Mary, Mother of God

Mary Mother of God,
Title for Mary shocked Nestorius, united Church.
The events of the Fifth Century are so exceptional for the whole Church that they will influence its history forever. To begin with, St. Jerome in 404 translated the Bible into Latin. His version was called the Vulgate.
In 426 St. Augustine completed his masterpiece book, "City of God." In 432 St. Patrick arrived in Ireland. Clovis, King of the Franks, was baptized in 496, and France thus became "La fille ainee de l’Eglise" (the eldest daughter of the Church).
By that time, Emperor Constantine had built Saint Sophia Basilica (it’s beauty surpasses the beauty of St. Peter’s), and all the imperial court had been transferred to Istanbul, re-named Constantinople, magnificent and mysterious in its splendour.
The split of the imperial court from Rome dramatically isolated the Pope’s power. Barbarian hordes assailed Italy, the Goths sacked Rome (410), then the Vandals, led by Attila the Hun, known as the Scourge of God, invaded all of what is now the Italian peninsula (455). In 476, Odoacer became the first barbarian king of Rome.
The most important event of this century, however, was the Council of Ephesus in 431. It was called by the Emperor at the time, Theodosius II, who thought that to preserve his authority it was necessary to reconcile the parties in a theological battle.
The heresy of Arius had proclaimed that Christ was "created, not equal to God." Now the heresy of Nestorius denied the divinity of Christ. He was shocked by the title Mother of God given to Mary. He preached, "It is absurd to say that the baby of Mary is God. It is wrong to say that God is 3 years old. God is eternal. Mary was a human being, not a goddess." Nestorius was afraid that paganism would penetrate Christianity.
Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria and a giant of the faith (now St. Cyril), resolutely opposed the theories of Nestorius, who was Patriarch of Constantinople and a powerful orator.
Cyril defended Christ being one person with two natures (the person of God the Son with the nature of God and the nature of man) against the Nestorian claim that Christ had two persons: one divine, one human.
In brief, Nestorius objected to the title of Theotokos (God’s Mother), bestowed on Mary. In his opinion Our Lady could be called Christotokos. (Christ’s Mother), but not Theotokos. "Christ has not two natures. Person is a concrete term, while nature is abstract. Mothers give birth to persons, not to natures," he said.
The faithful were not prepared to give up a title they cherished and were accustomed to using to honour Mary. Cyril was their voice and advocate. To get more support he wrote to various bishops and monasteries. Monks, who at that time were counted in the thousands, championed the title Mother of God.
He also wrote to Pope Celestine I, listing a number of errors that were consequences of the heresy. Nestorius said that Mary was the mother of a simple man, she was "a God bearer" as we, the faithful, are His bearers, when we receive Communion, without becoming the person of God.
With the authority of the Pope, Cyril condemned Nestorius and deposed him from his bishopric. This was a slap in the face to the Emperor Theodosius, who admired Nestorius deeply and had chosen him as the Proto-Eparch (Archbishop) of Constantinople. To keep peace in such a troubled situation between East and West, Theodosius decided to convoke an ecumenical council. He invited all the bishops from Africa, the Middle Orient, and Italy. Among his invited guests was St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, but he died before the imperial letter reached him.
The place chosen was Ephesus, a noble town in Asia Minor (Turkey) near Smyrna. There St. Paul had lived for two years and there, apparently, St. John the Apostle had breathed his last. Most significant, it had a celebrated sanctuary dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The assembly was fixed for the feast of Pentecost, June 22nd, 431, and this shrine was to be the seat of the Council of Ephesus to define Mary’s divine motherhood.
Cyril was the dominant personality at the assembly, acting as representative of the Pope. Nestorius refused to attend, inspite of three summonses to the not distant capital. He was afraid for his life. The people were hostile to him that he asked the emperor for a bodyguard of soldiers.
At the core of the Council, Cyril expounded the doctrine of the hypostatic union of two natures in Christ. The great majority approved his exposition, but Cyril also wanted to read 20 extracts from the writings of Nestorius. This done, Nestorius was condemned, and the conclusion was "Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who had been blasphemed by him (Nestorius), has decreed, through this holy synod, that he be deprived of all episcopal dignity and barred from every assembly of bishops."
Although darkness had fallen, the crowds were still waiting, until the doors were opened and it was announced that the Council had defined that Mary is the Mother of God. A jubilant multitude carrying torches shouted with joy, singing throughout the night, "Theotokos, Theotokos, Mary is the Mother of God."
Aritcle by Msgr. Pedro Lopez-Gallo