Mary – Modern Spiritualism

 

For many the statement that at the end of time a union between Protestantism, Catholicism and Spiritualism[1] seems a very distant possibility. The traditional view of spiritualism reminds one of séances, mediums with supernatural abilities and witchcraft.  

Mary Is Spiritualized

For several hundred years Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been an icon of the Roman Catholic tradition. It is not clear when her maternal spiritual roll changed to mediator (mediatrix) between God and man. This became an agitated issue around the time of the counter-Reformation. By the twentieth century an increasing number of Catholic books and articles appeared portraying Mary as a co-redemptrix with Jesus.

In 1964 Vatican II created a document called Lumen Gentium – The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. In it they made profound declarations about “The Blessed Virgin Mary.” These include:

1. The faithful must reverence the memory of Mary. (52)

2. She is the beloved daughter of the Father and the Holy Spirit, making her surpass all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. (53)

3. She is holy and free from every stain of sin. (56)

4. With Jesus, she serves the mystery of redemption and freely is part of man’s salvation. (56)

5. Her influence on man is to enhance. (60)

6. By her manifold intercession she brings eternal salvation. (62)

7. She is advocate, helper, benefactress and mediatrix, but this doesn’t take away from “Christ the one mediator.” (62)

8. She is a true type of the church. (63)

9. She is the model of virtues, having reached perfection. Therefore, the faithful can look to her, meditate on her and contemplate her. (65)

10. She has been exalted above all angels to a place second only to her son. (66)

11. Cult images of Christ and the “blessed virgin” should be religiously honored. (67)

12. The church and its leaders must be cautious that the “separated brethren” or any other not misunderstand their “filial love [to Mary].” (67)

13. She is to receive supplications and prayers. (69)[2]

In a recent book by Mark Miraralla, called Mary, Co-Redemtrix Doctrinal Issue Today,2002, the unique contribution of her role in the redemption of mankind is eulogized. There, the importance of prayer, devotion to and acknowledgement of the advocacy role mysteriously given to Mary is encouraged. Increasingly, her followers report having verbal communication and visual encounters with Mary. To avoid prejudice, they are not called séances (which the Bible condemns); they are dubbed – apparitions. These “heavenly” messages and experiences are having a profound impact on Roman Catholics, including Pope John Paul II. Many Protestant ministers are now speaking out in favor of brining honor to Mary. 

Pope Is Eulogized

The outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, George Cary, has made clear through his Anglican Bishop Peter Forster of Chester, England, that: “Anglicans have come to accept the wisdom and need of a universal primacy, exercised by the Bishop of Rome.[4]

Cary presided over a crucial document published on May 12, 1999, called The Gift of Authority. In that document “the importance of the pope as head of a unified church was accepted, giving him explicit discernment over Scripture and tradition.[5]

In November of that year the Catholic Church hinted that the Anglican Church was “coming home.”[6]

Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain, recently appointed Rowan Williams to succeed George Cary as the new head of the Anglican Church. Dubbed a liberal, he is pro-life and considers himself an Anglican-Catholic! He also promotes devotion to the virgin Mary.

Prophecy is being fulfilled, but so few recognize this. The end is rapidly steeling upon us.

A threefold union is beginning to develop. Numerous documents of accord between Catholics and Protestants have been signed. Many are looking at the “Virgin Mary” as a lady to honor and not a barrier to unity.

“There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan’s forces . . . In the warfare to be waged in the last days there will be united, in opposition to God’s people, all the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to the law of Jehovah.”[7]

Christians have been urged to know the signs of the times. Paul made it clear in I Thessalonians 5 that only those who fail to grasp these truths will be caught off guard and the end will come as a thief. Jesus urged a rather intricate knowledge of events in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. Why? It would be a barrier against end-time deceptions. We are in the time of the end. Soon we will be at the end of time. We must never misunderstand that in the end, “truth will make us free.” John 8:32.

References (emphases added unless otherwise noted):

1. The Great Controversy, p. 588.

2. Lumen Gentium – The Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Vatican II, Chapter 8, 1964.

3. Inside the Vatican, June-July 2002, pp. 62-63.

4. Zenit, Oct. 11, 2001.

5. The Gift of Authority, An Agreed Statement by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, May 12, 1999.

6. NCR, Nov. 7-13, 1999.

7. The Great Controversy, p. 983.

Franklin S. Fowler Jr., M.D.; EndTime Issues..., Prophecy Research Initiative
Endtime Issues..., September 2002 - endtimeissues.com