Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine) or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas). In other contexts, objects are often considered 'holy' or 'sacred' if used for spiritual purposes, such as the worship or service of gods. These terms can also be used in a non-spiritual or semi-spiritual context ("sacred truths" in a constitution). It is often ascribed to people ("a holy man" of religious occupation, "holy prophet" who is venerated by his followers), objects ("sacred artifact" that is venerated and blessed ), times ("holy days" of spiritual introspection, such as during winter holidays), or places ("sacred ground", "holy place").

Etymology

The word "sacred" descends from the Latin ''sacrum'', which referred to the gods or anything in their power, and to ''sacerdos'', priest; ''sanctum'', set apart. It was generally conceived spatially, as referring to the area around a temple.

The English word ''holy'' dates back to at least the 11th Century with the Old English word ''hālig'', an adjective derived from ''hāl'' meaning ''whole'' and used to mean 'uninjured, sound, healthy, entire, complete’. The Scottish 'hale' (''health, happiness and wholeness.'') is the most complete modern form of this Old English root. The modern word 'health' is also derived from the Old English ''hal''. As “wholeness”, holiness may be taken to indicate a state of religious completeness or perfection. The word ''holy'' in its modern form appears in Wyclif's Bible of 1382.

In non-specialist contexts, the term "holy" is used in a more general way, to refer to someone or something that is associated with a divine power, such as water used for Baptism.

Holiness in Judaism

The Hebrew word for "holiness," "''kedushah''" () has the connotation of "separateness." ''That which is holy in Judaism is set apart, and the separation is maintained by both legal and spiritual measures.'' Certain places and times are intrinsically sacred, and strictures are placed on one's actions in those situations. However, holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. The Mishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding the Temple in Jerusalem: Holy of Holies; Temple Sanctuary; Temple Vestibule; Court of Priests; Court of Israelites; Court of Women; Temple Mount; the walled city of Jerusalem; all the walled cities of Israel; and the borders of the Land of Israel. Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area. Likewise, the holidays, including and especially the Sabbath, are considered to be holy in time; the Torah calls them "holy [days of] gathering. Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists 39 categories of activity that are specifically prohibited.

The Torah describes the Aaronite priests and the Levites as being selected by God to perform the Temple services; they, as well, are called "holy." A righteous person (''tzadik'') is also considered to be holy.

Beyond the intrinsically holy, objects can become sacred through consecration. Any personal possession may be dedicated to the Temple of God, after which its misappropriation is considered among the gravest of sins. The various sacrifices are holy; those that may be eaten have very specific rules concerning who may eat which of their parts, and time limits on when the consumption must be completed. Most sacrifices contain a part to be consumed by the priests - a portion of the holy to be consumed by God's holy devotees.

The encounter with the holy is seen as eminently desirable, and at the same time fearful and awesome. For the strongest penalties are applied to one who transgresses in this area - one could in theory receive either the death penalty or the heavenly punishment of ''karet'', spiritual excision, for mis-stepping in his close approach to God's domain.

Holiness in Christianity

===Holiness in Catholicism=== Catholicism has inherited much of the Jewish vision of the world in terms of holiness, with certain behaviour appropriate to certain places and times. The calendar gives shape to Catholic practice, which tends to focus on the Eucharist, in which the Real Presence of Christ is manifested. Holy days, celebrating Catholic saint lavin and events of the life of Christ are celebrated throughout the year. Many features of the Jewish temple(although now seen as having Christian significance) are imitated in churches, such as the altar, bread, lamp, incense, font, etc., to emphasise the extreme holiness of the Eucharistic elements, which are reserved in a tabernacle. In extension of this focus on the Sacrament as holy, many objects in Catholicism are also considered holy. They are called sacramentals and are usually blessed by a priest. Such items include rosaries, crucifixes, medals, and statues and icons of Jesus, angels and saints (Virgin Mary). While Catholics believe that holy places and objects (i.e., objects dedicated to God for sacred use) should be respected and not put to profane use, the Catholic Church condemns worshiping the object itself, as any worship given to something other than God is considered idolatry.

People in a state of sanctifying grace are also considered holy in Catholicism. A central notion of Catholicism as articulated in contemporary theology is the "[personal] call to holiness," considered as a vocation shared by every Christian believer. Profound personal holiness has traditionally also been seen as a focus for the kind of contagious holiness primarily associated with the Sacrament. So the communion of saints in Catholicism is not only the acclamation of their piety or morality, but also reverence for the tangible holiness that flows from their proximity to the divine. Hence the places where saints lived, died, performed miracles, or received visions frequently become sites of pilgrimage, and notable objects surviving a saint (including the body or parts of it) are considered relics. The holiness of such places or objects, resulting from contact with a deeply holy person, is often connected with the miraculous long after the death of the saint.

Sanctus is the name of an important hymn of Christian liturgy. The Trisagion ('Thrice Holy') is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Churches.

Holiness in Protestantism

The Protestant Reformation stood in opposition to the beliefs of tangible holiness in the Catholic Church and rejected most of its teachings regarding devotional practice, language and imagery. The early Protestant Reformers, who were often scholars of Ancient Greek and also borrowed from Jewish scholarship, recognized that'' holiness is an attribute of God'', and ''holiness is always part of the presence of God. '' Yet they also recognized that practical holiness was the evidence of the presence of God in the converted believer. Martin Luther viewed God's grace (and therefore God's holiness), as an invasion of the life. Actions that demonstrated holiness would spring up, not premeditated, as the believer focused more and more on his or her relationship with Christ. This was the life of faith, according to Luther; a life in which one recognizes that the sin inherent in human nature never departs, yet Grace invades each human spirit and draws each person after Christ.

Calvin, on the other hand, formulated a practical system of holiness that even tied in with culture and social justice. All unholy actions, Calvin reasoned, resulted in suffering. Thus he proved out to the city fathers of Geneva that dancing and other social vices always ended with the wealthy oppressing the poor. A holy life, in his outlook, was pietistic and simple, a life that shunned extravagance, excess, and vanity. On a personal level, Calvin believed that suffering would be a manifestation of taking on the Cross of Christ, but suffering was also part of the process of holiness. He expected that all Christians would suffer in this life, not as punishment, but rather as participation in union with Christ, who suffered for them. And yet, socially, Calvin argued that a holy society would end up as a gentle, kindly society (except to criminals) where the poor would be protected from the abuses of the wealthy, the lawyers, and others who normally preyed upon them.

In Protestantism, especially in American branches of Protestantism of the more Pentecostal variety, holiness has acquired the secondary meaning of the reshaping of a person through spiritual rebirth. The term owes its origin to John Wesley's concept of "scriptural holiness" or Christian perfection.

The Holiness movement began within Methodism in the United States, among those who thought the church had lost the zeal and emphasis on personal holiness of Wesley's day. In the latter part of the 19th century revival meetings were held, attended by thousands. In Vineland, N.J in 1867 a camp meeting was begun and the ''National Holiness Camp Meeting Association,'' which went on to establish many holiness camp meetings across the nation. Some adherents to the movement remained within their denominations; others founded new denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church, the Church of the Nazarene, and the Church of God (Anderson). Within a generation another movement, the Pentecostal movement was born, drawing heavily from the Holiness Movement. Around the middle of the 20th century, the Conservative Holiness Movement was born - a conservative offshoot of the Holiness movement.

The Higher Life movement appeared in the British Isles during the mid-19th century.

In the contemporary Holiness movement, the idea that holiness is relational is growing. In this thought, the core notion of holiness is love. Other notions of holiness, such as purity, being set apart, perfection, keeping rules, and total commitment, are seen as contributory notions of holiness. These contributory notions find their ultimate legitimacy when love is at their core (Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl).

Commonly recognized outward expressions or "standards" of holiness among more fundamental adherents frequently include applications relative to dress, hair, and appearance: e.g., short hair on men, uncut hair on women, and prohibitions against shorts, pants on women, make-up and jewelry. Other common injunctions are against places of worldly amusement, mixed swimming, smoking, minced oaths, as well as the eschewing of television and radio.

More traditional or mainline Protestant denominations, such as the Anglican, Lutheran, and some Methodist denomninations, believe in Holy Sacraments that the clergy perform, such as Holy Communion and Holy Baptism. As well as strong belief in the Holy Catholic Church, Holy Scripture, Holy Trinity, and the Holy Covenant. They also believe that angels and saints are called to holiness.

Holiness in Orthodoxy

see Glorification

Holiness in Buddhism

In Theravada Buddhism one finds the designation of 'noble person' or ''ariyapuggala'' (Pali). The Buddha described four grades of such person depending on their level of purity. This purity is measured by which of the ten fetters (samyojana) and klesha have been purified and integrated from the mindstream. These persons are called (in order of increasing sanctity) Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant. The latter term designates an enlightened human being and is sometimes rendered into English as the Holy One.

Holiness in Islam

Among the names of God in Quran is القدوس (Al-Qoddous) : and , the closest English translation for which is 'sacred'. As God alone is considered to be the ultimate source of all true purification and guidance in Islam, all holiness is his alone too.

Hierology

:''For the study of hieroglyphics, see hieroglyphology. For the study of sacred writings, see hierographology.''

Hierology (Greek ιερος, hieros, "sacred" or "holy", + λογος, logos, "word" or "reason") refers to the study of the sacred and sacredness. It is generally pursued by those who find real truth in many faiths and especially refers to philosophical speculations about religion that involve the traditions of multiple cultures or belief systems. It differs from theology in that a god or gods are not necessarily a focus and in that it may include sources with no origin in Western philosophy or religion.

''See also''

Sacred architecture

Sacred art

Sacred dance

Sacred geometry

Sacred history

Sacred language

Sacred music

Sacred Mysteries

Sacred prostitution

Sacred text

Sacred Tradition

Sacred waters

Sacred ground

Usually, social or religious groups considers an area sacred or holy, where there is a human presence, e.g. a cemetery or a building or site for worship. However, there are natural areas on each continent--canyons, mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, seashores, etc. that are considered sacred, where the site's value as a sacred area trumps its use for economic purposes, and is usually preserved for perpetuity. See also most sacred sites.

See also

Buddhology

Hallow

Joseph Campbell

Neopaganism

New Age

Polytheistic reconstructionism

Theology

Theosophy

Traditionalist School

Notes

References

Durkheim, Emile (1915) ''The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.'' London: George Allen & Unwin (originally published 1915, English translation 1915).

Eliade, Mircea (1957) ''The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion.'' Translated by Willard R. Trask. (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World).

Thomas Jay Oord and Michael Lodahl (2006) ''Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love.'' Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill.

Pals, Daniel (1996) ''Seven Theories of Religion.'' New York: Oxford University Press. US ISBN 0-19-508725-9 (pbk).

Sharpe, Eric J. (1986) ''Comparative Religion: A History'', 2nd ed., (London: Duckworth, 1986/La Salle: Open Court). US ISBN 0-8126-9041-9.

Category:Holiness Category:Attributes of God in Christian theology

de:Heilig es:Sagrado fr:Sacré it:Sacro pt:Sagrado (religião) ro:Sfințenie ru:Святость tl:Banal uk:Сакральне

type	Archbishop
honorific-prefix	The Most Reverend
name	Diarmuid Martin
archbishop of	Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
diocese	Dublin
see	Dublin
enthroned	26 April 2004('''')
predecessor	Desmond Connell
ordination	25 May 1969 (Priest)
consecration	6 January 1999 (Bishop)
other post	Coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin (2003-2004); Apostolic Nuncio in Geneva and Titular Archbishop of Glenndálocha (2001-2003); Titular Bishop of Glenndálocha (1999-2001)
birth date	April 08, 1945
birth place	Dublin, Ireland
nationality	Irish
religion	Roman Catholic Church
signature	}}

Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.

Early life and education

Diarmuid Martin was raised and educated in Dublin, at the Oblate school in Inchicore, the De La Salle School situated on the Ballyfermot Road in Ballyfermot and Marian College, Ballsbridge. Following that, he went to University College Dublin, where he studied philosophy, and then went to the Dublin Diocese's seminary at Clonliffe, where he studied theology. He was ordained a priest on 25 May 1969 by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. Following this he pursued further education at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, though, it appears, without attaining any degrees.

Pastoral Experience

From 1973 to 1974 he was Curate at the Parish of St Brigid in Cabinteely, but actively sought to return to Rome.

Work for the Holy See

In 1976, Martin began to work in the service of the Holy See for the Pontifical Council for the Family. He later worked on the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, being appointed the Under Secretary in 1986 and the Secretary in 1994. On 6 January 1999 he was ordained as Titular Bishop of Glendalough by Pope John Paul II. On 17 January 2001, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of the same diocese. This marked his appointment as the Holy See Permanent Observer in Geneva, at the United Nations Office and Specialised Agencies and at the World Trade Organisation. It was in this capacity that he represented the Holy See at various UN conferences, including the International Conference on Population and Development. He led the delegations of the Holy See to the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (Doha, 2001), the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

During the 1990s, Diarmuid Martin represented the Holy See at major United Nations International Conferences, spoke about the Church's teachings on social matters at a variety of Bishop Conferences, and was a member of various Vatican Offices, including the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. Also, he was involved in discussions between the World Council of Churches and the Catholic Church as well as the World Faiths Development Dialogue. He also represented the views of the Holy See to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, where he advocated for debt relief for less developed countries.

Archbishop of Dublin

Name	Diarmuid Martin
Dipstyle	The Most Reverend
Offstyle	Your Grace
Relstyle	Archbishop
Deathstyle	not applicable

Martin was appointed Co-Adjutor to Cardinal Connell on 3 May 2003, and was installed as such on 30 August of that year. On 26 April 2004, following the acceptance of Cardinal Connell's resignation by Pope John Paul II, Martin automatically succeeded him as Archbishop of Dublin.

Following ''Summorum Pontificum'', the decree of Pope Benedict XVI liberalising the use of the Latin Mass, which took effect on 14 September 2007, Martin duly established a Latin Mass Chaplaincy in the Dublin City area.

Gay priests

In 2005 Archbishop Martin, said that being gay should not prevent a man becoming a Catholic priest. "''You don't write off a candidate for the priesthood simply because he is a gay man,''" Archbishop Martin is quoted saying in a recent issue of the British Catholic magazine, ''The Tablet''. The archbishop's remarks followed the Congregation for Catholic Education's publishing of a document in November that would ban gay men, even if they were celibate, from training for the priesthood. "''You have to say that horrendous damage was done to people,''" said Martin. "''Then you need to take steps to ensure this will never happen again.''" But, he noted, "''you cannot identify homosexuality with paedophilia''". He said that paedophilia is "''not the result of homosexuality, nor is it a result of celibacy''"

Missionary work

In 2007, Martin announced that "a Catholic Church representative will visit every household in the Dublin Archdiocese next year. He predicted his evangelisation programme would promote greater co-operation between lay people and priests in the Church's mission and ministry".

Cardinalatial and curial speculation

On 21 February 2006 The Irish Times published a front page article which stated that Martin was due to receive the red hat in the next consistory, suggesting the date for this would be the 25 March the Feast of the Annunciation. However, on the next day Pope Benedict XVI announced the names of the 15 new cardinals to be created, who did not include Martin.

On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict XVI announced the next batch of names to be elevated to the cardinalate and once again Martin's name was not on the list, which instead contained that of Seán Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh. This was in accordance with a tradition whereby the Primate of All Ireland is more frequently chosen as a cardinal than the Archbishop of Dublin, who holds the title of Primate of Ireland.

In April 2009, a British newspaper considered Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, "likely to be succeeded by Monsignor Diarmuid Martin, the astute and able Archbishop of Dublin", and a Dublin news service also reported that "Archbishop Martin is strongly tipped to get the post in diplomatic circles". However, on 24 October of that year the appointment went to Cardinal Peter Turkson, then Archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Civil Partnerships legislation

In response to comments by Cardinal Brady on the Civil Partnership Bill, Martin said: "We haven't expressed an opinion as an Episcopal Conference (on the Bill). I don't think anyone in the conference is against what Cardinal Brady said, but they may have said it in different ways." He also said that while the Catholic Church favoured marriage, "it is not against other forms of intimacy".

Dr Martin told the Irish Independent in 2004 that "''I recognise that there are many different kinds of caring relationships and these often create dependencies for those involved. The State may feel in justice that the rights of people in these relationships need to be protected.''" He emphasised he was not thinking mainly of homosexual relationships, but rather of caring, dependent relationships in general. At the same time, he said, he did not exclude homosexual relationships. Dr Martin said: "''I have a wide range of relationships in mind. I do not exclude gay relationships but my main concern is with all caring relationships where dependencies have come into being.''"

Ecumenical activity

On 4 November 2007 Martin became the third Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin to preach in the Anglican (Church of Ireland) Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, since the 16th century Reformation. Delivering the annual Citizenship Sunday sermon, he said that selling drugs was about trafficking with death.

50th International Eucharistic Congress

At the end of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress held in Quebec in 2008, in a video message, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress would be held in Dublin in 2012: "As this significant event in the life of the Church draws to a conclusion I invite you all to join me in praying for the success of the next International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in 2012 in the city of Dublin."He took the opportunity "to greet warmly the people of Ireland, as they prepare to host this ecclesial gathering" and added: "I am confident that they, together with all the participants at the next congress, will find it a source of lasting spiritual renewal."

Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin, who attended the Congress in Quebec, welcomed the decision, stating: "On behalf of the Catholic faithful of Ireland, we are honoured and humbled that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has chosen Dublin to host the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in 2012. While the theme for the next congress has yet to be finalised, we are deeply conscious that 2012 also marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.''"

This is the second time that Dublin will host the congress, the first being the 31st congress in 1932. "We live in different times now", the prelates said in their statement, "and it is our hope that the 2012 congress will be an opportunity for the Catholic Church in Ireland to both reflect on the centrality of the Eucharist at the heart of our increasingly diverse community, and, to give renewed impetus to the living of faith.''

On 11 November 2010 Pope Benedict met Archbishop Martin and members of the organising committee of the 50th Eucharistic Congress as well as participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace. Pope Benedict expressed the hope that the preparations in Ireland for the Eucharistic Congress would help with the renewal of the Irish church. “''Your assembly has paid great attention to this event, which is also part of the modernisation programme of the church in Ireland. The theme recalls the centrality of the Eucharistic mystery for the growth of the life of faith and every authentic process of church renewal''” he said.

Credibility deficit of Church

Speaking in Dublin at a discussion organised by the Communion and Liberation lay Catholic movement, Martin said that, when the Church speaks, it faces a severe hindrance: "When I was younger, if you did your Leaving Certificate examination through the medium of Irish you got a bonus on your mark - I think it was either a 10 per cent or 15 per cent - just for that fact. Today for the church to make a credible statement on many aspects of public life or simply to talk about faith you start out with the opposite. You start out with a substantial percentage of credibility deficit." He wondered: "How does one really begin to speak about faith? How does one attempt to reach out and lead young people on a journey of faith, when they in many ways have lost trust in a church which many young people find no longer just 'irrelevant' but ... in which many young people say they have very little confidence".

Martin again spoke on this topic when, in his homily at the pro-cathedral on Holy Thursday 2009, he said that the two biggest problems facing young people were the Catholic Church's condemnation of gay couples and the question of suicide. He said that these were causing "a disconnect" which was causing "a dramatic and growing rift" between the Church and the younger generation. He accepted that this was partly the Church's fault because young people were much more questioning today than previously - and he urged his priests to offer services in the parish that would be geared more towards their particular concerns. He said that young people "see through the superficial answers we give". He added:"Our young people are generous and idealistic but such generosity and idealism does not seem to find a home in the Church. Where are we offering young people a home in our Church communities? Where are the focal points where we are helping young people to find an interpretation of their generosity, idealism and questioning in the light of the challenge and of the beauty of the message of Jesus Christ?"

Commission on child sexual abuse

In his homily on Holy Thursday 2009, he also warned that the depth of the Catholic sex abuse cases "will shock us all", throwing up challenges to the Catholic Church in Ireland it has never experienced before. Martin said: "It is likely that thousands of children or young people across Ireland were abused by priests in the period under investigation and the horror of that abuse was not recognised for what it is. The report will make each of us and the entire church in Dublin a humbler church". Martin also asked for the "forgiveness of anyone that I may have hurt or left feeling neglected. I know my own failings and limitations and I wish to renew sincerely today my respect and concern for each and every priest of this diocese or working in this diocese".

On 25 May 2009, Martin stated in the ''Irish Times'' (partially quoting a correspondent),

"'There is always a price to pay for not responding'. The church will have to pay that price in terms of its credibility. The first thing the church has to do is to move out of any mode of denial. Where the church is involved in social care it should be in the vanguard. That is different to a situation in which the church proclaims that it is in the vanguard.... in a very short time another report on the sexual abuse of children will be published, this time about how such abuse was managed in the Archdiocese of Dublin of which I am archbishop".

Ordinations and commissioning of lay pastoral workers

On Saturday 27 June 2009, three men were ordained priests – two for the Archdiocese of Dublin and one for the Capuchin Province of Korea, at a ceremony in St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. And for the first time in Dublin, a unique part of the ceremony saw 13 parish pastoral workers commissioned into their new roles in parishes throughout the Archdiocese.

The new priests and parish pastoral workers took up their roles as the diocese began its Year of Evangelisation - a time of renewal of faith and the call to proclaim the Gospel. The aim of the Year of Evangelisation was to support, animate and develop evangelisation initiatives throughout parishes in the diocese. This included supporting parish sacramental programmes and initiatives such as the ''Do This in Memory'' Holy Communion programme and the ''You Will Be My Witnesses'' Confirmation programme and joint initiatives with the Church of Ireland.

The men ordained were Aloysius Zuribo, from Orlu in the state of Imo in Nigeria, Colin Rothery from Kilmacud in Dublin and Stephen Kim (OFM Capuchin) from Korea, who is currently in the Capuchin Friary, Raheny.

The parish pastoral workers – women and men – came from a variety of backgrounds, were theology graduates and had just completed a year-long formation course in Mater Dei Institute. They included former teachers, a barman, a homemaker, a technician and students. Their central role would be to support priests and communities in educating people in their faith, supporting and developing parish initiatives around prayer and the sacraments.

Addressing the parish pastoral workers, Martin said that “''The Archdiocese of Dublin renews itself today with the commissioning of 13 new Parish Pastoral Workers who will bring their talents and charisms as lay men and women into our parishes and help animate our communities, especially around the Word of God. Saint Augustine reminds all of us that without being first a hearer of the word in our own hearts, we will only be empty preachers of the word to others. I urge you to witness to the word through the example of your lives and through the personal holiness which your mission calls for.''”

Red Mass 2009

Addressing on 5 October 2009 a congregation including Supreme Court judge Mrs Justice Susan Denham, Law Reform Commission president Catherine McGuinness and High Court judge Mr Justice Declan Budd, at the formal opening of the law term in St Michan's church, Martin warned that ongoing prosperity could not on its own bring the harmony which society requires.

Urging the congregation to work to strengthen the fabric of society and make it more caring, he said self-indulgence could lead to corruption, total disregard for the rights of others, a breakdown of community and violence. Violence, he added, was "a continual threat to the harmony of society" in Ireland, was "profoundly anti-democratic" and attempted to "limit the effectiveness of community through a climate of fear". Speaking of "those whose mission it is to advance legislation which promotes harmony and equality and those whose mission it is to apply such laws and administer justice", he said: "Yours is a task of the spirit: to ensure that true communication in the fullest sense between people is not inhibited by the raw power of the self-interest of the few".

Murphy Report

On 26 November 2009, the Murphy Report into abuse carried out by priests and covered up to varying degrees by the four preceding Archbishops of Dublin, namely, John Charles McQuaid, Dermot Ryan, Kevin McNamara, and Desmond Connell, was published. The report, which took three years to complete, said the archdiocese had an "obsessive concern with secrecy and the avoidance of scandal" and had "little or no concern for the welfare of the abused child".

The report also noted how Church authorities used the concept of "mental reservation", which allowed clergy to mislead people without being guilty, in the church’s eyes, of lying. The report also stated that there were some courageous priests who brought complaints to the attention of their superiors. But in general there was a "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy.

The investigating commission identified 320 individuals who complained of abuse between 1975 and 2004, and noted that 130 complaints had been made since May 2004. Cardinal Connell, the only living archbishop of the four mentioned in the report, expressed his "bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form".

At a press conference held on the day the report was released, Martin said: "As Archbishop of a Diocese for which I have pastoral responsibility, of my own native diocese, of the diocese for which I was ordained a priest, of a Diocese which I love and hope to serve to the best of my ability, what can I say when I have to share with you the revolting story of the sexual assault and rape of so many young children and teenagers by priests of the Archdiocese or who ministered in the diocese? No words of apology will ever be sufficient."

In a letter to the priests and laity read out at all Masses on Sunday 29 November 2009, Martin wrote that "The damage done to children abused by priests can never be undone. As Archbishop of Dublin and as Diarmuid Martin I offer to each and every survivor, my apology, my sorrow and my shame for what happened to them. I am aware however that no words of apology will ever be sufficient".

Martin said on 1 December 2009 that he was writing to Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray, a former auxiliary bishop of the Dublin diocese who was strongly criticised in the report but who, while saying he regretted his actions, did not immediately resign from his Limerick post, and to all other auxiliary bishops who served in Dublin and who were named in the report. He said he was “not satisfied” with some of their responses so far. He pointed out that those bishops named in the report, but no longer serving in the Dublin archdiocese, could not tailor their responses to people in their current dioceses. What they did and did not do failed people in Dublin and they owe them a response, he said.

On 11 December Archbishop Martin and Cardinal Brady met with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the Murphy Report. Pope Benedict was accompanied by a group of Curial officials including the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Cardinal Prefects of the Congregation for Bishops, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, also attended.

After the historic two-day meeting between the Irish bishops and Pope Benedict, there was a certain dismay in the Vatican at the widespread negative Irish media reaction.Speaking of what he called a “dialogue between deaf parties”, one commentator said neither the Holy See nor Irish public and media opinion had fully understood the other. What seemed a very useful, groundbreaking meeting to one, looked like a total waste of time to the other. Vatican insiders argue that a meeting like that held this week could never produce obvious, tangible results. This meeting was much more about listening and understanding. Issues such as the resignations of bishops and arranging a “symbolic gesture” meeting between abuse survivors and Pope Benedict were simply never on the agenda.

After the meeting, the Holy See's Press Office released a statement that included the following: "Today the Holy Father held a meeting with senior Irish bishops and high-ranking members of the Roman Curia. He listened to their concerns and discussed with them the traumatic events that were presented in the Irish Commission of Investigation's Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. After careful study of the report, the Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large. ... The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children. The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.

Asked if the meeting and the ensuing Vatican statement would go some way to answering criticism about the perceived silence of the Holy See in the wake of the publication of the report, Martin said: "What appeared to us today is that maybe things were not said but certainly people were reflecting on matters".

Some survivors of child abuse and their representatives reacted negatively to the Holy See's statement. Marie Collins, who was abused in 1960 by a priest when she was a patient at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, said: "I can’t say I was disappointed because I didn’t have any high hopes."Acknowledging the sincerity of the pope’s call for prayers for those abused and their families, and possible initiatives where reorganisation of the Irish Church was concerned, she pointed out the statement "doesn’t deal with the past. No one has taken responsibility for what went on in Dublin. There is no accountability".

Bishops Eamonn Oliver Walsh and Ray Field offered an apology to child-abuse victims, as they tendered their resignations during Christmas Midnight Mass on 24 December 2009. This came in addition to the resignation of two other bishops, Donal Murray of Limerick and James Moriarty of Kildare, following the publication of the Murphy Report.

In a joint statement Walsh and Field said they hoped their proffered resignations "''may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims (and) survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologise to them''". Martin had called for his two auxiliary bishops to quit, but both initially refused. In his Christmas sermon, Martin said the church for too long placed its self-interest above the rights of its parishioners, particularly innocent children. He said they, as well as the dedicated majority of priests, had been betrayed by their leaders. "It has been a painful year," he told worshippers at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. "But the church today may well be a better and safer place than was the church of 25 years ago – when all looked well, but where deep shadows were kept buried." On 11 August 2010, however, it was revealed that Pope Benedict had not accepted the resignations of Bishops Walsh and Field. "Following the presentation of their resignations to Pope Benedict, it has been decided that Bishop Eamonn Walsh and Bishop Raymond Field will remain as auxiliary bishops," Archbishop Martin said in a letter to priests of the diocese

Prior to offering their resignations, Walsh had been a bishop for 19 years and ran the diocese of Ferns for four years after Brendan Comiskey resigned as a bishop over his cover-ups of abuse. Field had served for 12 years in Dublin and was president of the hierarchy's Commission for Justice and Social Affairs.

Of the five serving bishops who were mentioned in the Murphy report, only one, the Bishop of Galway, Martin Drennan, decided not to offer his resignation. In a radio poll 93% of local people in Galway said that they supported his decision. Likewise, Galway West TD Frank Fahey declared that Drennan should not resign.

Martin came in for criticism among other high ranking clergy for calling for the resignations. In the Connaught Tribune newspaper, Father Tony Flannery was critical of how Martin communicated with his own auxiliary bishops: "These bishops are not recalcitrant teenagers; they are intelligent and mature men, so it was pathetic of Diarmuid Martin to use the media to communicate with them".

In January 2010, the Archbishop expressed surprise at claims made in the previous month by Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan that he had attacked Drennan's integrity. It followed a call by Martin, following publication of the Murphy report, for all current and former Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin to be accountable for their actions on child protection issues. In a radio interview, after the Archbishop made his comments, Drennan said: "''I don't know if Martin intended it or not but it has put a question mark over my integrity, yes. Now that I've responded to him and given him the evidence he needs he might want to reflect on that and see what response he should make to it.''" Speaking to the media in Maynooth on 22 January, as a day-long extraordinary meeting of the Irish Episcopal Conference concluded which had also been attended by Drennan, Martin said: “''I'm surprised that anybody would say that, by asking people to be accountable, to stand up and explain themselves, that was an attack on anyone's integrity.''” He said he had received lots of correspondence supporting him for saying people should be accountable, which did not mean heads should roll, he said.

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Dublin Dermot O’Mahony strongly criticised Martin, claiming that he had failed to support priests in the Dublin diocese following publication of the Murphy report. “''The archbishop did nothing to counteract the statement of the Murphy report, widely circulated in the media, that the majority of clergy knew and did nothing. Indeed, I feel he made matters worse by giving an example of a parish that could be clearly identifiable to the priests of the diocese,''” wrote O’Mahony in letters sent to Martin and the Council of Priests. He added: “''To suggest our approach failed to take cognisance of the safety of children is inaccurate and unjust. The acceptance by media and current diocese policy that a cover-up took place must be challenged,''”, and took the unusual step of circulating his own correspondence with Martin to the Council of Priests.

In a letter to Martin on 30 December, Bishop O’Mahony wrote that he had been shocked at the tone of a previous letter he had received from Martin, which had addressed the Murphy report. A spokeswoman for Martin told ''The Irish Times'' that this letter to O’Mahony, which was dated 2 December 2009, had been sent following detailed conversation between them. It was sent three days after a meeting of the diocesan council which discussed the Murphy report.

A meeting of priests heard demands that Martin be confronted over his handling of the fallout from the Murphy report on clerical child sex abuse. It also heard claims that the archbishop had become “''a source of division''” among priests and bishops. About 25 Dublin priests attended the meeting on 18 January 2010. The minutes state that the majority of priests in attendance were middle-aged and all got a chance to speak. The meeting was specially convened to discuss the Murphy report. “''Anger, frustration and a sense of helplessness [were] expressed at the lack of compassion shown by the diocese in recent months, particularly towards the auxiliary bishops,''” the minutes report. The minutes go on to say that priests were “''dumbfounded''” by Martin’s letter to former auxiliary bishop O' Mahony. “''To say his good name had been tarnished was untrue, cruel and insulting''”.

Archbishop Martin in August 2010 said that bishops have “a long history of a lack of unity”, according to an English translation of the address he delivered in Italian at Rimini.

Pope's Pastoral Letter to Irish Catholics

Pope Benedict's letter to Irish Catholics was signed on Friday 19 March 2010 and was released on the 20 March The letter follows the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports into child abuse by Church authorities. After the letter was released Archbishop Diarmuid Martin welcomed the pope's statement, describing it not as a final word but as “''a further step in the process of renewal and healing in the Catholic Church in Ireland following the crisis of the sexual abuse of children''". Martin said the pope acknowledged the suffering and betrayal experienced by survivors of clerical abuse. “''The pope recognises the failures of Church authorities in how they dealt with sinful and criminal acts,''” he said.

Refusal to call for resignation of Cardinal Brady

In response to a journalist's question following publicity given to Cardinal Brady's role in canonical investigations in 1975 concerning paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, Martin commented: "I never tell people to resign. I never said people should stay. I ask for accountability. Resigning is a personal decision a person has to make on their own. People should be accountable, and render account of what they've done. Resignations are personal decisions." Asked whether it was acceptable that Cardinal Brady did not stop Smyth after the 1975 investigation, he said Smyth "was not stopped by who had the power to stop him", and "somebody should have stopped him".

In the same interview Martin was asked if he had been recently silenced by the church. He replied: "No, I haven't been asked to stop talking. I gave four major interviews in the last four weeks to Irish and international television." Asked if he had been ostracised by other members of the church, he said: "I do things in my own way, which may not please everybody, but in no way was I ostracised. I have to maintain also my own independence of thought."

Apostolic visitation

In October 2010, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, along with Cardinal Brady, Archbishops Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly met for high-level talks with heads of Vatican congregations over the apostolic visitation of Irish dioceses in the wake of the Murphy and Ryan reports. While in Rome, the Irish churchmen came face to face with a team of investigators appointed by Pope Benedict to examine the four Irish archdioceses and "some other as yet unspecified dioceses".

They included Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Cardinal-Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, who inspected Cardinal Brady's archdiocese of Armagh, and Sean O'Malley, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, who inspected the Dublin diocese. Toronto's Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins to investigate Cashel, while Ottawa's Archbishop Terrence Prendergast will look at the west of Ireland archdiocese of Tuam. An investigation of the state of Irish seminaries will be conducted by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. The investigators, known as apostolic visitors, will report their findings directly to Pope Benedict XVI.

2011 Liturgy of Lament

Archbishop Martin on 20 February 2011 said that the Church has a long way to journey in honesty before it merits forgiveness for the abuse of children. Archbishop Martin then made what victims said was the most explicit apology to date for the role of the Church hierarchy in enabling the abuse. Apostolic Visitor Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston, who was sent to Ireland by the Vatican to study the response of the Dublin archdiocese to sexual abuse, lay prostrate in front of an empty stone altar at the start of the service. They later invited five women and three male victims of abuse to the altar, where they knelt down and washed their feet. Three of the victims held hands and sobbed as Martin poured water on their feet and Cardinal O'Malley dried them with a towel.

During the service Archbishop Martin said "''I can express my sorrow, my sense of the wrong that was done to you. I think of how you were not heard or not believed and not comforted and supported. I can ask myself how did this happen in the Church of Jesus Christ where as we heard in the Gospel children are presented to us as signs of the kingdom. How did we not see you in your suffering and abandonment?''" he contiuned saying "''Someone once reminded me of the difference between on the one hand apologising or saying sorry and on the other hand asking forgiveness. I can bump into someone on the street and say “Sorry”. It can be meaningful or just an empty formula. When I say sorry I am in charge. When I ask forgiveness however I am no longer in charge, I am in the hands of the others. Only you can forgive me; only God can forgive me. I, as Archbishop of Dublin and as Diarmuid Martin, stand here in this silence and I ask forgiveness of God and I ask for the first steps of forgiveness from of all the survivors of abuse.''"

Comments on Vatican response to report

In May 2011 Archbishop Martin emphasised he was not criticising Pope Benedict, but was encouraging a sense of urgency on the part of the Pope’s “collaborators” in the Roman Curia. Speaking in Dublin he said the pace of change in Irish religious culture was such that “the longer the delay in advancing the fruits of the apostolic visitation, the greater the danger of false expectations, and the greater the encouragement to those who prefer immobilism to reform, and the greater the threat to the effectiveness of this immense gift of the Holy Father to the Irish Church”. He was “impatient to learn about the path that the apostolic visitation will set out for renewal for the Irish Church so that our renewal will move forward decisively. At the same time, I am also becoming increasingly impatient at the slowness in the process, which began over a year ago. This is not a criticism of the Holy Father. It is an appeal to his collaborators.” Archbishop Martin was speaking at All Hallows College, Dublin, to delegates from almost 70 countries attending a conference held in anticipation of the 2012 Eucharistic Congress. His “greatest concern” was “the rift which is growing between the church and young people”.

Church role in education

In March 2010, Martin welcomed an announcement by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe that his department “''will shortly be providing an initial list of about 10 urban areas that can be used to test the concept of reducing the number of Catholic schools''”. Martin also said that solutions would have to be found to respect the rights of teachers “''who do not wish to be involved in religious education''”. He welcomed the fact that “''the Minister has indicated that there will be consultations with parents, teachers and local communities''”.

Fr Michael Drumm, executive chairman of the Catholic Schools Partnership, also welcomed “the prospect of greater diversity of school provision” as indicated by the Minister yesterday. However, he queried the Minister’s “mention of an eventual reduction of Catholic provision in demographically stable urban areas to 60 per cent”.

In his address to the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association in Dublin, Minister O'Keefe said that “''the issue of the Catholic Church divesting itself of certain schools was originally explicitly raised by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and it has also found expression in the work of the Bishops’ Conference and through its engagement with my department.''” He said that the archbishop’s “''public identification of this reality''” was “''a timely and important contribution not just to the future of Catholic schools but to the future of the primary sector generally,''” he said.

“In overall terms, I know it has been acknowledged that the Catholic primary sector, which currently represents over 90 per cent of overall provision, may ultimately fall to between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of overall provision and that this percentage of overall provision will still be enough to allow the church fulfil its expressed commitment to meet the needs of parents who wish their children to have a Catholic education.”

In March 2011 Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has set up an expert group to decide how up to half of all primary schools will be moved away from Catholic Church patronage. The forum will be chaired by Prof John Coolahan, professor emeritus at NUI Maynooth, and will meet for the first time in May 2011. They will advise the Minister on how best it can be ensured that the education system provides a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and the practicalities of how transfer of patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary.

Comments on the Cloyne report

On 13 July 2011 the report in the sexual abuse in the diocese of Cloyne was published. Archbishop Martin said on reading his report that his "''first emotion that came to me was anger''". Archbishop Martin has warned that further investigations of clerical child sex abuse in dioceses will not get to the truth if people in the Catholic Church are not prepared to tell the truth. Senior church figures who were not prepared to be honest would only be “''discovered''” through an “''invasive''” audit of child protection practices in their dioceses, he said. He said the Vatican, in responding to the findings of last week’s report on child abuse cases in the Cloyne diocese, should reiterate its support for the Irish church in applying existing “norms”, or rules, on child protection. The Vatican should also support the reporting of cases to the State authorities and the carrying out of audits to show exactly where the situation was in relation to child protection. He acknowledged that people could feel deceived by the church, he said the norms set down by the present pope in 2001 had been ignored in the Cloyne diocese. “''What sort of a cabal is in there and still refusing to recognise the norms of the church?''” he asked. All the other Irish bishops had put these norms into practice, “''as far as I know''”, he added. Dr Martin said six elderly priests were verbally abused at a colleague’s funeral this week when someone challenged them, claiming they “should be ashamed of themselves”. “''Those who felt they were able to play tricks with norms, they have betrayed those good men and so many others in the church who are working today,''” he said.

Third Edition of the Roman Missal

In August 2011 Archbishop Martin defended the new, more accurate English translation of the Roman Missal entering into force by Advent 2011. A gradual introduction of the missal will begin at Masses in Ireland from Sunday, 11 September. It is planned that it will be in full use throughout Ireland and the English-speaking Catholic world by the first Sunday of Advent this year, 27 November. In a letter to the priests of the Dublin diocese earlier in August, Dr Martin said that since the current Roman Missal was introduced in 1975, “many additional texts have been made available for use. These include new eucharistic prayers for reconciliation I and II, and for Masses for various needs I to IV, Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary, Masses for new feasts of saints, and other new material.” Those familiar with translations in other languages had come to realise “that often there were key phrases and rich biblical allusions missing from the English translation” in the current missal, he said. Also, “some theological vocabulary had been lost in the 1975 edition” and the new missal “addresses some of these weaknesses”.Those familiar with translations in other languages had come to realise “that often there were key phrases and rich biblical allusions missing from the English translation” in the current missal, he said. Changes to the wording of the Confiteor, the Gloria and the Creed are included in the new Roman Missal. The phrase “begotten, not made, of one being with the Father”, from the Creed, has been changed to “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father”. The response to “the Lord be with you” has been changed from “and also with you” to “and with your spirit”, while the opening three sentences of the third eucharistic prayer have been replaced with a 72-word sentence.

Future of the Church in Ireland

Archbishop Martin said in a speech on the future of the Church on 10 May 2010, that the Gospel reminds "''us that the Father would send the Spirit who, at each moment in the history of the Church, would teach us all things in Jesus name. In that sense I cannot be pessimistic about the future of the Church in Ireland.''" He continued saying that "''The future of the Catholic Church in Ireland will see a very different Catholic Church in Ireland. I sometimes worry when I hear those with institutional responsibility stress the role of the institution and others then in reaction saying that “we are the Church”. Perhaps on both sides there may be an underlying feeling that “I am the Church”, that the Church must be modelled on my way of thinking or on my position. Renewal is never our own creation. Renewal will only come through returning to the Church which we have received from the Lord.''"

On Church teaching, Archbishop Martin said that, "''There are further challenges to be addressed regarding Church teaching. Within the Church and outside of it discussion focuses around challenges in the area of sexual morality where the Church’s teaching is either not understood or is simply rejected as out of tune with contemporary culture. There is on the other hand very little critical examination of some of the roots of that contemporary culture and its compatibility with the teaching of Jesus. The moral teaching of the Church cannot simply be a blessing for, a toleration of, or an adaptation to the cultural climate of the day.''"

On the need for greater evangelisation he said that "''The use of modern media mechanisms to support the distribution of the Gospel is something important and innovative. In this context, we are very fortunate to have a group of scripture scholars who put their knowledge and personal perception of the scriptures at the service of parishes and bible study groups. This material is accessible to any individual who would wish to avail of it on the website www.yearofevangelisation.ie.''"

He said that "''The Catholic Church in Ireland is coming out of one of its most difficult moments in its history and the light at the end of the tunnel is still a long way off. The Catholic Church in Ireland will have to live with the grief of its past, which can and should never be forgotten or overlooked. There is no simple way of wiping the slate of the past clean, just to ease our feelings. Yet the Catholic Church in Ireland cannot be imprisoned in its past. The work of evangelization must if anything take on a totally new vibrancy.''"

He closed saying that "''Perhaps the future of the Church in Ireland will be one where we truly learn from the arrogance of our past and find anew a fragility which will allow the mercy and the compassion of Jesus to give us a change of heart and allow others through a very different Church to encounter something of that compassion and faith for their lives.''"

On 20 February 2011, he made what was regarded by abuse survivors as his most explicit apology yet.

At a talk on the future of Irish Catholicism on 22 February 2011 for the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies, Magdalene College, Cambridge Archbishop Martin said that "''there are parishes in Dublin where the presence at Sunday Mass is some 5% of the Catholic population and, in some cases, even below 2%. On any particular Sunday about 18% of the Catholic population in the Archdiocese of Dublin attends Mass. That is considerably lower than in any other part of Ireland.''" He continued saying "''the conformist Ireland of the Archbishop McQuaid era changed so rapidly and with few tears was read as an indication of a desire for change, but perhaps it was also an indication that the conformism was covering an emptiness and a faith built on a faulty structure to which people no longer really ascribed''" and that "''The Catholic Church in Ireland will inevitably become more a minority culture. The challenge is to ensure that it is not an irrelevant minority culture.''" In the context of lay pastoral workers he said "''The narrow culture of clericalism has to be eliminated. It did not come out of nowhere and so we have to address its roots from the time of seminary training onwards''". He said that of the Church that the "''paradoxical thing is that the farther the Church goes in adapting to the culture of the times, the greater is the danger that it will no longer be able to confront the culture of the time''", he concluded saying that "''I am convinced that one of the principal ways in which the Church can reform itself and bring its message more incisively to society is through developing a renewed biblical apostolate''".

2011 general election comments

Archbishop Martin in February 2011 called on Christians in Ireland to be vocal about the values they want for "a caring" society. Addressing a church celebration of the World Day of the Sick in Clontarf, Archbishop Martin said: "We stand at an important moment regarding the future of our Irish society." He continued saying "In a climate marked too often only by criticism and mud-slinging, we Christians are called to drive for a sense of common purpose regarding the type of society we wish our political leaders to generate and the values that we would wish to see enshrined in that society," Dr Martin said. Shortly afterwards the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference released a guide to voters for the general election.

Family

The Archbishop's brother, Seamus Martin, was a left wing journalist with The Irish Times newspaper.

References

External links

Catholic Hierarchy

Dublin Diocese Biography

Ferns Report

Diocese of Dublin

See also

Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal

! colspan="3" style="background: #ccffcc;" | Order of precedence in Northern Ireland

Category:Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin Category:Irish Roman Catholic bishops Category:Alumni of University College Dublin Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:People from County Dublin Category:Diplomats of the Holy See Category:Roman Catholic titular archbishops Category:Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Category:20th-century Roman Catholics Category:21st-century Roman Catholics Category:Irish Roman Catholic archbishops de:Diarmuid Martin it:Diarmuid Martin la:Dermitius Martin pl:Diarmuid Martin fi:Diarmuid Martin

name	Steve Holy
background	solo_singer
birth date	February 23, 1972
origin	Dallas, Texas, USA
instrument	Vocals
genre	Country
occupation	Singer
years active	1999–present
label	Curb
website	SteveHoly.com
associated acts	Wilbur RimesLee Thomas Miller }}

Steve Holy (born February 23, 1972) is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records since 1999, he has released two studio albums: 2000's ''Blue Moon'' and 2006's ''Brand New Girlfriend''. Fourteen of his singles have entered the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including the Number One hits "Good Morning Beautiful" (which was featured in the movie ''Angel Eyes'') and "Brand New Girlfriend".

Career

Early life

Steve Holy was born February 23, 1972 in Dallas, Texas as the youngest of eight children. He entered a local competition called the Mesquite Opry at age nineteen. While there, he caught the attention of Wilbur Rimes, the father of country singer LeAnn Rimes. By 1999, Holy was signed to Curb Records.

2000–2001: ''Blue Moon''

His first single for the label, "Don't Make Me Beg", peaked at #29 on the ''Billboard'' country charts in 2000. By October of that year, Holy's debut album, ''Blue Moon'', was released. Its second and third singles, which were the title track and "The Hunger", respectively, both reached #24 on the country charts. The album sold poorly, and many record stores began returning copies to the label.

Late in 2001, Holy reached Number One for the first time with "Good Morning Beautiful," a selection from the soundtrack to the film ''Angel Eyes''. This song spent five weeks at Number One on the country charts and reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2002–2010: Non-album singles and ''Brand New Girlfriend''

Holy released his fifth single, "I'm Not Breakin'," in late 2002. This song peaked at #27 on the country music charts. This was followed by four more singles over the next two years: "Rock-a-Bye Heart" at #37 in 2003, "Put Your Best Dress On" at #26 in 2004, "Go Home" and "It's My Time (Waste It If I Want To)" at #49 and #59, respectively, in 2005. None of these five singles was included on a studio album.

In 2005, Holy released "Brand New Girlfriend," co-written by Jeffrey Steele, Shane Minor and Bart Allmand. This song became Holy's second Number One on the country charts, reaching the top of the charts in its thirty-sixth week and setting a record for the slowest climb to Number One on that chart since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1990. (This record was broken one year later by Tracy Lawrence, whose "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" reached Number One in its forty-first chart week.) "Brand New Girlfriend" was the lead-off single to Holy's second studio album, also entitled ''Brand New Girlfriend''. This album also produced the lesser Top 40 country hits "Come On Rain" and "Men Buy the Drinks (Girls Call the Shots)" at #35 and #38. Also included on the album were a cover version of Hank Williams, Jr.'s "All for the Love of Sunshine" and a song co-written by United States Senator Orrin Hatch.

A thirteenth single, "Might Have Been", was released in mid-2008 and on the chart week of December 27, 2008 debuted at #60 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

2011–present: ''Love Don't Run''

In February 2011, Holy released "Love Don't Run." The song becamse his first Top 40 hit on the country charts since "Men Buy the Drinks (Girls Call the Shots)" in 2007. Holy's third studio album, also entitled ''Love Don't Run'', will be released on September 13, 2011.

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
! scope="row"		* Release date: October 10, 2000	* Label: Curb Records	7	63	1
''Brand New Girlfriend''		* Release date: August 8, 2006	* Label: Curb Records	2	19	—
''Love Don't Run''		* Release date: September 13, 2011	* Label: Curb Records

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
1999	"Don't Make Me Beg"	29	—	—	36
2000	"Blue Moon"	24	120	—	47
	"The Hunger"	24	—	—	*
! scope="row"	1	29	—	*
2002	"I'm Not Breakin'"	27	—	—	*
2003	"Rock-a-Bye Heart"	37	—	—	*
2004	"Put Your Best Dress On"	26	—	—	*
	"Go Home"	49	—	—	*
"It's My Time (Waste It If I Want To)"	59	—	—	*
	! scope="row"	1	40	60	*
"Come On Rain"	35	—	—	*
2007	"Men Buy the Drinks (Girls Call the Shots)"	38	—	—	*
2008	"Might Have Been"	56	—	—	*
2009	"Baby Don't Go"	—	—	—	*
2011	"
! Year	Video	! Director
1999	"Don't Make Me Beg"
	"Blue Moon"
"The Hunger"	Chris Rogers
2001	"Good Morning Beautiful"	David Abbott
2003	"Rock-a-Bye Heart"
2004	"Put Your Best Dress On"
2006	"Brand New Girlfriend"
2011	"Love Don't Run"

References

External links

Steve Holy Official Website

[[Category:1972 births">Love Don't Run (song) 21 *

Music videos

! Year	Video	! Director
1999	"Don't Make Me Beg"
	"Blue Moon"
"The Hunger"	Chris Rogers
2001	"Good Morning Beautiful"	David Abbott
2003	"Rock-a-Bye Heart"
2004	"Put Your Best Dress On"
2006	"Brand New Girlfriend"
2011	"Love Don't Run"

References

External links

Steve Holy Official Website

[[Category:1972 births Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:Curb Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Dallas, Texas

name	Sarada Deviসারদা দেবী
birth date	December 22, 1853
birth place	Jayrambati, West Bengal, India
birth name	Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya
death date	July 20, 1920
death place	Udbodhan office, Calcutta.
guru	Ramakrishna
quote	"I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, just say to yourself 'I have a mother.'"
footnotes	}}

Sarada Devi () (22 December 1853 – 20 July 1920), born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya (), was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother (''Sri Maa'' or শ্রীমা) by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order. Sarada Devi played an important role in the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement.

Sarada Devi was born in Jayrambati. At the age of five she was betrothed to Ramakrishna, whom she joined at Dakshineswar when she was in her late teens. According to her traditional biographers, both lived lives of unbroken continence, showing the ideals of a householder and of the monastic ways of life. After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi stayed most of the time either at Jayrambati or at the Udbodhan office, Calcutta. The disciples of Ramakrishna regarded her as their own mother, and after their guru's passing looked to her for advice and encouragement. The followers of the Ramakrishna movement regard Sarada Devi as an incarnation of the Divine Mother.

Biography

Birth and parentage

Saradamani Devi, was born of Brahmin parents as the eldest daughter on December 22, 1853, in the quiet village of Jayrambati in present day West Bengal, India. Her parents, Ramchandra Mukhopadhyaya and Syamasundari Devi, were poor but pious. Her father Ramchandra earned his living as a farmer and through the performance of priestly duties. According to traditional accounts, Ramachandra and Syamasundari had visions and supernatural events foretelling the birth of a divine being as their daughter.

Sarada lived the simple life of an Indian village girl. As a child Sarada—then known as Saradamani—was fascinated by traditional Hindu folklore and narratives. As in the case of most girls of rural upbringing, she did not receive any formal education but learned to serve others as she helped her mother run a large household and looked after her younger brothers. During the terrible famine of 1864, Sarada worked ceaselessly as her family served food to hungry people. She was interested in the clay models of goddesses Kali and Lakshmi, which she worshiped regularly. She is said to have started meditating from her childhood and traditional accounts recount her mystic visions and experiences. According to Sarada Devi, she used to see a bevy of eight girls of her age coming from an unknown place, and escorted her in the chores during her childhood.

Betrothal

Ramakrishna—then known as Gadadhar Chattopadhaya and a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple since 1855—was practicing spiritual austerities. His mother and brother thought that a marriage would be a good steadying effect on him, by diverting his attention away from spiritual austerities and visions. It is reported that Ramakrishna himself indicated Saradamani as the bride. In May 1859, Sarada was betrothed to Ramakrishna. Sarada was 5 years old and Ramakrishna was 23 then, but the age difference was typical for 19th century rural Bengal.

After the betrothal, Sarada was left to the care of her parents and Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineswar. Sarada next met Ramakrishna when she was fourteen years old, and she spent three months with him at Kamarpukur. There, Ramakrishna imparted Sarada instructions on meditation, spiritual life. Ramakrishna's frequent ''samadhi'' (ecstasy) and unorthodox ways of worship led some onlookers to doubt his mental stability, while others regarded him as a great saint. Sarada joined Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar in 1872 on her own accord when she was eighteen, after hearing these rumors about his mental health. She found Ramakrishna to be a kind and caring person. Sarada Devi stayed at Dakshineswar until 1885, except for short periods when she visited her village Jayrambati. By this time Ramakrishna had already embraced the monastic life of a sannyasin; as a result, the marriage was never consummated. As a priest, Ramakrishna performed the ritual ceremony—the ''Shodashi Puja'' where Sarada Devi was made to sit in the seat of goddess Kali, and worshiped as the Divine mother. According to Saradananda a direct disciple of Ramakrishna, Ramakrishna married in order to show the world an ideal of a sexless marriage. Ramakrishna regarded Sarada as the incarnation of Divine Mother, addressing her as ''Sree Maa'' (Holy Mother) and it was by this name that she was known to Ramakrishna's disciples.

Sarada Devi's day began at 3 am. After finishing her ablutions in the Ganges, she would practice ''japa'' and meditation until daybreak. Ramakrishna taught her the sacred ''mantras'', and instructed her how to initiate people and guide them in spiritual life. Sarada Devi is regarded as Ramakrishna's first disciple. Except for her hours of meditation, most of her time was spent in cooking for Ramakrishna and the growing number of his devotees. While Sarada Devi remained completely in the background, her unassuming but warm personality attracted some female devotees to become her lifelong companions.

During Ramakrishna's last days, during which he suffered from throat cancer, Sarada Devi played an important role in nursing him and preparing suitable food for him and his disciples. It is reported that after Ramakrishna's passing away in August 1886, when Sarada Devi tried to remove her bracelets as the customs dictated for a widow, she had a vision of Ramakrishna in which he said, "I have not passed away, I have gone from one room to another." According to her, whenever she thought of dressing like a widow, she had a vision of Ramakrishna asking her not to do so. After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi continued to play an important role in the nascent religious movement. She remained the spiritual guide of the movement for the next thirty four years.

Pilgrimage

After Ramakrishna's death, Sarada Devi began her pilgrimage through North India, accompanied by a party of women disciples including Lakshmi Didi, Gopal Ma, and Ramakrishna's householder and monastic disciples. The party visited the Vishwanath Temple of god Shiva at Banaras and the city of Ayodhya, which is associated with life of god Rama. Later, she visited Vrindavan which is associated with god Krishna. According to traditional accounts, at Vrindavan, she experienced ''nirvikalpa samadhi'' and began her role as ''guru''. She initiated several of the Ramakrishna's disciples including Mahendranath Gupta, Yogen with a ''mantra''. According to her traditional biographers and disciples, to call her "Mother" was no mere expression of respect and all those who met her became aware of a maternal quality in her.

At Calcutta

After the pilgrimage, Sarada Devi stayed alone in Kamarpukur, Ramakrishna's native village. There, she endured poverty, verging on starvation for a year. In 1888, when the news reached the lay and monastic disciples of Ramakrishna that she needed their care and attention, they invited her to Calcutta and arranged for her stay. Swami Saradananda built a permanent house for Sarada Devi in Calcutta. The house was named the Udbodhan House, after the Bengali monthly magazine conducted by the Ramakrishna Math. It is also called ''Mayerbati'' ("Holy Mother's House"), where she spent the longest period of her life outside Jayrambati.

Sarada Devi came to Calcutta because she had many hardships in Kamarpukur. She had no financial resources and about no one could take care of her. She tried to hide her situation, but it leaked out. When the devotees at Calcutta heard this, they persuaded Sarada Devi to come to Calcutta.

At Udbodhan House, Sarada Devi was accompanied by other women disciples of Ramakrishna, Golap Ma, Yogin Ma, Lakshmi Didi and Gauri Ma being the best known. An increasing number of people began to flock for guidance, instructions and spiritual initiation. Other Western women followers of Ramakrishna Order including Sister Nivedita and Sister Devamata formed close relationship with her. According to her biographers, her innate motherliness put visitors at ease. Swami Nikhilananda, her direct disciple writes, "Though she had no children of the flesh, she had many of the spirit." She regarded all her disciples as her own children.

Sarada Devi received the highest reverence from the Ramakrishna Order and its devotees. Ramakrishna had bade her continue his mission after his passing away and wanted his disciples not to make any distinction between himself and her. According to her devotees and traditional biographers, the hospitality of Sarada Devi was unique and was characterized by motherly care and solicitude. Traditional accounts recount the mystical experiences of her devotees. Some dreamt of her as a goddess in human form though they had never seen her picture before. Others reportedly received their initiation from her in their dream. One such example is of Girish Chandra Ghosh, the father of Bengali drama, who reportedly saw Sarada Devi in a dream when he was nineteen years old and received a ''mantra'', and when he met her many years later, to his astonishment it was the same person in the dream.

Last days

Sarada Devi spent her final years moving back and forth between Jayrambati and Calcutta. In January 1919, Sarada Devi went to Jayrambati and stayed there for over a year. During the last three months of her stay, her health seriously declined. Her strength was greatly impaired and she was brought back to Calcutta on February 27, 1920. For the next five months she continued to suffer. Before her death, she gave the last advice to the grief stricken devotees, "But I tell you one thing—if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger my child: this whole world is your own!". This is considered as her last message to the world. She died at 1.30 am on July 20, 1920. Her body was cremated at the Belur Math.

Teachings and quotes

Sarada Devi did not write any books; her utterances and reminiscences have been recorded by her disciples including Swami Nikhilananda, Swami Tapasyananda. Though uneducated Sarada Devi's spiritual insight and utterances are highly regarded by scholars like Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, who writes, "We have bits and pieces of her exquisite remarks as testimony." The mind is everything. It is in the mind alone that one feels pure and impure. A man, first of all, must make his own mind guilty and then alone can he see another man's guilt. "I tell you one thing. If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own."

Impact and legacy

Sarada Devi played an important role as the advisory head of an nascent organization that became a monastic order devoted to social work—the Ramakrishna Mission. Gayatri Spivak writes that Sarada Devi "performed her role with tact and wisdom, always remaining in the background." accepted Sarada Devi as his ''guru'' and joined the Ramakrishna Order. He eventually founded the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center in New York. Though uneducated herself, Sarada Devi advocated education for women. She entrusted Devamata with the implementation of her dream—a girl's school on the Ganges, where Eastern and Western pupils could study together.

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Official Website of Sri Sarada Math

saradadevi.info, ''Gospel of Holy Mother'', Teachings.

Category:Hindu religious figures Category:Indian religious leaders Category:1853 births Category:1920 deaths Category:People from Bankura district Category:Ramakrishna Category:Ramakrishna Mission Category:Indian women religious leaders Category:People associated with the Bengal Renaissance

bn:সারদা দেবী kn:ಶಾರದಾದೇವಿ ml:ശാരദാദേവി ja:サーラダー・デーヴィー

Theotokos (, transliterated Theotókos) is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include ''God-bearer'' and ''the one who gives birth to God''. Less literal translations include Mother of God. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestants use the title Mother of God more often than Theotokos. The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is Theotokos because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human.

Etymology and translation

Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, Θεός ''God'' and τόκος ''parturition, childbirth''. Literally, this translates as ''God-bearer'' or ''the one who gives birth to God''; historian Jaroslav Pelikan translated it more precisely as "the one who gives birth to the one who is God". However, since many English-speaking Orthodox find this literal translation awkward, in liturgical use, ''Theotokos'' is often left untranslated, or paraphrased as ''Mother of God''. The latter title is the literal translation of a distinct title in Greek, Μήτηρ του Θεού (translit. ''Mētēr tou Theou''). ''Mother of God'' also accurately translates the Greek words Θεομήτωρ (translit. ''Theomētor''; also spelled Θεομήτηρ, translit. ''Theomētēr'') and Μητρόθεος (translit. ''Mētrotheos''), which are found in patristic and liturgical texts, e.g.

Λαβομένη η Θεοτόκος των εκ του αχράντου και παναμώμου αυτής θυσιαστηρίου σαρκωθέντα ζωοποιόν και ανέκφραστον άνθρακα ως λαβίδι ... επί τούτοις παρουσιασάμενος ο δίκαιος και τη προτροπή είξας της διακονησαμένης Θεώ προς ανθρώπους Θεομήτορος ... περιφανώς ιερά θεομήτωρ εξετέλει.

In many traditions, ''Theotokos'' was translated from the Greek into the local liturgical language:

! Language	! Translation(s)	! Transliteration
	والدة الاله	''Wālidat Alelah''
	Աստուածածին	''Astvadzatzin''
Bulgarian, Church Slavonic, Macedonian, Russian	Богородица	''Bogoroditsa''
		''Ti.Theotokós''
	ღვთისმშობელი	''Ghvtismshobeli''
Latin	''Deipara'' ''Dei genetrix'' ''Mater Dei''
	''Născătoare de Dumnezeu'' ''Maica Domnului''
	Богородица / Bogorodica Мајка Божија / Majka Božija	''Bogoroditza'' ''Mayka Bozhia''
	ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ	''Yoldath Aloho''
	Богородиця Мати Божа	''Bohorodytsia'' ''Maty Bozha''
	Bogurodzica Matka Boska	''Bogurodsitsa'' ''Matka Boska''
	Bohorodička Matka Božia	''Bohorodichka'' ''Matka Bozhia''

Translation of the phrase ''mother of God''

Mother of God

The English term ''Mother of God'' is mostly used as an imprecise translation of ''Theotokos'', and frequently requires explanation. The other principal use of ''Mother of God'' has been as the precise and literal translation of Μήτηρ Θεού, a Greek term which has an established usage of its own in traditional Christian theological writing, hymnography, and iconography. In an abbreviated form ΜΡ ΘΥ it often is found on Eastern icons (see illustration above), where it is used to identify Mary.

A hymn normally sung as part of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom includes both titles in close proximity, in both cases referring to Mary, showing that the titles are not synonymous: "It is truly fitting to call you blessed, the ''Theotokos,'' ever-blessed and wholly pure and the ''Mother of our God'' (...", emphasis added.) The difference between the two terms is that the former, ''Theotokos'' explicitly refers to physical childbearing, while the latter, ''Mother of God'', describes a family relationship but not necessarily physical childbearing.

Within the Christian tradition, ''Mother of God'' has not been understood, nor been intended to be understood, as referring to Mary as Mother of God ''from eternity'' — that is, as Mother of God the Father — but only with reference to the birth of Jesus, that is, the Incarnation. This limitation in the meaning of ''Mother of God'' must be understood by the person employing the term. To make it explicit, it is sometimes translated ''Mother of God Incarnate''.

However, those reading or hearing the English phrase ''Mother of God'' as a translation of a Greek text cannot — unless they know the Greek text in question, or obtain additional information — know whether the phrase is a literal translation of Μήτηρ Θεού or an imprecise rendering of Θεοτόκος or one its Latin equivalents or equivalents in other languages.

Theology

Theotokos specifically excludes the understanding of Mary as Mother of God in the eternal sense. Christians believe that God is the cause of all, with neither origin nor source, and is therefore without a mother or father, or any relation except for what is homoousian to Him: only the persons of the Holy Trinity. He is ontologically separate from all other beings, as Creator to creation. This stands in contrast to classical Greco-Roman religion in particular, where a number of goddesses appear as the physical mothers of other divinities which were considered gods in their own right (cf. polytheism).

On the other hand, most Christians believe God the Son is begotten of God the Father "from all eternity" (see Trinity and Nicene Creed), but is born "in time" of Mary. ''Theotokos'' thus refers to the Incarnation, when the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on human nature in addition to his pre-existing divine nature, this being made possible through the cooperation of Mary.

Since mainstream Christians understand Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully human, they call Mary ''Theotokos'' to affirm the fullness of God's incarnation. The Council of Ephesus decreed, in opposition to those who denied Mary the title ''Theotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to God") but called her ''Christotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to Christ"), that Mary ''is'' ''Theotokos'' because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human. (Some Protestants still insist that Mary cannot be truly ''Theotokos'', but only ''Christotokos''.) Cyril of Alexandria wrote, "I am amazed that there are some who are entirely in doubt as to whether the holy Virgin should be called ''Theotokos'' or not. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how is the holy Virgin who gave [Him] birth, not [''Theotokos'']?" (Epistle 1, to the monks of Egypt; PG 77:13B). Thus the significance of ''Theotokos'' lies more in what it says about Jesus than any declaration about Mary.

Within the Orthodox doctrinal teaching on the economy of salvation, Mary's identity, role, and status as ''Theotokos'' is acknowledged as indispensable, and is for this reason formally defined as official dogma. The only other Mariological teaching so defined is that of her virginity. Both of these teachings have a bearing on the identity of Jesus Christ. By contrast, certain other Marian beliefs which do not bear directly on the doctrine concerning the person of Jesus (for example, her sinlessness, the circumstances surrounding her conception and birth, her Presentation in the Temple, her continuing virginity following the birth of Jesus, and her death), which are taught and believed by the Orthodox Church (being expressed in the Church's liturgy and patristic writings), are nonetheless not formally defined by the Church, and belief in them is not a precondition for baptism.

Use of Theotokos in the early Christian Church

Many Fathers of the early Christian Church used the title ''Theotokos'' for Mary since at least the third century AD.

Origen (d. 254) is often cited as the earliest author to use ''Theotokos'' for Mary (Socrates, Ecclesiastical History 7.32 citing Origen's Commentary on Romans) but the text upon which this assertion is based may not be genuine.

Dionysius of Alexandria used ''Theotokos'' in about 250, in an epistle to Paul of Samosata.

Athanasius of Alexandria in 330, Gregory the Theologian in 370, John Chrysostom in 400, and Augustine all used ''Theotokos''.

Theodoret wrote in 436 that calling the Virgin Mary ''Theotokos'' is an apostolic tradition.

Third Ecumenical Council

The use of ''Theotokos'' was formally affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. The competing view, advocated by Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, was that Mary should be called ''Christotokos'', meaning "Birth-giver of Christ," to restrict her role to the mother of Christ's humanity only and not his divine nature.

Nestorius' opponents, led by Cyril of Alexandria, viewed this as dividing Jesus into two distinct persons, the human who was Son of Mary, and the divine who was not. To them, this was unacceptable since by destroying the perfect union of the divine and human natures in Christ, it sabotaged the fullness of the Incarnation and, by extension, the salvation of humanity. The council accepted Cyril's reasoning, affirmed the title ''Theotokos'' for Mary, and anathematised Nestorius' view as heresy. (See Nestorianism)

In letters to Nestorius which were afterwards included among the council documents, Cyril explained his doctrine. He noted that "the holy fathers... have ventured to call the holy Virgin ''[T]heotokos'', not as though the nature of the [W]ord or his divinity received the beginning of their existence from the holy Virgin, but because from her was born his holy body, rationally endowed with a soul, with which [body] the [W]ord was united according to the hypostasis, and is said to have been begotten according to the flesh" (Cyril's second letter to Nestorius).

Explaining his rejection of Nestorius' preferred title for Mary (''Christotokos''), Cyril wrote: "Confessing the Word to be united with the flesh according to the hypostasis, we worship one Son and Lord, Jesus Christ. We do not divide him into parts and separate man and God as though they were united with each other [only] through a unity of dignity and authority... nor do we name separately Christ the Word from God, and in similar fashion, separately, another Christ from the woman, but we know only one Christ, the Word from God the Father with his own flesh... But we do not say that the Word from God dwelt as in an ordinary human born of the holy virgin... we understand that, when he became flesh, not in the same way as he is said to dwell among the saints do we distinguish the manner of the indwelling; but he was united by nature and not turned into flesh... There is, then, one Christ and Son and Lord, not with the sort of conjunction that a human being might have with God as in a unity of dignity or authority; for equality of honor does not unite natures. For Peter and John were equal to each other in honor, both of them being apostles and holy disciples, but the two were not one. Nor do we understand the manner of conjunction to be one of juxtaposition, for this is insufficient in regard to natural union.... Rather we reject the term 'conjunction' as being inadequate to express the union... [T]he holy virgin gave birth in the flesh to God united with the flesh according to hypostasis, for that reason we call her ''Theotokos''... If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is, in truth, God, and therefore that the holy virgin is ''Theotokos'' (for she bore in a fleshly manner the Word from God become flesh), let him be anathema." (Cyril's third letter to Nestorius)

Hymns

''Theotokos'' in often used in hymns to Mary in the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Oriental Orthodox churches. The most common is ''Axion Estin'' (''It is truly meet''), which is used in nearly every service.

Other examples include ''Beneath thy compassion'' dating from the third century, the ''Hail Mary'' in its Eastern form, and ''All creation rejoices'', which replaces ''Axion Estin'' at the Divine Liturgy on the Sundays of Great Lent.

Solemnity

In the Roman Catholic Church, the solemnity of Mary as Mother of God (Theotokos) is celebrated on 1 January, on the same day as the Octave of Christmas. Her maternity was celebrated on 11 October in pre-1970 versions of the General Roman Calendar, which some traditional Catholics still observe.

This solemnity comes from around 500 AD and was originally celebrated in the Eastern Churches.

Icons

See also

Eleusa icon

Hymns to Mary

List of Theotokos of St. Theodore icons

Notes

References

Cyril of Alexandria, ''On the Unity of Christ'', John Anthony McGuckin, trans. ISBN 0-88141-133-7

McGuckin, John Anthony, ''St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy'' (1994, and reprinted 2004) ISBN 0-88141-259-7 A full description of the events of Third Ecumenical Council and the people and issues involved.

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco,""The Orthodox Veneration of Mary, The Birth Giver of God"(2004, Sixth Printing, Third Edition). ISBN 0-938635-68-9

Ware, Bishop Kallistos, "The Orthodox Way" (1979, Revised Edition, 1995, and reprinted 1999). ISBN 0-913836-58-3

External links

Theotokos article on the ''Orthodox Wiki''

Resources on the Theotokos

Study of the Mother of the Lord the All-Holly Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary by St. Nectarios (in Greek)

Category:Marian dogmas Category:Titles of Mary Category:Eastern Orthodoxy Category:Eastern Orthodox theology Category:Eastern Catholicism Category:Oriental Orthodoxy Category:Eastern Orthodox icons Category:Christology Category:Feminist theology Category:Greek loanwords Category:Ancient Christian controversies Category:Christian terms

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