The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Solemnity of the Assumption, celebrated on August 15th, proclaims that the Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. This is one of the four Marian dogmas and a holy day of obligation in the universal Church.

Dogmatic Definition

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII solemnly defined this doctrine in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus:

"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."

The Pope noted that this belief had been held by the faithful "from ancient times" and was "based on Sacred Scripture" and "deeply embedded in the minds of the faithful."

Biblical Foundations

While the Assumption is not explicitly described in Scripture, the Church finds it prefigured and implied:

The Ark of the Covenant (Revelation 11:19-12:1):

"Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple... And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun."

Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant who bore the presence of God.

Psalm 132:8:

"Arise, O Lord, into your resting place, you and the ark of your sanctification."

The "Full of Grace" (Luke 1:28): Mary's fullness of grace implies freedom from the corruption of death.

Theological Reasoning

The Assumption flows from other Marian doctrines:

• As Immaculate Conception preserved her from original sin, she was preserved from its consequence—bodily corruption
• As Mother of God, her body which bore the Son of God was not left to decay
• As the New Eve, she shares in Christ's victory over death completely

Dormition

Eastern Christians celebrate the "Dormition" (falling asleep) of the Virgin Mary. This tradition holds that Mary died a natural death before being assumed. The Western Church has not defined whether Mary died before her Assumption.

Ancient Belief

From the earliest centuries, no relics of Mary's body were ever claimed—unlike other saints. The tomb of Mary in Jerusalem was venerated as empty. The feast has been celebrated since at least the 6th century.

Patronal Feast

The Assumption is the patronal feast of many countries, including France (whose kings dedicated the nation to Mary under this title in 1638) and numerous dioceses, parishes, and religious communities worldwide.

Hope of Resurrection

The Assumption is a sign of hope for all Christians. What God has done for Mary, he will do for all the faithful at the resurrection. She is "the image and first flowering of the Church as she is to be perfected in the world to come" (Lumen Gentium, 68).