Catholics: is the Ascension of Mary bodily into heaven mentioned in scripture?

Question

Is it detailed in any of the cannological gospels, if so can you give a reference please; or does it come from the gnostic gospels. Any information apprectated, I would like to know where this orginates and the basis of this belief, I am also reasonabley sure that this is a relatively new doctroine so details appreciated.

Answer 1

No, it is not found in the gospels. No, it is not a relatively new doctrine.

It is found in the great wealth of early Christian writing of the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries. St. John of Damascus, in the 5th century, provides the best and clearest tradition of the Church of Jerusalem:

"St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), made known to the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven."

The belief of the Ascension of Mary bodily into heaven is not just a Catholic tradition. It is accepted by all the Christian churches before the Protestant revolution. It is accepted by ancient Greek churches, and the Coptic, and the Marionite, and the Ethiopean churches. Even Martin Luther accepted it.

What is a relatively new doctrine is the rejection of this teaching by the modern fundamentist protestant churches of today.
Today, the belief in the corporeal assumption of Mary is universal in the East and in the West; according to Benedict XIV (De Festis B.V.M., I, viii, 18) it is a probable opinion, which to deny were impious and blasphemous.

Answer 2

As Wally above states, the Assumption of the dead body of Mary to heaven is a relatively new doctrine. It only goes back to about 451 A.D.

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 AD.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

The Ascension was the departure of Jesus, from the earth, 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. Christ was lifted up. A cloud took him out of sight. See Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:1-14) the ascension is represented as an observed historical fact. Could this be what you are referring to .. instead of Mary?

Answer 4

There is no such thing as a relatively new doctrine in Catholicism. The Catholic Church teaches only what it has taught from Apostolic times. No, this Christian truth is not described in Scripture, though its truth was guaranteed when Jesus told the leaders of his Church, "whatsoever you bind upon earth is bound in heaven". This binding teaching, like all binding teachings of God's holy Church, holds this same divine assurance of truth and accuracy, since nothing untrue can be "bound in heaven". Insisting that all truth be found in the pages of the Bible is a modern tradition of men, which no Christian on earth ever heard of until a few hundred years ago. the Church Christ founded possessed the fullness of Christian truth before the Bible was even written, let alone compiled into a book by the bishops of the Catholic Church. That's why the Bible tells us that the Church Christ founded, not a collection of its writings, is "the pillar and foundation of truth".

And, it's the Assumption of Mary, not Ascension. Christ ascended, by His own power. Mary had no such power. She was assumed into heaven by God.
.

Answer 5

The Eastern Orthodox have believed in the Dormition or the falling asleep of the Blessed Virgin from the beginning. And, since there are no bodily relics to be found - (the Orthodox would know!!) - it has been believed since the third or fourth century that Her Body was taken to heaven.

The belief in the bodily assumption of Mary is founded on the apocryphal treatise De Obitu S. Dominae, bearing the name of St. John, which belongs however to the fourth or fifth century.

It is a pious belief from the earliest times.

Answer 6

From scripturecatholic.com:

Gen. 5:24, Heb. 11:5 - Enoch was bodily assumed into heaven without dying. Would God do any less for Mary the Ark of the New Covenant?

2 Kings 2:11-12; 1 Mac 2:58 - Elijah was assumed into heaven in fiery chariot. Jesus would not do any less for His Blessed Mother.

Psalm 132:8 - Arise, O Lord, and go to thy resting place, thou and the Ark (Mary) of thy might. Both Jesus and Mary were taken up to their eternal resting place in heaven.

2 Cor. 12:2 - Paul speaks of a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven. Mary was also brought up into heaven by God.

Matt. 27:52-53 - when Jesus died and rose, the bodies of the saints were raised. Nothing in Scripture precludes Mary's assumption into heaven.

1 Thess. 4:17 - we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Rev. 12:1 - we see Mary, the "woman," clothed with the sun. While in Rev. 6:9 we only see the souls of the martyrs in heaven, in Rev. 12:1 we see Mary, both body and soul.

2 Thess. 2:15 - Paul instructs us to hold fast to oral (not just written) tradition. Apostolic tradition says Mary was assumed into heaven. While claiming the bones of the saints was a common practice during these times (and would have been especially important to obtain Mary's bones as she was the Mother of God), Mary's bones were never claimed. This is because they were not available. Mary was taken up body and soul into heaven.

Answer 7

Mary's assumtion into heaven is not in the Bible.
Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death), proclaimed by pope Pius XII 1950

Answer 8

Good question, but unfortunately Scripture does not mention this. This teaching is part of the Cult of Mary that started in the early 5th century by the Catholic church. They taught that she was born free of original sin and was still a virgin at her Assumption. In 431 AD, the Council of Ephesus sanctioned the cult's teaching and allowed dissemination of images of Virgin and Child throughout Europe. By the end of the middle ages, the teachings of the Cult of Mary had became mainstream in Catholic doctrine. This view of Mary was never held by the apostles or Jesus himself. It has no Biblical foundation.

Answer 9

If you want to know the history, you can read about the assumption on wikipedia, but if you want to start a fight you can ask on Answers LOL. Just joking of course, it seems that it has been recorded in a book about Mary that is still honored in the Ethiopian tradition that dates back to about 200.

Answer 10

There are many passages in the book where it saids that Mary was ascended to Heaven. Don't forget when the angel came to her to announce her pregnancy, he said "blessed are you among all women". Why wouldn't she go to heaven if she cared after our savior and was with him all throughout his life?