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How does the Orthodox celebration of Mary’s Dormition relate to the Assumption?
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Mary
Madonna and Child, oil and tempera on panel by Antonello da Messina, 1475; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The Eastern Orthodox celebration of the Dormition and the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Assumption refer to the same event: the end of Mary’s life on Earth and her subsequent entry into heaven, body and soul.1
The relationship between the two is rooted in their shared history and theological development:
- Origin: The feast originated in the Byzantine Empire as a commemoration of Mary’s "dormition," or "falling asleep".1
- Terminology: When the celebration was brought to the West, the term Assumption was adopted to place greater emphasis on the glorification of Mary’s body and soul.1
- Theological Distinction: While both traditions celebrate the event on August 15, the Eastern Orthodox church views the Dormition as a feast of her falling asleep, whereas the Roman Catholic church formally defined the Assumption as a dogma in 1950, asserting that she was assumed into heavenly glory at the end of her earthly life.1
While the Dormition has been a frequent iconographic theme in the East, the specific doctrine of the Assumption is not considered a revealed dogma within Eastern Orthodoxy.1