RT Article
T1 The Tenacity of Popular Devotions in the Age of Vatican II: Learning from the Divine Mercy
JF Religions
VO 12
IS 1
A1 Alvis, Robert E.
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2021
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1745715029
AB Despite is global popularity in recent decades, the Divine Mercy devotion has received scant scrutiny from scholars. This article examines its historical development and evolving appeal, with an eye toward how this nuances our understanding of Catholic devotions in the “age of Vatican II.” The Divine Mercy first gained popularity during World War II and the early Cold War, an anxious era in which many Catholic devotions flourished. The Holy Office prohibited the active promotion of the Divine Mercy devotion in 1958, owing to a number of theological concerns. While often linked with the decline of Catholic devotional life generally, the Second Vatican Council helped set the stage for the eventual rehabilitation of the Divine Mercy devotion. The 1958 prohibition was finally lifted in 1978, and the Divine Mercy devotion has since gained a massive following around the world, benefiting in particular from the enthusiastic endorsement of Pope John Paul II. The testimonies of devotees reveal how the devotion’s appeal has changed over time. Originally understood as a method for escaping the torments of hell or purgatory, the devotion developed into a miraculous means to preserve life and, more recently, a therapeutic tool for various forms of malaise.
K1 Catholic Church
K1 Divine Mercy
K1 Faustina Kowalska
K1 John Paul II
K1 Vatican II
K1 Devotions
K1 Piety
DO 10.3390/rel12010065