Historical / Archival Work
The Mystical City of God - The Conception
Concepción de Ciudad de Dios Part I, Books 1 & 2
Venerable Sor Maria de Jesus de Agreda
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD MANIFESTED TO MARY OF AGREDA FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF MEN · 1660
CBID-F2CC-CFAA
Authored by the Franciscan nun Sor María de Ágreda (1602–1665), detailing the life of the Virgin Mary and the Immaculate Conception, with composition occurring prior to her death in the 1660s and first published in 1670.The original Script was written in Spanish, including 8 Books: - The Conception Part I, Books 1 and 2 - The Incarnation Part II, Books 3 and 4 - The Transfixion Part III Books 5 and 6 - The Coronation Part IV Books 7 and 8
The first Pope officially to take notice of Ciudad de Dios was Pope Innocent XI, who, on July 3, 1686, in response to a series of virulent attacks and machinations of some members of the Sorbonne, known to be Jansenists, issued a breve permitting the publication and reading of the Ciudad de Dios Similar decrees were afterward issued by Popes Alexander VIII, Clement IX and Benedict XIII.
These decrees were followed by two decrees of the Congregation of Rites, approved by Benedict XIV and Clement XIV, in which the authenticity of Ciudad de Dios as extant and written by the Venerable Servant of God, Mary of Jesus, is officially established. The great pope Benedict XIII, when he was archbishop of Benevent, used these revelations as material for a series of sermons on the Blessed Virgin. On Sept. 26, 1713, the bishop of Ceneda, Italy, objecting to the publication of the City of God was peremptorily ordered by the Holy Office to withdraw his objections as interfering with the decree of pope Innocent XI for the universal Church.
The process of canonization of Mary of Agreda was promoted by the Spanish bishops and other eminent men
of the Church soon after her death in 1666. It has resulted so far in securing her the title of Venerabilis, thus clearing the way to her beatification, for which, let us hope, God will soon raise a promoter among the many pious and eminent men who hold in esteem her writings and have learned of her holy life and of the miracles wrought at her tomb.
The Redemptorist Fathers published a new German translation in 1885, which was approved and highly recommended by the Bishop of Ratisbon in the following terms: We take pleasure in giving our episcopal approbation to the annotated translation of the Spanish original "Ciudad de Dios" of Mary of Jesus and recommend this book, which will surely edify all readers and be the occasion of great spiritual blessings."
Ratisbon, September 29, 1885.
IGNATIUS, Bishop of Ratisbon.