Matka „braci Jezusa”

Abstract

In the post-council mariological debate, the attention is focused upon the content of biblical teaching of Mary. In this context, a particular significance is ascribed to interpreting these Gospel's texts that mention "Jesus's brothers". The paper presents various mutually exclusive interpretations of those texts as well as their cultural background and linguistic conditioning. After this analysis, the opinions of the representatives of the ancient tradition are examined. The fact that Mary is never called the mother of "the brothers of Jesus" as well as the absence of these "brothers" at the moment of Jesus' crucifixion seem to confim the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church.