Move for Declaration of New Dogma

VIDAL JOINS MOVE FOR DECLARATION OF NEW DOGMA
By Leslie Ann G. Aquino

Manila Bulletin, February 17, 2008

Archbishop of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has joined Catholic Church leaders in the world in urging other prelates to call upon Pope Benedict XVI to declare a fifth Marian dogma that would “proclaim the full Christian truth about Mary.”

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, together with the Cardinals Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, India; Luis Aponte Martinex, emeritus of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam Angamaly, India; and Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, emeritus of Mexico City, urged other prelates in the world in a letter to support them by asking the Pontiff to proclaim Mary as “the Spiritual Mother of All Humanity, the co-redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer, Mediatrix of All Graces with Jesus the one Mediator, and Advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race.”

“We believe the time is opportune for a solemn definition of clarification regarding the constant teaching of the church concerning the Mother of the Redeemer and her unique cooperation in the work of Redemption, as well as her subsequent roles in the distribution of grace and intercession for the human family,” they said in their petition, a portion of which was posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.

The cardinals said they are hoping that such a move would “start an in-depth worldwide dialogue on Mary’s role in salvation for our time.”

Anticipating the argument that a new dogma could affect ecumenical dialogues by reinforcing the fears of Protestants about Catholic attitudes towards Mary, the cardinals said that a clear presentation of Catholic beliefs could be a “service clarification to other religious traditions.”

The English translation of the letter, including the original Latin text of the “votum” or petition, formulated in 2005, was presented formally to the Pope by Cardinal Telesphore in 2006. it was released by the secretariat of the five cardinals, co-sponsors of the conference on “Marian Co-Redemption,” held in Fatima, Portugal in 2005.