Venerable Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever (Luke 1:26-38). At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:39-56). As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship.
Sacred Scripture and Church Devotion
We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court (establishment of the Davidic queenship,1 Kings 1; see also Revelation 11:19-12:17).
In the 4th century, Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later, Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” and “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican Rosary and the Franciscan Crown, as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany, celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow up to the Assumption, and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical, To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power (John 2:1-12).
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© Queenship of Mary by Franciscan Media 2017: www.franciscanmedia.org/queenship-of-mary
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