Mary, the English, and the Muslims

Among all the many good meditations on the Immaculate Conception being offered this day, may I commend two by Father John Hunwicke, a former Anglican minister now a priest of the Ordinariate in England. The first is a sermon he preached when an Anglican, in which he analyzed the English fear of the Mother of God. “Have you noticed,” he said,

that there’s a certain sort of churchperson who twitches rhythmically at the very phrase ‘Mother of God’. If you explain that Jesus is God and so his mother Mary is the Mother of God, they give you that sort of sideways look that implies they know you’re playing some sort of Jesuitical trick on them, but they can’t quite spot the catch. Well, of course, there is a catch; it is that they don’t live with a real faith that Jesus is God. As Newman once analysed it, liberal protestants demote our Lord Jesus Christ into the slot reserved for Mary (I am butchering Newman’s elegant periods into journalese so I will call it “Top Creature Slot”) and then they’re puzzled when we Catholics situate Mary in exactly that place. ‘Romanism is not idolatry unless Arianism is orthodoxy’, Newman observed.

In the second, he translate from the old breviary a prayer written by St. Germanus, the early eighth century Patriarch of Constantinople, who led the Church there when it was besieged by the Muslim armies.

The unbelieving nations who blaspheme against You and the God who is born of You: lay them low and prostrate them beneath the feet of [orthodox emperors]. Strengthen the subject people, that according to God’s command they may persevere in the duty of sweet obedience. Crown this Your City, which has You as its Tower and Foundation, with the triumphs of victory. Guard the habitation of God, girding it with strength. Ever keep the beauty of the Temple. Rescue those who praise You from every crisis and distress. Grant ransom to the captives. Show Yourself a comfort to exiles who lack a roof and any protection. To the whole world stretch out Your hand of assistance , that in joy and exultation we may keep Your festivals . . . in Christ Jesus, King of all  and our true God . . . .

You will want to go to the original for his comments and the original Greek which he includes.