Pope Francis: 'The times we live in are the times of Mary'

Pope Francis said on Saturday that the times we live in are the "times of Mary".

The Pope said this on the occasion of an event on 24 October on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Theological Faculty “Marianum” in Rome.

Speaking to an estimated 200 students and professors from the faculty of theology in the Paul VI Hall, the pope said we are living in the time of the Second Vatican Council.

"No other Council in history has given Mariology as much space as that which was dedicated to it by Chapter VIII of 'Lumen gentium', which concludes and in a certain sense summarizes the entire dogmatic Constitution on the Church". he said.

“This tells us that the times we live in are the times of Mary. But we must rediscover Our Lady from the perspective of the Council ”, he exhorted. "As the Council brought to light the beauty of the Church by returning to its sources and removing the dust that had deposited on it over the centuries, so the wonders of Mary can be best rediscovered by going to the heart of her mystery".

In his speech, the Pope stressed the importance of Mariology, the theological study of Mary.

“We could ask ourselves: does Mariology serve the Church and the world today? Obviously the answer is yes. To go to the school of Mary is to go to the school of faith and life. She, a teacher because she is a disciple, teaches well the basics of human and Christian life ”, he said.

The Marianum was born in 1950 under the direction of Pope Pius XII and entrusted to the Order of Servants. The institution publishes “Marianum”, a prestigious journal of Marian theology.

In his speech, the pope focused on Mary's role as a mother and as a woman. He said that the Church also has these two characteristics.

“Our Lady has made God our brother and as a mother she can make the Church and the world more fraternal,” he said.

“The Church needs to rediscover her maternal heart, which beats for unity; but our Earth also needs to rediscover it, to return to being the home of all its children “.

He said a world without mothers, focused only on profits, would have no future.

"The Marianum is therefore called to be a fraternal institution, not only through the beautiful family atmosphere that distinguishes you, but also by opening new possibilities for collaboration with other institutions, which will help broaden horizons and keep up with the times", he said.

Reflecting on Mary's femininity, the pope said that "as the mother makes a family of the Church, so the woman makes us a people".

He said it was no coincidence that popular piety was centered on Mary.

"It is important that Mariology follows it with care, promotes it, at times purifies it, always paying attention to the 'signs of the Marian times' that pass through our age", he commented.

The pope noted that women played an essential role in the history of salvation and were therefore essential both for the Church and for the world.

"But how many women do not receive the dignity that is due to them," she complained. “The woman, who has brought God into the world, must be able to bring his gifts into history. His ingenuity and his style are necessary. Theology needs it, so that it is not abstract and conceptual, but sensitive, narrative, alive “.

“Mariology, in particular, can help bring to culture, also through art and poetry, the beauty that humanizes and instills hope. And she is called to seek more worthy spaces for women in the Church, starting with the common baptismal dignity. Because the Church, as I said, is a woman. Like Mary, [the Church] is a mother, like Mary “.