The Veneration of St. Mary the Virgin

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III


The Veneration of St. Mary the Virgin



(1) Our Protestant brethren do not venerate our Lady the Virgin nor do they ask for her intercession. Some of their groups even go to the extent of likening her to the eggshell that loses its value after the chick hatches. This exaggeration in not venerating the Virgin Mary is probably a reaction to the exaggerated veneration given her by the Roman Catholics. Thus our Protestant brethren do not celebrate any of the Virgin's feasts.
(2) Some Protestant groups call the Virgin Mary ‘our sister’.
(3) In addition, our Protestant brethren say that after the Virgin had given birth to the Lord Jesus she consumated her marriage to Joseph and begot children known as Jesus' brothers" or "the Lord's brothers".
(4) Our Protestant brethren also object to some of the titles which our Church gives to our Lady the Virgin.
(5) One of the features which reveals the non-veneration of the Virgin is that, in their translation of the Holy Bible, they
have changed the title given her by the angel from 'full of grace" into "highly favoured". (6) Our Protestant brethren frequently give our Lady the Virgin the title 'Mother of Jesus' instead of 'Mother of God' (Theotokos).