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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

Assumption of Mary
Baroque Rubens Assumption-of-Virgin-3.jpg
De hemelvaart van Maria, Rubens, circa A.D. 1626
Also called The Assumption
Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ
Observed by Catholic Church (see calendar),
Anglican Communion (see calendars),
Eastern Orthodox Church (see calendar),
Oriental Orthodox Churches
Type Christian
Significance the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven
Observances Attending mass or service
Date 15 August
Next time 15 August 2017 (2017-08-15)
Frequency annual

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven, often shortened to the Assumption and also known as the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of Anglicanism, was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.

The Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory". This doctrine was dogmatically defined by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950, in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus by exercising papal infallibility. While the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church believe in the Dormition of the Theotokos, which is the same as the Assumption, whether Mary had a physical death has not been dogmatically defined.

In Munificentissimus Deus (item 39) Pope Pius XII pointed to the Book of Genesis () as scriptural support for the dogma in terms of Mary's victory over sin and death as also reflected in : "then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory".

In the churches that observe it, the Assumption is a major feast day, commonly celebrated on 15 August. In many countries, the feast is also marked as a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church and as a festival (under various names) in the Anglican Communion.


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