Fifteen
Intercessor
In his 1954 encyclical Ad
Caeli Reginam, Venerable
Pope Pius XII wrote that his predecessor Pope Sixtus IV, began the 1476 Apostolic Letter Cum
praeexcelsa with words in which Mary is called “Queen”, “Who is always
vigilant to intercede with the King Whom she bore.” Thus, the intercessory role of Mary was
acknowledged by both supreme pontiffs. 46
Further on in the encyclical. Venerable Pope Pius XII stated; “Certainly, in the full and strict meaning of the term, only Jesus Christ, the God-Man, is King; but Mary, too, as Mother of the Divine Christ, as His associate in the redemption, in His struggle with His enemies and His final victory over them, has a share, though in a limited and analagous way, in His royal dignity.
For from her union with Christ she
attains a radiant eminence transcending that of any other creature; from her
union with Christ she receives the royal right to dispose of the treasures of
the Divine Redeemer’s Kingdom; from her union with Christ finally is derived
the inexhaustible efficacy of her maternal intercession before the Son and His
Father.” 47
In Ad Caeli Reginam, Venerable Pope Pius XII affirmed Mary
as powerful intercessor; “Besides, the Blessed Virgin possessed, after Christ,
not only the highest degree of excellence and perfection, but also a share in
that influence by which He, her Son and our Redeemer, is rightly said to reign
over the minds and wills of men. For if through His Humanity the Divine Word
performs miracles and gives graces, if He uses His Sacraments and Saints as
instruments for the salvation of men, why should He not make use of the role
and work of His most holy Mother in imparting to us the fruits of redemption?
“With a heart that is truly a mother’s,” to quote again Our Predecessor of
immortal memory, Pius IX, “does she approach the problem of our salvation, and
is solicitous for the whole human race; made Queen of heaven and earth by the
Lord, exalted above all choirs of angels and saints, and standing at the right Hand of her only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she intercedes powerfully for us with a mother’s
prayers, obtains what she seeks, and cannot be refused.” On this point another
of Our Predecessors of happy memory, Leo XIII, has said that an “almost
immeasurable” power has been given Mary in the distribution of graces; St. Pius X adds that she
fills this office “as by the right of a mother.” 48
Venerable Pope Pius XII referenced Mary as Mediatrix of Peace, “Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth - and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul - let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which is not wickedness unpunished nor freedom without restraint, but a well-ordered harmony under the rule of the Will of God; to its safeguarding and growth the gentle urgings and commands of the Virgin Mary impel us. “49
Venerable Pope Pius XII thus placed
theological emphasis on Mary’s queenship, maternal intercession, and mediation of
grace and peace; with clarification that Mother Mary’s role remains
rooted in Christ.
The teaching of Venerable Pope Pius
XII presents Mary’s queenship not as an authority independent of Christ, but as
dignity entirely received from her unique union with Him. Christ alone is King
and Source of redemption. Mary participates in His royal dignity because she is
His Mother and, by God’s gracious design, co-operates in the work of salvation
through maternal intercession.
Her role as Queen and Mediatrix
therefore points beyond herself to Christ, encouraging the faithful to approach
Him with confidence in the loving intercession of His Mother. Venerable Pope
Pius XII’s message also carries profound significance for the world today. In
an age faced with challenges of conflict and division, Mary as Mediatrix of Peace directs
humankind toward the peace that comes from harmony with the Will of God.
Mary’s maternal example calls
Christians not only to seek her prayers, but also to become instruments of
charity and reconciliation. Mother Mary’s example leads us to Christ, so that
we may allowing His grace to transform communities and the wider world.
___________________________________________________________________
46. Vatican.va. Ad Caeli
Reginam. Number 24. 1954 Accessed 15 August 2026
47. Vatican.va. Ad Caeli Reginam. Number 39. Ibid
48. Vatican.va. Ad Caeli Reginam. Number 42. Ibid
49. Vatican.va. Ad Caeli Reginam. Number 51. Ibid
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