Marienlitanien

Bestätigter offizieller Text: Erzbistum Madrid, Kirche Cristo de la Victoria – PDF „Heiliger Rosenkranz – Lauretanische Litanei mit den Zusätzen von Papst Franziskus 2020“. Er entspricht dem Text auf der offiziellen Website vatican.va.

1. Was sind Litaneien?

From the Greek litaneía (supplication). A responsorial prayer: the celebrant or leader says an invocation, and the assembly responds. An ancient structure of Christian worship, already present in the processions of the fourth century.

An important distinction:

Official liturgical litanies: approved by the Church for public use. Only five are recognized for public worship and may be included in blessings, processions and other liturgical celebrations: of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, of the Sacred Heart, of the Most Precious Blood, of Loreto (to the Virgin) and of Saint Joseph.
Private devotional litanies: popular piety, the domestic setting or small communities. Many of them (Immaculate Heart, Assumption, Our Lady of the Rosary, local titles).

The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (Congregation for Divine Worship, 2002), n. 203, recalls that Marian litanies belong to the devotional heritage, but “must not replace, but rather lead to, the Liturgy”.

2. Litanei von Loreto – vollständiger offizieller Text

Ursprung und Geschichte

Shrine of Loreto (Italy, the house of Nazareth translated according to tradition). Its primitive form is attested in the sixteenth century.
Official approval: the bull Reddituri of Sixtus V, 11 July 1587.
Additions throughout the centuries (the principal ones):
- Auxilium Christianorum — Help of Christians: added by Pius V after the victory of Lepanto (1571), although the canonical formulation is dated to the late sixteenth century.
- Mater Immaculata / Regina sine labe originali concepta — Queen conceived without original sin: after the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (Pius IX, 1854).
- Mater Boni Consilii — Mother of Good Counsel: added by Leo XIII in 1903.
- Regina Sanctissimi Rosarii — Queen of the Most Holy Rosary: approved by Leo XIII in 1883.
- Regina Pacis — Queen of Peace: introduced by Benedict XV in 1917, during the First World War.
- Regina assumpta in caelum — Queen assumed into Heaven: added by Pius XII after the dogmatic definition of the Assumption in 1950.
- Mater Ecclesiae — Mother of the Church: added by Saint John Paul II in 1980, taking up the title proclaimed by Paul VI in 1964.
- Regina familiae — Queen of the family: added by Saint John Paul II in 1995.
- Mater misericordiae, Mater spei, Solacium migrantium — Mother of mercy, Mother of hope, Solace of migrants: added by Pope Francis, decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship of 20 June 2020 (letter of Cardinal Robert Sarah to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences).

Vollständiger englischer Text (Litanei von Loreto mit den Zusätzen von Papst Franziskus 2020)

V. Herr, erbarme dich. R. Herr, erbarme dich. V. Christus, erbarme dich. R. Christus, erbarme dich. V. Herr, erbarme dich. R. Herr, erbarme dich.

V. Christus, erhöre uns. R. Christus, erhöre uns. V. Christus, erhöre uns gnädig. R. Christus, erhöre uns gnädig.

V. Gott, Vater im Himmel, R. erbarme dich unser. V. Gott, Sohn, Erlöser der Welt, R. erbarme dich unser. V. Gott, Heiliger Geist, R. erbarme dich unser. V. Heilige Dreifaltigkeit, ein Gott, R. erbarme dich unser.

(To each invocation that follows, the response is: “pray for us”.)

Heilige Maria,
Heilige Mutter Gottes,
Heilige Jungfrau der Jungfrauen,
Mutter Christi,
Mutter der Kirche,
Mother of Mercy, (added in 2020)
Mutter der göttlichen Gnade,
Mother of Hope, (added in 2020)
Reinste Mutter,
Mutter, die keuschste
Unverletzliche Mutter,
Unbefleckte Mutter,
Eine überaus freundliche Mutter
Eine höchst bewundernswerte Mutter,
Mutter des guten Rates,
Mutter unseres Schöpfers,
Mutter unseres Erlösers,
Jungfrau, die Klügste,
Ehrwürdigste Jungfrau,
Virgins bekannteste,
Jungfrau am mächtigsten,
barmherzigste Jungfrau,
treueste Jungfrau,
Spiegel der Gerechtigkeit
Sitz der Weisheit,
Grund unserer Freude,
Geistiges Gefäß
Ehrengefäß,
Einzigartiges Gefäß der Hingabe,
Mystische Rose,
Davidsturm
Elfenbeinturm,
Haus aus Gold,
Bundeslade,
Himmelstor,
Morgenstern,
Gesundheit der Kranken,
Zuflucht der Sünder,
Solace of migrants, (added in 2020)
Tröster der Bedrängten,
Hilfe der Christen
Königin der Engel,
Königin der Patriarchen,
Königin der Propheten,
Königin der Apostel,
Königin der Märtyrer,
Königin der Bekennerinnen
Königin der Jungfrauen,
Königin aller Heiligen,
Königin, empfangen ohne Erbsünde
Die Königin nahm den Himmel auf,
Königin des heiligsten Rosenkranzes,
Königin der Familie,
Königin des Friedens.

V. Lamm Gottes, du nimmst hinweg die Sünden der Welt, R. verschone uns, o Herr. V. Lamm Gottes, du nimmst hinweg die Sünden der Welt, R. erhöre uns gnädig, o Herr. V. Lamm Gottes, du nimmst hinweg die Sünden der Welt, R. sei uns gnädig.

V. Bitte für uns, heilige Mutter Gottes. A. Dass wir der Verheißungen Christi würdig werden.

Schlussgebet

Grant, we beseech you, O Lord God, that we your servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and, by the glorious intercession of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3. Kommentar zu einigen Aufrufen

Causa nostrae laetitiae — Cause of our joy. A medieval invocation. Mary is the cause of joy because she brought the Savior into the world. Saint Bede the Venerable linked Gabriel’s greeting “Ave, gratia plena” with the prophetic cry of Zephaniah 3:14: “Rejoice, O daughter of Zion!”. Christian joy is not sentimental optimism: it is the certainty of salvation, and Mary embodied it first.

Mater divinae gratiae — Mother of divine grace. By giving the world Christ, the source of all grace, Mary is called Mother of grace. Saint Thomas Aquinas explains it in III, q. 27, a. 5: “The fullness of grace was owed to the Blessed Virgin because she conceived the very Author of grace”.

Speculum iustitiae — Mirror of justice. Biblical justice is the uprightness that unites man with God. Mary reflected perfectly the holiness of her Son. Saint Bernard: “Speculum sine macula”, a spotless mirror. It takes up Wisdom 7:26 applied to Wisdom: “a spotless mirror of the working of God”.

Sedes sapientiae — Seat of Wisdom. A medieval Roman image: the Virgin seated with the Child-Wisdom on her knees. Christ is the eternal Wisdom of the Father (1 Cor 1:24); Mary is the living throne that bears him.

Rosa mystica — Mystical Rose. A medieval symbol. The rose, queen of flowers, alludes to Mary’s unique beauty among creatures. The “mystical rose” also refers to the “rosary”, a crown of spiritual roses.

Stella matutina — Morning star. She who announces the Sun, Christ. Saint Bernard in his sermon “De aquaeductu”: “Respice stellam, voca Mariam” (look at the star, call upon Mary).

Solacium migrantium — Solace of migrants. Added by Francis in 2020. Mary fled to Egypt with Joseph and the Child (Mt 2:13-15): every forced migration finds refuge in her. The universal Church invokes her for those who leave their land.

4. Andere traditionelle Marienlitanien

Biblische Litaneien an die Jungfrau Maria

Eine moderne Andachtssammlung mit Marienbezeichnungen direkt aus der Heiligen Schrift. Für den privaten Gebrauch zugelassen und weit verbreitet in Bibelgruppen. Einige Anrufungen:

Tochter Zion (Zeph 3,14)
Magd des Herrn (Lk 1,38)
voller Gnade (Lk 1,28)
Gesegnet unter den Frauen (Lk 1,42)
Die Frau des Magnificat (Lk 1,46-55)
Mutter des Erlösers (Lk 2,11)
Die Frau bei der Hochzeit zu Kana (Joh 2,1-11)
Die Frau am Fuße des Kreuzes (Joh 19,25)
Mutter des geliebten Jüngers (Joh 19,27)
Die Frau im Obergemach (Apostelgeschichte 1,14)
Frau, die mit der Sonne bekleidet ist (Offb 12,1)

Litanei vom Unbefleckten Herzen Mariens

Approved by Pius XII in 1942 after the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart (31 October 1942). Private and devotional use. They include invocations such as: Immaculate Heart of Mary, sanctuary of the Word made flesh / ark of the new covenant / summit of holiness / our refuge and that of sinners…

Litanei der Unbefleckten Empfängnis

Eine spanisch- und hispanisch-amerikanische Tradition, die insbesondere auf dem Dogma von 1854 basiert. Verwendung im Gottesdienst.

Litanei Unserer Lieben Frau von Guadalupe

An American devotion. It combines Loreto titles with invocations proper to Tepeyac: Star of evangelization / Mother of Juan Diego / Dawn of salvation for America…

5. Wenn die Litaneien gebetet werden

At the end of the Holy Rosary (the most widespread use).
Marian processions, especially in May (the month of Mary) and October (the month of the Rosary).
Novenas and Marian triduums.
Votive Mass of Our Lady, as a devotional conclusion after the celebration (not within the eucharistic Liturgy).
Blessings of the Ritual that provide for them.

The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (n. 195) specifies: the litanies “do not replace the Liturgy, but rather prolong it in domestic and communal piety”.

Quellen

Official text of the Litany of Loreto with the 2020 additions — Archdiocese of Madrid, parish of Cristo de la Victoria — downloadable PDF at cristodelavictoria.archimadrid.es. Identical to the one published on vatican.va.
Vatican.va, Litany of Loreto — https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_sp.html
Letter of Cardinal Robert Sarah (20 June 2020), Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments — https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/es/bollettino/pubblico/2020/06/20/letan.html
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (CDWDS, 17 December 2001), nn. 195-203 — vatican.va
Bull Reddituri of Sixtus V (1587) — official approval of the Litany of Loreto.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 2673-2682 (“Prayer to the Holy Mother of God”).

🌹 Alle Gebete an die Jungfrau Maria · Angelus und Regina Caeli

The Litany of Loreto