Marialitanieën
Geverifieerde officiële tekst: Aartsbisdom Madrid, Kerk van Cristo de la Victoria — PDF “Heilige Rozenkrans — Litanie van Loreto met de toevoegingen van Paus Franciscus 2020”. Deze tekst komt overeen met de tekst op de officiële website vatican.va.
1. Wat zijn litanieën?
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. Litanie van Loreto — volledige officiële tekst
Oorsprong en geschiedenis
- 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).
Volledige Engelse tekst (Litanie van Loreto met de toevoegingen van Paus Franciscus 2020)
V. Heer, erbarm U. R. Heer, erbarm U. V. Christus, erbarm U. R. Christus, erbarm U. V. Heer, erbarm U. R. Heer, erbarm U.
V. Christus, hoor ons. R. Christus, hoor ons. V. Christus, verhoor ons genadig. R. Christus, verhoor ons genadig.
V. God de Vader in de hemel, R. ontferm U over ons. V. God de Zoon, Verlosser van de wereld, R. ontferm U over ons. V. God de Heilige Geest, R. ontferm U over ons. V. Heilige Drie-eenheid, één God, R. ontferm U over ons.
(To each invocation that follows, the response is: “pray for us”.)
- Heilige Maria,
- Heilige Moeder Gods,
- Heilige Maagd der maagden,
- Moeder van Christus,
- Moeder van de Kerk,
- Mother of Mercy, (added in 2020)
- Moeder van goddelijke genade,
- Mother of Hope, (added in 2020)
- Allerzuiverste moeder,
- Moeder allerkuis,
- Moeder onaantastbaar,
- Onbevlekte moeder,
- Meest vriendelijke moeder,
- Een bewonderenswaardige moeder,
- Moeder van goede raad,
- Moeder van onze Schepper,
- Moeder van onze Verlosser,
- Maagd, de meest voorzichtige,
- Allerheiligste Maagd,
- Virgin's meest bekende,
- Maagd is de machtigste,
- allerbarmhartigste Maagd,
- Meest getrouwe Maagd,
- Spiegel van gerechtigheid,
- Zetel van wijsheid,
- Oorzaak van onze vreugde,
- Geestelijk vat,
- Eervol vaartuig,
- Een uniek voorwerp van toewijding,
- Mystieke Roos,
- Toren van David,
- Toren van Ivoor,
- Huis van goud,
- Ark des verbonds,
- Hemelpoort,
- Morgenster,
- Gezondheid van de zieken,
- Toevluchtsoord voor zondaars,
- Solace of migrants, (added in 2020)
- Trooster van de bedroefden,
- Hulp van christenen,
- Koningin der Engelen,
- Koningin der Patriarchen,
- Koningin der Profeten,
- Koningin der Apostelen,
- Koningin der Martelaren,
- Koningin der Biechtvaders,
- Koningin der Maagden,
- Koningin van alle Heiligen,
- Koningin ontvangen zonder erfzonde,
- De koningin is opgenomen in de hemel.
- Koningin van de allerheiligste Rozenkrans,
- Koningin van de familie,
- Koningin van de vrede.
V. Lam van God, die de zonden van de wereld wegneemt, R. spaar ons, Heer. V. Lam van God, die de zonden van de wereld wegneemt, R. verhoor ons genadig, Heer. V. Lam van God, die de zonden van de wereld wegneemt, R. heb medelijden met ons.
V. Bid voor ons, heilige Moeder Gods. R. Opdat wij waardig mogen worden bevonden de beloften van Christus te ontvangen.
Afsluitend gebed
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. Commentaar op enkele aanroepingen
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 traditionele Maria-litanieën
Bijbelse litanieën tot de Maagd Maria
Een moderne devotionele compositie die Maria-titels verzamelt, rechtstreeks ontleend aan de Heilige Schrift. Goedgekeurd voor privégebruik en wijdverspreid onder Bijbelstudiegroepen. Enkele aanroepingen:
- Dochter van Zion (Zefanja 3:14)
- Dienstmaagd des Heren (Lk 1:38)
- Vol van genade (Lk 1:28)
- Gezegend onder de vrouwen (Lk 1:42)
- Vrouw van het Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55)
- Moeder van de Verlosser (Lk 2:11)
- Vrouw van de bruiloft te Kana (Joh 2:1-11)
- Vrouw aan de voet van het kruis (Joh 19:25)
- Moeder van de geliefde discipel (Joh 19:27)
- Vrouw in de bovenkamer (Handelingen 1:14)
- Vrouw bekleed met de zon (Openbaring 12:1)
Litanie van het Onbevlekte Hart van Maria
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…
Litanie van de Onbevlekte Ontvangenis
Een Spaanse en Latijns-Amerikaanse traditie, met name geworteld in de periode na het dogma van 1854. Gebruik in devotionele context.
Litanie van Onze Lieve Vrouw van 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. Wanneer de litanieën worden gebeden
- 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”.
Bronnen
- 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”).