“In saying that Mary is ‘a mother to us in the order of grace’ the [Second Vatican] Council stresses that her spiritual motherhood is not limited to the disciples alone, as though the words spoken by Jesus on Calvary: ‘Woman, behold your son’ (Jn 19:26), required a restrictive interpretation. Indeed, with these words the Crucified One established an intimate relationship between Mary and his beloved disciple, a typological figure of universal scope, intending to offer his Mother as Mother to all mankind.”
Those words were spoken by Pope St. John Paul II during the Holy Father’s General Audience on Wednesday, September 24, 1997. They remind us of the universality of Mary’s motherhood—something which was on vivid display for the world to see on December 7, in the beautiful ceremony that celebrated the reopening of the iconic and magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris—a sacred landmark which was nearly destroyed by fire in 2019. It was a gathering that can best be described as politically, philosophically and theologically eclectic. People were there from different countries, from different ethnic groups, from different political organizations and parties, and from different faith traditions. In all likelihood there were even some present who lacked religious faith entirely, whose appreciation for Notre Dame was limited to its artistic and architectural beauty.
Mary brought all these unique and diverse people together in one place, for a common purpose, in an atmosphere of peace and truth. This is something, of course, that all good mothers do: they bring their children together, with the intention of fostering healthy and peaceful relationships between them. Our heavenly Mother has been doing this for years in places like Fatima, Portugal, where she appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. There she has brought together Christians and Muslims in an atmosphere of peace and mutual respect. Many Christians are not aware of the fact that Muslims have a high regard for our Blessed Mother. She’s mentioned over thirty times in the Koran. No other woman is mentioned even once! There she’s described as “Virgin, ever Virgin.” Concerning his daughter Fatima, Mohammad—the founder of Islam—said he believed that “she has the highest place in heaven after the Virgin Mary.”
It was undoubtedly providential that in 1917 Mary appeared in a place which was named after a Muslim convert to the Catholic faith: a woman who at birth had been named after Mohammad’s daughter. This is why many Muslims actually make pilgrimages to the Catholic shrine of Mary in Fatima, Portugal every year.
It’s yet another instance of a good mother doing her motherly task and bringing together some of her beloved children: sons and daughters who, sad to say, have often lived in conflict with one another. We need to pray that Our Lady will continue to do her unifying work at other times and in many other places, so that the prayer of her Son for the unity of all humanity in truth (which he prayed at the Last Supper) will be more fully realized in our often-divided world.
