Mary's Tomb?

Q: A recent ad for travel to Israel includes the phrase, “You can visit Mary’s tomb.” This bothers me. We are taught by the Church that her body was assumed into heaven. Why then would she need a tomb? Is it empty?

A: A structure known as the Tomb of Mary is located just east of the Old City of Jerusalem and literally a stone’s throw from the Church of All Nations (Gethsemani). Everyone agrees that this tomb does not now contain the body or bones of Mary.

In 1950, when he proclaimed the dogma of Mary’s Assumption, Pope Pius XII did not say whether Mary died or not; he said that she was assumed bodily into heaven.

One reason for not making this part of the teaching is that the Eastern Churches (Orthodox and Catholic) speak of the “dormition” (sleeping away) of Mary. According to one tradition, Mary actually died, was buried and soon the faithful found flowers instead of her body in that tomb. According to another tradition, Mary spent her last years in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey.

Greek Orthodox monks staff the church where the Tomb of Mary is located, but this shrine outside Jerusalem is open to everyone.