Mary Undoer Of Knots: Pope Francis’ Favorite Marian Devotion

[cappie]

Do you have some “knots” in your life? Here’s the solution! Pope Francis has a very special devotion to Our Lady Undoer of Knots. Many have never heard of this devotion, but it’s a great one…going all the way back to the second century.

 

Pope Francis’s Devotion to ‘Our Lady Undoer of Knots’

 

Our new Pope Francis has been one of the chief promoters of “Our Lady Undoer of Knots.” When Pope Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was studying in Germany, he was stunned by a Bavarian painting of “Holy Mary, Our Lady Untier of Knots.” He acquired a copy of the painting and brought it to Argentina and promoted devotion to Mary under this title. Apparently it has caught on with the faithful of Argentina.It is interesting that this Marian devotion of Pope Francis is rooted in Bavaria – it therefore creates a bridge between the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and that of Pope Francis. In fact, Cardinal Bergoglio had an image of Our Lady Undoer of Knots engraved into a chalice and presented it to Pope Benedict XVI.

 

The Theology of Our Lady Undoer of Knots

 

The theology of Mary untying knots goes back to the second century – less than one hundred years after the death of the Apostles. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons wrote “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.” (Adversus haereses, 3, 22) This is one of the earliest examples of describing Mary as the “New Eve.” Eve, standing next to Adam, is the “co-peccatrix” (co-sinner) Mary, standing next to Christ crucified, is the “co-redemptrix” (co-redemptress). This does not mean that Mary directly saves or redeems us. It means that Mary consents and participates in the redemptive action of Christ. Her role is congruent and relative to the condign and absolute role of Christ.

 

Our Lady Undoer of Knots is Patristic and may be the way forward for establishing and expanding Marian theology. The doctrine of Mary’s universal mediation and her subordinate role to Christ in human salvation is beautifully summed up in this saying of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. The fact that it goes back to the second century reveals that this is not a medieval accretion. It’s a doctrine deriving from the Apostles themselves.

 

http://taylormarshall.com/2013/12/mary-undoer-of-knots-pope-francis-favorite-marian-devotion.html

Edited August 18, 2014 by cappie

[cappie]

[Ash Wednesday]

It's recently become one of my favorites, too. It's a very powerful novena.

[Ancilla Domini]

This is my favorite marian devotion, too. I said the novena to her, and my prayers were answered (perhaps not in the way I expected, but still answered. :))

Edited August 18, 2014 by Ancilla Domini