Is it OK to Petition the Pope for a Marian Dogma?

One of the objections I hear often when talking with people who are uncertain about the movement for a dogmatic proclamation of Mary’s role in salvation history goes something like this:

I accept the doctrine of Mary’s role in redemption. And I accept that the definition of a dogma would be good for the Church. However, I don’t think it’s appropriate to petition the Holy Father for the proclamation of a dogma. After all, faith and morals are not decided by popular opinion.

This is true that doctrines of the faith are not settled by popular opinion. Popular opinion often errs in matters of faith and morals. So in that case, is it right to petition the Holy Father for another Marian dogma? Does this in some way restrict the spiritual freedom and discernment of the Holy Father?

Further, in a second counterargument some have compared the nature of petitioning the Holy Father for a Marian dogma with that of petitioning the Holy Father in favor of allowing wider use of artificial contraception. The argument goes:

What if millions of the faithful had petitioned Pope Paul VI ahead of the issuing of Humanae Vitae? Perhaps he would have changed the Church teachings.

First, a response to the latter objection, then we’ll look at the former.

Let’s look at the circumstances surrounding the birth of the Humanae Vitae document. In that case, the Holy Father called a commission of clergy and lay faithful to examine the question of contraception. The commission concluded that the Church should change her longstanding Tradition in light of the developments of the modern age. Pope Paul VI, however, disregarded their recommendation, but issued Humanae Vitae and affirmed the Church's constant Tradition. There is no reason to believe that had petitions been sent to the Holy Father (and they probably were) that he would have acted any differently in the case of Humanae Vitae, because in that case, the faithful would not have been acting in accordance with the true sensus fidei, or "sense of the faithful" (see, Donum Veritatis, a CDF document of 1990 also known as the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian, n. 35). The guarantee of infallibility protects the Sovereign Pontiff from error in faith and morals, no matter how many petitions he receives.

Another thing to consider: Marian coredemption is already the Church's present doctrine. This is and has been a matter of faith and morals from the beginning of the Church and was taught explicitly by St. Irenaeus in the second century ("Mary became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race," Against Heresies, quoted in Lumen Gentium, Chapter VIII, n. 56, Second Vatican Council). Contraception, however, has never been an acceptable practice in the Catholic Church. The doctrine on contraception has always been that it is forbidden. Marian coredemption and spiritual motherhood, on the other hand, has been Church doctrine from the beginning. So clearly the example differs entirely (petitioning for the definition of an already existing Marian doctrine; vs. petitioning to alter the moral teaching of the Church [as if such a change were even possible]).

Finally, with regard to our first objection as to whether a petition could prevent some sort of spiritual obstacle to the Holy Father, Church history offers the best answer to the first question.

The two most recently proclaimed Marian dogmas were promulgated by Bl. Pope Pius IX in 1854 (the Immaculate Conception of Mary) and by Pope Pius XII in 1950 (the Assumption of Mary into heaven). Both Popes were inundated with petitions from the lay faithful before the respective definitions. How did they respond? Negatively?

Quite the contrary. Some may find it surprising, but both Pius IX and Pius XII praised the petition drives. The popes thanked the faithful for assisting the discernment process and for their heartfelt desire to see these doctrines elevated to the level of Church dogma.

In fact, Blessed Pius IX described how the Church considered the petitions "most attentively with particular joy in our heart." Pope Pius XII called such actions "pious striving" that associated the faithful in a "wonderful way" with their bishops.

In light of this holy precedent set by our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us, we continue in this great tradition of beseeching the Holy Father for a dogmatic definition. It would be my joy to continue discussion on this topic if you are as yet unconvinced for the need or appropriateness or even the truth of such a dogma.

If you are convinced, then I invite you to join your more than 7 million Catholic brothers and sisters who have already sent in their petitions to the Holy Father asking that he solemnly define the doctrine that Mary is Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and Advocate – the Spiritual Mother of all humanity. To sign the online petition or for instructions on how to mail yours in today, go to FifthMarianDogma.com.