- Zustand: **
- Jahr: 2012-06-20
he Virgin Mary - Our Lady of Hostýn Crown has tended to be perceived by all cultured civilisations as t he most ostensible symbol of supreme dignity and power. As such, crowns of emperors, kings, princes signify the supreme ruling power. Ancient cultures, especially the Greeks and Romans, used to coronate glorious victors to reward them for their great achievements, merits, and bravery. Out of the many people who received this accolade, the Virgin Mary is certainly the most worthy one. A daughter of the glorious and ancient dynasty of King David, she lived in poverty and humility, without any crown other than that of thorns she wore because of her spiritual involvement in the suffering of her Divine Son. Now she lives in the heaven, far above all the other beings created by God, standing on the right hand of her Son, the Sun-Clad Woman, wearing a crown of twelve stars. Such is the teaching of the Church, calling her in their prayers and songs "The Queen", "The Mother of Mercy", and saluting her as "The Queen of Heaven." From time immemorial the Virgin Mary has been venerated by God´s people as "The Queen." The evidence are Marian prayers, Loreto litanies, songs, the feast of the Queenship of Mary, Christian artworks, and most of all, places of pilgrimage. Most of Madonna statues and paintings are adorned with a crown.
The Catholic Church introduced the ceremony of coronation of Madonna paintings and statues at places of pilgrimage in 1640 on the initiative of Italian Jesuit Alexandro Sforza Pallavicini who believed that if ruling princes and kings can wear crowns of gold, the Queen of Heaven and Her Son are the more worthy of this privilege. A special commission based in Vatican was set up to approve coronations of Madonna paintings and statues at the most famous places of pilgrimage in Italy, and later also in other countries. Early in the past century the Czech people also decided to crown their real Queen at the Hostýn pilgrimage site; the statues of Our Lady of Hostýn and of Her Divine Son were adorned with golden crowns consecrated by Pope Pius X.
