her Divine Motherhood. ... So with complete justice 1 2 3 HISTORICAL PRACTICE St. John Damascene could write: “When she became in a context unrelated to Mary. The prophet Jeremiah Mother of the Creator, she truly became Queen of every writing circa 628 BC refers to a “queen of heaven” in creature.”.[7] chapters 7 and 44 of the Book of Jeremiah when he scolds the people for having “sinned against the Lord” due to their idolatrous practices of burning incense, mak- 2 Biblical basis ing cakes and pouring out drink offerings to her. This title was probably given to Asherah, a Caananite idol and goddess worshipped in ancient Israel and Judah.[9] For a In the Old Testament, under some Davidic kings, the discussion of “queen of heaven” in the Old Testament, gebirah, the “Great Lady”, usually the Mother of the see Queen of heaven (Antiquity). King, held great power as advocate with the king. In 1 Kings 2:20, Solomon said to his Mother Bathsheba, seated on a throne at his right, “Make your request, Mother, for I will not refuse you.” Fr. William G. Most 3 Historical practice sees here a sort of type of Mary.[4] A statue of the Assumption of Mary typically crowned with 12 stars. A reflection of the biblical image in Revelation 12. Statue by Attard, Malta. In the New Testament, the title has several biblical sources. At the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel an- Fra Angelico nounces that [Jesus] extquotedbl... will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will In the fourth century St. Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and give to him the throne of his father David. He will rule “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to over the house of Jacob forever and his reign will be with- use the title. A text probably coming from Origen (died out end. extquotedbl(Luke 1:32) The biblical precedent c. 254) gives her the title domina, the feminine form in ancient Israel is that the mother of the king becomes [8] of Latin dominus, Lord. That same title also appears in the queen mother. Mary’s queenship is a share in Jesus’ many other early writers, e.g., Jerome, and Peter Chryso- kingship.[6] logus. The first Mariological definition and basis for the The Roman Catholic Church views Mary as the woman title of Mary Queen of Heaven developed at the Council clothed with the sun in the Book of Revelation 12:1– of Ephesus, where Mary was defined to be the Mother of 3:[5] “1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a God. The Council fathers specifically approved this ver- woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet sion against the opinion, that Mary is “only” the mother and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant of Jesus. Nobody had participated in the life of her son and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then more, than Mary, who gave birth to the Son of God.[10] another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon The word “Queen” appears about the sixth century, and with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his is common thereafter.[4] Hymns of the 11th to 13th cen- heads.” The Church accepts Revelation 12 as a reference turies address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, to Mary, Israel, and the Church as a three-fold symbol- Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Domini- ism through the Book of Isaiah and affirms Mary as the can rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous mother of Jesus as the prophetic fulfilment described in [6] [5] invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship. Revelation 12 (cf. Isaiah 7:14, 26:17, 54:1, 66:7). For centuries she has been invoked as the Queen of In the Old Testament the term “queen of heaven” appears heaven.[11] 4.1 Other titles 3 4 Litany of Loreto 4.1 Other titles Other titles have been added to reflect modern scientific understanding. The Second Vatican Council in 1964 re- ferred to Mary as Queen of the Universe. Section 59 of Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church from Vatican II, stated: “Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and the con- queror of sin and death.” This reference came at a time during which space exploration was beginning.[13] 5 Liturgy of the Hours Rubens, 1609 She is invoked in the Litany of Loreto as: • Queen of the Angels, • Queen of Patriarchs, • Queen of Prophets, • Queen of Apostles, • Queen of Martyrs, • Queen of Confessors, • Queen of Virgins, Crowned statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, Warfhuizen, Holland. • Queen of all Saints The four ancient Marian antiphons of the Liturgy of the Hours express the Queenship of the Virgin Mary: the • Queen of Families.[11] Salve Regina, the Ave Regina Caelorum, the Alma Re- demptoris Mater, and the Regina Caeli. These are prayed • Queen conceived without original sin at different times of the year, at the end of Compline. • Queen assumed into Heaven 5.1 Salve Regina • Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Main article: Salve Regina • Queen of Peace[12] 4 6 VENERATION Mary as Queen of Heaven is praised in the Salve Regina extquotedbl(Hail Queen) extquotedbl, which is sung in the time from Trinity Sunday until the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. In the vernacular, as a prayer to the Virgin Mary, the Hail Holy Queen is the final prayer of the Rosary. A German Benedictine monk, Hermann of Reichenau (1013–1054), allegedly composed it and it originally appeared in Latin, the prevalent language of the Catholic Church until Vatican II. Traditionally it has been sung in Latin, though many translations exist. In the Middle Ages, Salve Regina offices were held every Saturday.[14] In the 13th century, the custom developed to greet the Queen of Heaven with the Salve Regina, which is considered the oldest of the four Marian antiphons.
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