The Blessed Virgin Mary Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

The Roman Catholic Church is very clear that you do not pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is clearly stated and known not to be God. Her status is discussed in this quiz. The Catholic Church teaches that prayers go through her to God, with her (hoped for) personal endorsement, rather as if she were a court lawyer speaking on your behalf.

Her great power of intercession was written about well by Blessed John Newman, among many other writers. In praying to Mary, one is simultaneously speaking to her Divine Son, to whom she is so close. Prayer through the Blessed Virgin Mary is not confined to set prayers, or meditations. One may just talk to her and in her way, Catholics believe, she will inspire one's mind with her answers.

Many saints have prayed this way.

The Roman Catholic Church would counsel worshippers to carry their own rosary beads with them at all times.

Answer: Yes

This shows the highest importance that the Roman Catholic Church attaches to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Ark was constructed by Moses, on the instructions of God, on Mount Sinai (Old Testament). It contained the tablets on which were written the ten commandments.

It was kept in the holy of holies in the tabernacle. It traveled with the Jews as they moved in the wilderness. It was eventually lost or destroyed. All this is written in the Old Testament (See Exodus and later books of the Bible.) Mary thus has a highly exalted position in Roman Catholic tradition.

In fact some writers believe that in her roles, including that of "Ark of the Covenant", she will return in a crucial role to lead humans back to God at the end of time. Many believe that her apparitions, seen all over the world, support this view.

Answer: The New Eve

The first Eve was deceived by a serpent in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of the Book of Genesis. The Blessed Virgin Mary, in saying yes to the Angel Gabriel and agreeing to be the Mother God, took on a special role and responsibility for mankind. Please see "Mary, the New Eve, freely obeyed God", written by Pope John Paul II (you can find it with an ordinary internet search). Mary is often shown in Roman Catholic pictures and statues as crushing the serpent with her foot. Mary is treated as of more importance than a saint, or even all the saints together (in particular please see later parts of this quiz).

She is higher also than any Angel. Her position in Roman Catholic thinking is unique within the human race.

Answer: Protector of the Poor

This title does not appear, although in many ways it fits her image. She lovingly accepted the poverty of a stable to give birth to her Son Jesus. There is no evidence in the Bible that she ever led more than the life of the spouse and widow of a poorly paid carpenter.

Her apparitions, seen throughout the world, develop a trend of appearing to poor people and very often poor children (see the visions of Fatima, where she appeared in dramatic circumstances to three poor shepherd children). A careful Biblical study of Our Lady might persuade you that she might not care too much for the rich and the powerful. Certainly not those people in those positions in her day! However, The Roman Catholic Church portray her as available to all.

The Roman Catholic church has always regarded money and power as available, but only to be used properly, if possible.

Answer: Jewish religion

Mary was born into a strongly devout Jewish family. The New Testament specially says that Mary strictly followed the laws of the Jews by presenting her baby at the Temple in Jerusalem at the prescribed time (Luke 2:22-38). Luke 2:39 then says, "And when they had fulfilled all things prescribed by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, and their own town of Nazareth". Mary, as a woman of her time, would have been heavily educated in the Hebrew Bible.

She would have taught this Bible to her son.

The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament, will be referred to later in the quiz.

Answer: 1950

Pope Pius XII declared the truth of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 1st November, 1950. The Roman Catholic feast day for the Assumption is on 15th August of every year. The Popes very rarely speak dogmatically, so the importance of this matter is clear.

Answer: Saint John, the Disciple and Apostle

Please see chapter 19, verses 25-27 of St John's gospel. Saint John refers to himself as "the disciple standing by, whom He loved". These words of Jesus are interpreted by the Roman Catholic Church as a statement that henceforth Mary became the mother of all mankind. Thus Mary is often referred to as our Heavenly Mother.

Answer: No one knows.

Mary did die and it is Catholic Church dogma that she was assumed body and soul into Heaven. This would be in part due to the fact that she was conceived without original sin (Roman Catholic Church doctrine of the "Immaculate Conception"). Also, this is because of her role as a mother and her holy life.

Her Son is said by the Roman Catholic Church to have lived to 33 years of age. So Mary must have lived into her forties and possibly fifties at least. No one really knows. Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin often show her as very young. Perhaps this is because we do not understand that Heaven is different and the frailties of this life must be left behind.

Heaven is Heaven and we seem to go back to our ideal state, according to many theologians. Clearly dying holy is helpful for eternal youth!

Answer: Walsingham

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared three times to Richeldis de Faverches in the year 1061. She asked for a replica of the Holy Family's House in Nazareth (seen in the visions) to be built at Walsingham. This was done. This town has two shrines; one is Roman Catholic and the other is run by the Church of England. Due to the Reformation in England these two churches remain apart, being united in basic belief, but divided especially by time and history.

Answer: The apparitions are related to the Bible and to world history.

This was done by Donal Anthony Foley in his book "Marian Apparitions, the Bible and the Modern World" (published 2002 by Gracewing), a rather long book that deals with the major apparition sites. It attempts to show how each series of visions is linked to major historical events going on at the time.

This would be in the particular country concerned, or in the world. For example he links the massive conversions to Roman Catholicism caused in Mexico (Guadalupe) in 1531 to the Reformation in Europe.

He shows, in his submission, how the apparitions over the years have been linked to historical events, and how they helped and guided national and also world events. As all the recognized visions strongly reflect Roman Catholic teaching, this has caused problems for non-Catholic critics.

As Foley describes it, many of these writers find a stumbling block in Mary's solid support and help for the Roman Catholic Church. Foley also attempts to show how the visions are linked to the Bible and how Mary reflects the Old Testament truths in her appearance, symbols and what she says.

This all may explain why local clergy often grow scared or even hostile to local visions. They fear local and media hostility, including anti-Catholic sentiment. The visions go back to Rome and the Pope and his advisers sees what they are really saying in terms of current affairs and Biblical (Old Testament) similarities. They put the visions in the bigger picture of the past and present world. Many visions that eventually become recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, are not initially recognized by the local Catholic Church.