A case of alleged supernatural messages in Amsterdam in the 1950s reportedly had our Lady presenting herself to the faithful under the title of “the Lady of all Nations” and asking the Pope to make a declaration of dogma about her as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate. These titles are already well established in Catholic thought, and have an interesting application to the role of the Church as a means of grace and salvation, but with so many cases of false mysticism about, one has to be careful about signing on to some particular movement’s proposals for the Church.
This May, the CDF (the Vatican’s doctrinal office) has given a warning about one aspect of that “Lady of All Nations” devotion: a prayer associated with the messages, and found on Catholic sites such as EWTN’s, raises the CDF’s caution and is not to be used.
Abp. Angelo Amato, SDB, the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote on May 20:
With regard to the devotion known as ‘Lady of All Nations’ and the Marian apparitions experienced by the late visionary Ida Peerdeman, I wish to advise Your Excellency that although the said apparitions have received approval from His Excellency the Most Rev. Joseph Maria Punt, Bishop of Haarlem (Holland), in his Communications of 31 May 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has expressed concern regarding one particular aspect of that devotion whereby official prayers invoke the Blessed Virgin as Lady of All Nations ‘who was once Mary’…..[The CDF] does not permit any Catholic community of Christ’s Faithful to pray to the Mother of God under the title of ‘Lady of All Nations’ with the added expression ‘who was once Mary’.
(Thanks to Mark Waterinckx for the tip.)
PS (2020): Since the original posting is no longer on the net, here’s a copy of the text:
Vatican rejects prayer to “Lady of All Nations”
SAN PABLO CITY – The Vatican City’s Congregatio Pro Doctrina Fidei (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) [CPDF] does not permit any Catholic community of Christ’s faithful in the country and throughout the world “to pray to the Mother of God” under the title of ‘Lady of All Nations’ with the added phrase ‘who was once Mary’.
This was the response received by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for the entire People of God, in the country concerning the “form of devotion being promoted in our country known as ‘Lady of All Nations'”, a copy of which the Barangay obtained.
“With regard to the devotion known as ‘Lady of All Nations’ and the Marian apparitions experienced by the late visionary Ida Peerdeman, I wish to advise Your Excellency that although the said apparitions have received approval from His Excellency the Most Rev. Joseph Maria Punt, Bishop of Haarlem (Holland), in his Comunications of 31 May 2002, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has expressed concern regarding one particular aspect of that devotion whereby official prayers invoke the Blessed Virgin as Lady of All Nations ‘who was once Mary'”, wrote Most Rev. Angelo Amato SDB, the CPDF secretary.
Amato, the Titular Archbishop of Sila, Italy added: “In fact, this Dicastery, in a letter to His Excellency, The Most Rev. Francois Bacque, Apostolic Nuncio to the Netherlands, has indicated that Marian devotion must be nourished and developed in accordance with the indications given by the Holy Father in “Redemptoris Mater” and “Rosarium Virginis Mariae” and not according to private apparitions nor according to a ‘new’ name of Mary, such as “Lady of All Nations who was once Mary”.
“Your Excellency,” the CPDF said, “is requested to take into consideration the above mentioned advisory and inform the members of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines that the CPDF does not permit any Catholic community of Christ’s Faithful to pray to the Mother of God under the title of ‘Lady of All Nations’ with the added expression ‘who was once Mary’.
Arch. Amato said: Regarding the “Messages of God the Father” to Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio, “I wish to inform you that it is not the usual practice of this Congregation to give official approval to presumed supernatural messages. Mother Ravasio, who passed away in 1990, was the Superior General of the “Soeurs Missionaries de Notre-Dame des Apotres”.
The religious Institute founded in Lyon (France) in 1876 by Augustine Planque, was initially recognized by the Bishop of Grenoble and later became an Institute of Pontifical Right. The Generelate is now located in Rome and its members are active in many countries, especially in Africa.
The CBCP’s Chair of the Commission on the Doctrine of the Faith, Most Rev. Luis Antonio Tagle, Bishop of Imus, issued a copy of the CPDF’s letter dated 20 may 2005 to San Pablo Diocesan Bishop Leo M. Drona, DD, which the prelate in turn reproduced and endorsed in a circular dated July 15, 2005 for about 150 priests and religious in the diocese for them to instruct the entire People of God in Laguna concerning the devotion in question.
Courtesy of The Barangay.
Our Lady of All Nations Who Once Was Mary
\”Our Lady of All Nations Who Once Was Mary\” is a title that EWTN defends on their site, but the CDF seems to have disallowed.
Is EWTN wrong in th
+J.M.J+
Thank you for posting that. I’ve always been suspicious and uneasy about those apparitions, despite their acceptance by the current bishop. That “who was once Mary” statement was a major part of my concern.
The Holy Name of Mary is powerful and important; second only to the Most Holy Name of Jesus Christ. The Church has even recently reinstated the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary on Sept 12. Any apparition that suggests that her Name is “obsolete” is suspicious.
In Jesu et Maria,
Can someone please provide an explanation that the defenders of this prayer use for the “once was Mary” part? Is there an implication that we lose our individual identity in eternity? That Mary did? What idea is this phrase trying to convey?
I have long been concerned about that prayer, thank youfor posting this.
+J.M.J+
Some more information about the Holy Name of Mary:
Mary: The Power of Her Name, By St. Alphonsus de Liguori
http://www.holywoundsapostolate.com/html/mary_power_of_her_name.htm
CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Feast of the Holy Name of Mary
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10673b.htm
And here is an article on the Amsterdam “apparitions”:
WHO ONCE WAS MARY: The Lady of all Nations, By Rick Salbato
http://www.unitypublishing.com/jan1_99.html
Though I don’t always agree with everything this author writes (for instance, his etymology of Mary’s Name is a bit odd), this article is enlightening overall. Especially when he points out that, when the seer’s local bishop didn’t want to include the words “Who once was Mary” in the prayer, the apparition insisted on it, saying, “In the text of the prayer I taught you: ‘Lord Jesus Christ.’ etc. nothing is to be altered.”
A valid apparition and seer would be obedient to the bishop. For instance, the children of Fatima allowed the Church to add the words “especially those in most need of Thy mercy” to the end of the prayer given them by Our Lady of Fatima. The attitude of the Amsterdam “apparition” raises red flags.
In Jesu et Maria,
Thank you so much for posting this… I have always been very cautious about this supposed ‘apparition’ and especially about that prayer, which struck me as a bit disturbing. I’ll pass the word along!
man with black hat: Eat, Drink, and See Mary
+J.M.J+
Sorry, Drake, I didn’t answer your question:
>>> Can someone please provide an explanation that the defenders of this prayer use for the “once was Mary” part? Is there an implication that we lose our individual identity in eternity? That Mary did? What idea is this phrase trying to convey?
According to its defenders, the phrase Who once was Mary “refers to the fact that Mary is no longer just Mary but rather The Lady, The Woman at the foot of the Cross. These words refer to her Eternal Motherhood over all of us, for she is Mother Whom Jesus gave to us from the Cross with the words: Woman behold thy Son! � (from EWTN website).
The Mariology in this statement is flawed. At no time was Mary ever “just Mary” and not The Woman. Christ called her “Woman” because she is the New Eve – and she has been such ever since her Immaculate Conception! Moreover, she was still “Maryâ€? when Jesus gave her to us from the Cross as our spiritual Mother – Scripture still calls her “Maryâ€? in the Upper Room before Pentecost (Acts 1:14)! She hasn’t changed in that regard; theat is no reason for jettisoning the Holy Name of Mary.
I know some may argue that the Amsterdam “apparitions� don’t call for us to jettison the name Mary, but what then is the meaning of “Who once was Mary?� If I “once was� something, does that not imply that I am no longer that thing now? How else can one possibly interpret the statement “the Lady of All Nations, who was once Mary,� if not as implying that the Holy Name of Mary should now be replaced with the title “the Lady of All Nations?�
(The apparition itself said something to the effect that: “I was once called Mary, but now I want to be called the Lady of All Nations.�)
But where is the precedent in Catholic Mariology, liturgy or Marian devotion for such a substitution? Even though we use many titles for her, we still call her “Mary.� There is no indication that these titles can or should replace the Holy Name of Mary. Indeed, the Church’s devotion to her Name precludes that.
In Jesu et Maria,
i fully agree with the Vatican’s stand on the “Our Lady of All Nations” as stated in the May 2005 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. what i understand from it is that a devotion that promotes a faulty Mariology (reflected in its questionable prayer which says Our Blessed Mother “was once Mary”) should be discouraged from being spread. this “who once was Mary” phrase smacks of reincarnation and therefore has no place in the Catholic Church. but the problem is, even some of the Philippine bishops to whom the Vatican letter is addressed think it is the only phrase that is objectionable, not the whole prayer nor the devotion itself. thus they continue to support the devotion and even celebrate Mass in honor of “Our Lady of all Nations” apparently unable to realize what confusion this is causing among the faithful. May the Vatican issue a clearer statement on the matter? Should the devotion be discouraged, or is it all right to propagate it as long as that phrase is removed from the prayer? as a serious Catholic i believe that the reported messages of the “Lady of All Nations” be deeply studied, because that “who once was Mary” phrase would not have come from thin air, nor is it a mere phrase. it must be the “fruit” of a whole system of beliefs that may be contradicting what the Church already teaches about Mary. as far as i know, bishops may support and spread only those Marian devotions that have been authenticated by the Church, not these (hundreds of) new ones being popularized by “visionaries”. what is wrong with sticking to OUr Lady of Fatima? or Lourdes? Guadalupe? do we just want variety? novelty? are we bored with the “old” persona of Mary that we must entertain “new” Marys–as though Mary were just a rock star like Madonna or Britney Spears who must be reinvented in order to keep her top billboard rating? personally, i believe that instead of spreading more devotions of questionable origin like this one, our priests (and bishops especially)should just encourage the faithful to imitate Mary’s virtues. we must grow up and mature in the faith. fine, we have to learn to ask the Blessed Mother for favors but should we get stuck there? what about devoting time to pray with her? enduring suffering with her? being humble and faithful in all situations we find ourselves in in life? being docile and obedient to God’s will in spite of the world’s allurements? Paging priests and bishops on who enlightened guidance we lay people rely! thank you, and God bless us all! Mother Mary, we love you!
I am convinced that the apparitions of the Lady of All Nations are demonic.
This is a small signal suggesting it.
http://to-chihiro.blogspot.com/2012/02/prayer-card-of-lady-of-all-nations.html
This apparition is true. Mary said you will understand this phrase “who once was Mary”. Why do you not understand? Mary is very frustrated, like Jesus was and is with people who refuse to think but react with emotional thinking. The prayer is needed in this time whan Satan is losing his increased power as per Pope Leo 13th apparition and is VERY aggressive. Maybe your inability to understand is Satan whispering in your mind. Maybe you refuse to think and get hung up on phrases.
Jesus gave Mary to us from the Cross as our advocate and she is being hampered by naysayers who think they are protecting people like the mercy killing doctors think they are doing good when they kill the elderly by withdrawing nutrition and hydration completely. All I can say is you should pray this prayer. It contains the Trinity and is another tool God has given Mary to defeat Satan. Test the Spirit. Go to the chapel where Jesus resides and think it over. Many including Mary have explained this “unfortunate” choice of words. Mary chose the words for us to think about her role. She knew there would be controversy. Most people don’t care. So if you have an opinion at least you are like St Paul who got it wrong but was zealous in his attacks on Jesus. Now get it right. Who once was Mary is perfectly understandable if you remove your prejudice and read what Dr Miravalle and many others have taken the time to explain. Her life changed. Her role changed at the cross. She suffered with Jesus. He is spreading his infinite glory to others. He is generous and giving. So His mother is our Advocate. She receives all the graces He give since he named her MOTHER of all. She is the “image and first flowering of the church as it is to be perfected in the world to come.” Her power is His power. She has been raised to Queen of Heaven. She once was Mary and still is but her role has been increased. That’s what it means. Pray the prayer even if you change it per the Congregations change to “the Virgin Mary”. It is an extremely important prayer for this time in Salvation History. If we pray God hears us. If we argue about words we don’t pray and Satan loves that.
2 Timothy 2: 12 – 15
12 if we endure, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself. 14 Remind them of this, and charge them before the Lord to avoid disputing about WORDS, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
As I say go to the chapel with this confusion of mind and ask Jesus to teach you the truth. Ask for the Holy Spirit to teach you. Pray the prayer because it is powerful and a gift of God through Mary, for these crazy times. Satan is winning but will lose when Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart triumphs.