Mariolatry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The excessive or idolatrous devotion to or worship of the Virgin Mary, particularly as criticized by Protestant theologians
2. Immoderate reverence toward the Virgin Mary that goes beyond what is considered theologically appropriate in Christian practice
3. An extreme form of honor or religious devotion paid to Mary, mother of Jesus, regarded by some as departing from orthodox Christian doctrine

Etymology: "Mariolatry" is a compound built from "Mary," the mother of Jesus, and "-olatry," a suffix meaning worship, modelled on "idolatry." The result names excessive or improper devotion to the Virgin Mary, a charge that Protestant writers have often leveled at Catholic practice. The Latin form "Mariolatria" also exists in the Late Latin record, and the same word appears in French and Italian, so the coinage was shared across several European languages. The clever part is the suffix. "-latry" comes from Greek "latreia," which meant religious service or worship, and in English it turned up in "idolatry," meaning worship of idols. Speakers borrowed the ending and attached it to a name, so that "-latry" now signals devotion to a particular figure, as in "bibliolatry" for excessive reverence of scripture. The pattern makes "mariolatry" a term that reads as an accusation, since it turns a sacred name into the object of an idolatrous word.

Synonyms: Mariolatry, veneration of Mary