Overview: 

The end of the Nineteenth Century brought with it a flurry of Marian devotions and an increasing importance given to Mary. Marian Congresses were held in the beginning of the century - and Marian devotion became an important stimulus to an increasing ultramontanism within the Church. Mary was important for the people - and  the traditional concepts of medieval thought continued to surround her. She was the defender of the poor, the sure refuge of sinners, carer of the dying, and shield against the wrath of God. Popular devotion to Mary increased through the early years of the century, and reached an apogee in the 1950's. Between 1930 and 1950 alone, thirty series of apparations were investigated in Western Europe. All stimulated popular devotion, and all were visions which were experienced by children. The visions shared a common theme of prayer for repentance, the conversion of sinners - the need for consecration to Mary - which, in the case of Fatima - was associated with the conversion of Russia. 

Papal documents also continued the line of Mariological thought and devotion which had evolved the nineteenth century. Mary's maternal protection was sought, and a new feast  - that of the Divine Motherhood - was instituted for the whole church in 193.  Pius XI published his encyclical Ingravescentibus Malis in 1937, which urged reciting of the Rosary as a remedy for the evils of the time. Evils there were. National Socialism, a well established Communism and the overarching specter of another world war threatened a world still recovering from the aftershock of the war of 1914-1918. In the same year as war broke out (1939) Pius XI died, and his successor Pius XII took up Mary's banner. A member of the Marian Congregations, he perhaps did more for the spread of Marian devotion than any pope before him (with the possible exception of Pius IX). In 1942, Pius XII consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in that consecration asked Mary, under the appellations of Queen of the Rosary and Help of Christian, for real help "entrusting ourselves to your Immaculate Heart in this fateful hour of human history". At the end of his important encyclical on "The Mystical Body" (1944), he again referred to this consecration as well as to her reign in heaven, both in body and soul. This became a reality in the promulagation of the decree on the Assumption in 1950 (Munificentisssimus Deus). In section seven of this decree, Pius XII hoped for "a still greater increase in Marian Devotion... 

but likewise it is to be hoped that from meditation on the glorious example of Mary men (sic) may come to realize more and more the value of a human life entirely dedicated to fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father and to caring for the welfare of others.,,,

He continued on by saying: 

We also hope that, while materialistic theories and the moral corruption arising from them are threatening to extinguish the light of virtue, and by stirring up strife, to destroy the lives of men, the exalted destiny of both our soul and body may in this striking manner be brought clearly to the notice of all men. Finally, it is our hope that faith in the bodily Assumption of Mary into heaven may make our faith in our own resurrection both stronger and more active.

Four years after  this definition of the Assumption, a Marian Year in honour of the centenary of the declaration of the Immaculate Conception (1854) was announced in Pius's encyclical Fulgens Corona. This encyclical recapitulated the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and linked it to that of the Assumption. The encyclical exhorted Bishops to encourage a new flowering of Marian devotions - these were to be demonstrated in Marian sermons, in pilgrimages to Marian sites - and especially to Lourdes - and in the rosary. The Marian year of 1954 ended with another encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam, which established the royal dignity of Mary and the feast of her Queenship. 

In this last feast, it was clearly the Pope's intention to renew the ancient devotion to Mary as "Queen", whose royal dignity depends upon her divine motherhood, and who "plays a unique part in the work of our eternal salvation". Without actually calling her "co-redemptrix", Pius XII sought to explain that she was associated with Christ "in a way parallel to the way in which Eve was associated with Adam.... so just as the human race was committed to death through a virgin, it is saved by means of a virgin". This theme of Mary as co-redemptrix was to stimulate much debate and sometimes acrimonious discussion at Vatican II, and it continues to be debated within the church today. 

In many ways, the pronouncements of papal documents in the early part of the 20th century  picked up the tender and generous devotion to Mary that was characteristic of Italianate Catholicism. Its natural exuberance and fulsome praise of Mary impacted upon the evolution of Marian associations. The "Militia Immaculata" were founded by the Franciscan martyr Maximilian Kolbe in 1917 and evolved into a strangely militaristic movement. It publishes Marian literature, and its aims are evangelical. In 1921, Frank Duff  - inspired by the teachings of De Montfort - founded the Legion of Mary "an association of Catholics, who, with the sanction of the church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate.. .have formed themselves into a Legion for service in this warfare which is perpetually waged by the Church against the world and its evil powers. In Germany, the Schoenstatt movement began. Within this movement (recognized as a secular institute in 1948), Mary is venerated as Mater te Admirabilis, the thrice admirable Mother. Like the Legion of Mary, the Militia Immaculata the Schoenstatt members surrender their lives to Mary  unconditionally, and live in accordance with the loves of her heart. 

Popular piety held Mary in great esteem. Children of Mary sodalities proliferated and grew from their nineteenth century origins. The Rosary held predominance in family prayer, and was capitalized upon by Father Peyton's Rosary Crusade of prayer with its motto of "The family that prays together stays together". Personal piety and more general virtues for women were focused on emulating Mary's chastity, her humilty, her domesticity and her virtues as wife and mother.  By the 1960's however, and  in the debates of Vatican II, a new view of Mariology began to emerge. In this, it followed the journey of theology - returning to scriptural and biblical roots. Following the Council, Mariology seemed to fade from popular consciousness - and the marian era appeared to have ended. This, however, was not the case. Paul VI sought to reframe Mariology according to its theological underpinings, to disabuse the church of some of the more dangerous popular devotions - some of which verged on the superstitious - and to restore marian devotion and mariological thought to its place within the Christian theological tradition.  As Cecil Heyden puts it (See Reading Mariology I): 

The rise of biblical scholarship, the biblical movement, the feminist movement,the ecumenical movement and liberation theology have probably tempered Catholic zeal for more Marian dogmas. This consequently had a detrimental impact on the Cult of Mary and Mariology. Pre-conciliar days the Rosary,the Angelus, novenas and other Marian devotions had come to be on a par with the Eucharist and other sacraments. Vatican II sought to correct the emotional excesses of the past Marian piety expressed in the Cult of Mary where Mary was assuming divine perogative (ie. Psalms were written in her honour, substituting Mary for God). These excesses declined after Vatican II as the council influenced by an atmosphere of ecumenical sensitivity was eager to stress the sole mediatorship of Christ thus curbing titles of Mary such as "Mediatrix of All Graces", which divinised Mary as a co principal of redemption.

Postconiciliar developments such as Pope Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation was a contemporary Mariology that integrated the concerns of Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World with the theological and ecumenical emphasis of Lumen Gentium. Pope Paul exhorts theologians to examine the difficulties women in contemporary society have with Marian images and piety "women of today are disenchanted with historical representations of Mary that encourages only docility, humility and self-effacement."⁹ Pope Paul had commenced the search for an alternative Marian theology - Mary as our model disciple. The former images of Mary were irrelevant and do little for uplifting women in search for full humanity and equality. Many of the devotional practices of the Cult of Mary such as : wearing the Brown Scapular, devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, praying novena’s, the Angelus and the Rosary were seen as irrelevant in today’s world. This has led to a silence about Mary in today’s preaching and catechetics.

Heyden's summation would now appear to be being challenged. Mariology is being renewed, and women themselves are taking up the challenge of developing a coherent cogent Mariology that is faithful to the teaching of the church and to theological insight. As this unit progresses, the readings will demonstrate the shifts and changes of Mariology through the 20th century, and attempt to chart its course into the new millennium. 

In many ways, however,  the movements of the twentieth century marianists can be found in the teachings of their nineteenth century precursors. Certainly, 20th Century Mariology rode a crest of enthusiasm to the time of the 1950's, but with the aggiornomento of John XXIII, the crest of the wave appeared to pass.