Abstract:
Father Justin Zapartowicz O P (called the Miechowita) was one of Poland's leading Marian theologians of the seventeenth century. His main work the „Discursus praedicabiles” discusses all the then known problems concerning the Virgin Mary. Of particulair note is his teaching regarding the Virgin Mother's role in the Redemption. The above article discusses one of the main problems, namely, the soteriological value of the Virgin Mary's sufferings. In terms of today's categories the Miechowita belonged to Marian theologians called „Christototypicos” who try to explain the Virgin Mother's participation in the Redemption by emphasising the analogy between Christ and Mary. According to the author the Mother of God was so strongly united with her Son in terms of nature and grace that together with Him She redeemed the world „quasi uno corde”. However the value of the redemptive sufferrings differ from those of Christ: they only possess „de congruo” value. The redemptive presence of Mary under the Cross was determined by God in the very decree which determined Christ as the Redeemer. The Holy Virgin, as Christ’s co-sufferer took direct part in the struggle and so became co-Redeemer. The Miechowita also attempted to explain the redemptive value of` Mary’s sufferings in terms of the principle of cause and effect. He thus sees the Virgin Mary as playing an important causal part in the Redemption of the world albeit secondary to that of Christ. Theology today, however, rejects this view which was widespread before Vatican II. The view now accepted by many theologians tends to support the idea that the part played by the Mother of God the Mystery of Golgotha was receptive, in the sense of accepting the Redemption, rather than causal.
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