The dogma of the "Assumption of Mary into heaven" was apparently proclaimed with incorrect wording and a further formal error.
However, this presumably does not affect its validity. Matthias Daufratshofer, a church historian from Münster, pointed out this curiosity in the journal "Herder Korrespondenz" (April issue).
According to Daufratshofer's research in the Vatican archives, Pope Pius XII inadvertently omitted the name "Mary" when he solemnly proclaimed the dogma on 1 November 1950.
According to the historian, this is shown by files from the recently opened Vatican archives.
The decisive formula read: "We proclaim, declare and define: It is a doctrine of faith revealed by God that the Immaculate Mother of God and ever Virgin Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory after the completion of her earthly life."
There is a contemporary note from a Vatican notary: "During the ceremony for the dogmatic definition, which took place this morning in St Peter's Square, the Holy Father read out the text as it is attached here. However, he made a 'lapse' in which he omitted the word 'Mariam' in the formula of the definition."
This can also be heard on audio recordings.
Long internal discussions in the Vatican
The proclamation of the dogma was the first since the dogma of infallibility was adopted at the First Vatican Council in 1870.
As Daufratshofer discovered, the dogma of Mary was preceded by long internal discussions in the Vatican.
It was also debated whether a council should be convened specifically for this purpose and how the bishops of the universal church should be involved in the decision.
As there were hardly any arguments for the new dogma to be found in the Bible and in church tradition, the Pope sent a circular letter to all bishops in the world in 1946.
98 per cent of them agreed with his plan.
For lack of clear scriptural and traditional evidence, Pius XII invented a tradition by referring to the consensus of the world episcopate and the "sense of faith of the faithful", explains the historian.
According to Daufratshofer, the official letter of proclamation, a so-called bull, also contained a formal error: the signatures of eleven of the 38 cardinals present at the ceremony were missing.
Vatican masters of ceremonies had denied them access to the room where the document was located for unknown reasons.
From the point of view of canon law, the document is nevertheless valid despite these errors, Daufratshofer concluded.