Al-Ajiba – Not praying the Virgin Mary’s prayer

The Pope affirms that there is a difference between mentioning the Virgin or addressing her in prayer and worshiping her. Mentioning the Virgin and appealing for her intercession does not mean that we worship her or elevate her to a special divinity.

Key Concepts and Clarifications

• In our prayers we sometimes address angels, nature, people, and souls with literary forms like the psalms and hymns, and this does not mean worshiping them, but it is an expressive style within prayer.
• Examples: Psalm 148 and 103 and 113 and what appears in the Doxology mention angels and nature to praise the Lord, and we direct the words as part of prayer not as worship of creatures.
• Addressing the Virgin in prayers: we ask for her intercession and ask her to remember us before God, and this is a kind of seeking help from intercessors, not a theological adoration of her.
• The phrase “your servant” or “our lady” in texts is an honorific and humble expression and does not mean that she is a god, but a reference to her rank and dignity in priestly and spiritual life.

Theological Issues and Ways of Intercession

• Intercession is possible: prayers and supplications are considered a means that prevent hell from swallowing some souls and they show the power of prayer in salvation.
• The difference between the intercession of the saints and the intercession of God: those who intercede are mediators to whom graces are given by God and they do not act by their personal power but by the power of the Lord.

Critique of Some Opinions and Heresies

• There are those who reject addressing the Virgin during prayer and confuse mention with worship, and this is not correct according to the Coptic Orthodox tradition.
• Some heresies such as Origen’s teachings about the salvation of the demons or the annihilation of the wicked are rejected because Scripture teaches that the devil will be cast into final perdition and that salvation is linked to repentance.

Spiritual Conclusion

We call for wisdom and discernment: we should not cancel the logic of the ancient hymns and prayers because they are part of the Church’s tradition, but we should understand that addressing the Virgin and the angels and nature in prayers is part of the language of worship and praise directed to God, and our seeking the help of the saints and intercessors is a request for mercy, not worship of them.

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