Not to Herself, but to God

ROMAN CATHOLICS

Martin Luther has been spoken of before in St. Peter's Basilica; last week, for the first time, he was mentioned favorably. At the Vatican Council, bolstering his argument to give the Virgin Mary a new title of honor, Polish Archbishop Josef Gawlina cited Luther's devotion to her and quoted him as saying, in his exposition of St. John's Gospel, that "she does not want to lead us to herself but, through herself, to God."

Discussion of Mary's relationship to the church was the session's first contro versial order of business, after an impressive solemn pontifical Mass concelebrated by Pope Paul VI and 24 other bishops, and a demand for speed by council officials. To help nudge matters along, the popular coffee bars on each side of the aula were not opened until 11, two hours after the morning sessions begin. But the Marian question may not be easily resolved, since the council fathers are closely divided between "maximalists" and "minimalists."

Bishops from Spain, Poland and Italy argued that the draft of the chapter on Mary was too timid and should include a new title of praise for the Virgin, such as "Mediatrix" between man and God. Some Latin American prelates warned that current excesses of devotion to Mary were a scandal to those outside the church and tended to obscure Christ's unique mediation with God. Mexican Bishop Sergio Mendez Arceo dryly pointed out that if Mary were to be titled "Mother of the Church," which is the mother of men, she becomes everybody's grandmother. And Augustin Cardinal Bea, of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, argued that any title implying a new Marian doctrine would do grave harm to the cause of ecumenism.

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