Over lunch today Professor Russell Hittinger gave a lecture at the conference about Pope Leo XIII (Gioacchino Pecci). He mentioned that before Leo XIII’s papacy, his predecessor had issued the famous “Syllabus of Errors”, a wide-ranging list of doctrinal errors Catholics were to shun, and Bp. Pecci had contributed to the document’s draft. For better or worse, the Pope didn’t adopt his suggestion for the document’s title: “Mary, Exterminator of Heresies”.
On hearing that, the folks at our table, including Fr. Sibley, exchanged the thumbs-up sign: we think it was a great title: it would sound good, say, in the name of a religious order, or even just a local church (“I go to Mass at Mary Exterminator of Heresies Parish”)!
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It IS a great title, but “Our Lady the Terminator” would be an even better parish name.
“I ahm de hahndmaidt uff de Lohrd. Be it done to me in accohrdanz vit dy vill.”
Ahnuld is claiming to be the Virgin Mary as well as running for governor? Perhaps he needs a little psychiatric help.
One of my favorite titles for Our Lady is from one of the Church Fathers ( I forget which)- Our Lady, Scepter of Orthodoxy.
From the Litany of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart:
Preserve our Sovereign Pontiff, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Guide the bishops and the clergy in the way of holiness, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Protect the Catholic world against the efforts of the impious, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Bring back to the Church heretics and schismatics, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
Comment: Alas, today all too many heretics and schismatics remain coiled within the bosom of Holy Mother Church seeking to poison her with their venomous doctrines.
+J.M.J+
I always heard it as “Destroyer of heresies”.
Another cool Marian title: “Terror of demons”!
In Jesu et Maria,