Deiparae Virginis Mariae

The encyclical Virginis Mariae Deiparae by Pope Pius XII. was a request to the bishops of the globe. It was published on 1 May 1946 and discussed the possibility of a dogma of the Assumption of Mary into heaven.

This encyclical is known in the series of " Marian encyclicals " as the second " Marian encyclical ". Your preceded the encyclical Ad diem illum laetissimum (1904 ), by Pope Pius X.

An inquiry

One of the first goals of Pope Pius XII. was the promotion of Marian devotion, but the outbreak of the Second World War delayed his plans. When the war was over, Pius XII issued. in 1946 the encyclical. In this letter, he looked back on how the Catholics had asked the Vatican for nearly 100 years to officially declare the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven.

A request for comments

Pope Pius XII. then asked the bishops to give their opinion on this matter:

The basis for dogma

The encyclical was not a casual invitation to the bishops to express their opinion, but the starting point of a solemn collegial process. The Pope wanted to know if the bishops deem it appropriate to classify the belief in the Assumption of Mary as dogma of the Roman Catholic faith - as infallibly defined doctrine must believe the Catholics.