Mary’s Assumption reveals the nobility and dignity of the human body

On November 1, 1950, the dogma of the Assumption affirmed the supernatural destiny of the human body.

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII issued the Apostolic Constitution "Munificentissimus Deus", proclaiming the dogma of the Assumption.

Announced on All Saints' Day (November 1), this dogma has significance for the destiny of all the saints: "The Lamb will be their shepherd and will lead them to the springs of the waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17).

The Pope made this proclamation in 1950, very soon after the end of World War II and the horrors of the Nazis' extermination camps such as Auschwitz, Dachau and many others, where the human body was so severely humiliated and desacralized.

In a general audience, Pope John Paul II observed: "In the face of the profanation and debasement to which modern society frequently subjects the female body, the mystery of the Assumption proclaims the supernatural destiny and dignity of every human body, called by the Lord to become an instrument of holiness and to share in his glory.

Mary entered into glory because she welcomed the Son of God in her virginal womb and in her heart. By looking at her, the Christian learns to discover the value of his own body and to guard it as a temple of God, in expectation of the resurrection.

The Assumption, a privilege granted to the Mother of God, thus has immense value for the life and destiny of humanity."  (July 9, 1997)

Françoise Breynaert, À l'écoute de Marie (Editions du ver luisant, Brive 2007)