Category:Death of Mary (subject)

The Death (and Assumption) of Mary refers to an episode in the life of Mary of Nazareth. The episode is narrated only in later Christian tradition.

Overview

The four Gospels and the Acts of Apostles do not say anything about the circumstances of the death of Mary, and in general, her life after Pentecost. Christian tradition filled the gap, relating how the Twelve apostles were miraculously assembled to be present at the moment of her death.

Since the 4th-6th century, the death of Mary began to be associated with the belief in her miraculous assumption in Heaven. In the Roman Catholic church, such a belief was dogmatically defined on November 1, 1950 by Pope Pius XII.

The Death of Mary in Scholarship

Due to the complete lack of historical evidence, the actual circumstances of the death of Mary remain totally obscure.

The Death of Mary in Fiction

In Christian iconography the scenes of the Death and Assumption of Mary, originally separated, tend progressively to conflate in the same picture. Mantegna and Caravaggio offer late examples where the scene of the death of Mary maintain its autonomy.

External links

• Wikipedia (Death of Mary) / Wikipedia (Assumption of Mary)