Our next letter from Pope Pius XII is on the Queenship of Mary, titled Ad Caeli Reginam(Latin for ‘to the Queen of Heaven”), published in 1954. Recall that it was Pius XII who formally declared the Assumption of Mary into heaven to be a dogma. Following up on that declaration, the pope decided to offer a reflection on the power and influence of Mary as an intercessor in heaven. As always, his teaching on this is not some new idea, but a clarification and reflection on something believed by the Church from the very beginning.
Pius begins by pointing to early theologians who often called Mary “the Mother of the King” and noting the special reverence shown to Mary by Elizabeth as “the Mother of my Lord.” This shows Mary’s “eminence” in God’s plan for our salvation. It didn’t take long for Christians to start calling Mary “Lady,” “Ruler,” and “Queen.” The pope identifies several theologians and saints who do this to give evidence of the claim that this is not a new teaching. He includes St. Jerome, St. John Damascene, St. Andrew of Crete, Epiphanius (ancient bishop of Constantinople), St. Martin I, St. Agatho, and others. The pope then recalls how the liturgy of the Church has long honored Mary in this way both in official prayers and through various hymns and devotions (e.g. “Hail Holy Queen”).
The foundation for the title “Queen” is the fact that Mary is mother to the King, Jesus. As is seen in many an ancient culture and practice, including that of the Israelites, the mother of the king is given the title “Queen” and entrusted with real authority and influence. In addition to being mother to the king, Mary played an “exceptional role in the work of our eternal salvation” through her close following of Jesus even to the foot of the cross, where she participated in his redemptive suffering through her compassionate, maternal heart. Pope Pius XII explains that “Certainly, in the full and strict meaning of the term, only Jesus Christ, the God-Man, is King; but Mary, too, as Mother of the divine Christ, as His associate in the redemption… has a share, though in a limited and analogous way, in His royal dignity.” He goes on to say that Mary, “from her union with Christ she receives the royal right to dispose of the treasures of the Divine Redeemer’s Kingdom; from her union with Christ finally is derived the inexhaustible efficacy of her maternal intercession before the Son and His Father.” The word “efficacy” there meant “effective” or “productive.”
Simply put, Mary’s prayer works because she is so close to Jesus. Because she is closer than anyone else, her prayer is more powerful than anyone else’s. So, she is often describe as being able to dispense graces and favors as she chooses, much as an earthly queen might bestow favors and gifts. We know of course that it is from Jesus that these gifts come. We are simply saying that Jesus then entrusts these gifts to Mary because he enjoys the cooperation of his people. God uses human beings to do his will, and he uses Mary to do so more than any other. As pope, Pius XII also seeks to guard against a “twofold error.” He wants us to avoid exaggerated expressions and excessive narrowness. The way to stay the course of truth is, as always, to follow the Magisterium of the Church. Thus, we can look to papal teaching, writings from the doctors of the Church, and expressions of the liturgy to guide our own continued reflection on Mary’s queenship.
Having laid all this out, Pope Pius XII then decrees and establishes the feast of Mary’s Queenship to be celebrated every year. It was originally set on May 31 as a way to close out the Marian month (think of May Crownings that are done at the beginning of the month). He also asked that on that same day the consecration of the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary be renewed. Pope St. Paul VI later moved the feast day to August 22 to be the Octave day of the Assumption, since those two feasts are so closely linked.
As is the usual custom, the letter ends with a prolonged prayer and exhortation. Pius calls on Christians to reflect on this mystery, to imitate Mary’s virtues, and to seek out her intercession with confidence in her unique role as intercessor and queen of heaven. He then recalls that many Christians are persecuted for their faith and so asks Mary to “look upon these her innocent and tormented children with eyes of mercy; may the Virgin, who is able to subdue violence beneath her foot, grant to them that they may soon enjoy the rightful freedom to practice their religion openly, so that, while serving the cause of the Gospel, they may also contribute to the strength and progress of nations by their harmonious cooperation, by the practice of extraordinary virtues which are a glowing example in the midst of bitter trials.”