Pope at Angelus: Mary’s Assumption reveals our eternal destiny

Pope Leo marked the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary by inviting the faithful to contemplate their ultimate destiny: the fullness of eternal life in God.

Addressing pilgrims gathered in Castel Gandolfo for his midday Angelus on Saturday, the Pope described the Assumption as a feast of great importance both for Catholic theology and for popular devotion.

He noted that the Solemnity is particularly cherished in communities whose cathedrals or parish churches are dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.

Pope Leo reflected on two principal ways in which artists have depicted the mystery of the Assumption over the centuries.

The first and oldest tradition portrays the Dormition, or "falling asleep", of the Mother of God. In these images, Mary lies upon a catafalque, surrounded by the Apostles in prayer, while the risen Jesus holds her soul in His arms like a newborn child.

The image shows Christ coming to take His Mother into the glory of heaven, the Pope explained, fulfilling for her the promise He made to His disciples: "I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also".

This ancient iconography highlights a central truth of the Christian faith: it is Christ, who died and rose again, who leads humanity towards the destiny for which it was created - eternal life.

Generations of believers have contemplated this mystery in icons of the Dormition, Pope Leo said, pointing in particular to the great apse mosaic in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major.