In 1926 and 1927, Catholic priest and theologian Martin Jugie attempted to provide evidence for the bodily assumption of Mary in the first five centuries of Christianity. Commenting on tradition, the deposit of faith, and other issues, Jugie wrote the following which flies in the face of many modern Roman Catholic apologists who wish to simply appeal to “development of doctrine,” without providing evidence for her de fide dogmas. Notice also how he has to stretch concerning the paucity of evidence for many dogmas (including the assumption which would be elevated to the position of a de fide dogma on November 1, 1950) in the Ante-Nicene literature:
La tradition catholique
est une chaine ferme, sans solution de continuité. et non une serie d'affirmations
isolees éclatant un beau jour dans la conscience de tel et tel individu. Ce qui
suit éclaire souvent ce qui précede. Des allusions a une vérité révélée ton-
tenues dans un ecrit d'un Pere anteniceen peuvent rester d'abord inaperçues. et
se découvrir ensuite a la lumiere d'aftirmations plus explicites d'un Pere
moins ancien. Ce procede d'investigation con- vient a la saine exégese de la
tradition catholique. (Martin Jugie, “L'Assomption de la Sainte Vierge dans la
tradition des cinq premiers siècles,” Echos d’Orient 26, no.
145 [1927] : 20)
An English translation of
the above reads :
The Catholic tradition is a closed chain, without breaks
in continuity, and not a series of isolated affirmations suddenly bursting
forth in the consciousness of such and such an individual. What follows often
sheds light on what precedes. Allusions to a revealed truth contained in the
writing of an Ante-Nicene Father may initially go unnoticed, only to be
discovered later in the light of more explicit affirmations by a less ancient
Father. This method of investigation aligns with the proper exegesis of
Catholic tradition.
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