Medieval theologians, in general, regarded the Assumption with some reserve, since its first mentions are found in apocryphal writings. Today, after the dogmatic definition, we can speak of it much more clearly. At the time of the dogma’s definition in 1950, it was thought fitting to compose a new Mass to replace the existing one (Gaudeamus), which had been deliberately imprecise.
We do not know when or how the earthly end of Mary took place. Today the feast of the “Dormition” (the oldest title for it) is considered the greatest Marian celebration, corresponding to her natalis—her death. Yet this was not always the case, nor is it the most ancient feast of Mary. Originally, August 15 was not universally observed, nor was it reserved for the koimesis or “falling asleep” of the Virgin. In Jerusalem, there was a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; August 15 was possibly the date of its dedication. The Jerusalem tradition concerning Mary’s death may later have given this day its liturgical theme.
What is certain is that the solemnity, as we know it today, only began to spread in the early seventh century, when the Byzantine Emperor Maurice decreed the universal celebration of Mary’s Dormition. In the West, too, it is not the oldest Marian feast. It was during the seventh century that the Dormition entered the Roman liturgy; the first witness being an Eastern pope, Sergius I. By the eighth century, it began to be celebrated as the Assumption.
