The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches)
It is celebrated on 15 August (28 August N.S. in the Julian Calendar) as the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God
The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest 15 August
In Western Churches the corresponding feast is known as the Assumption of Mary, with the exception of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which has traditionally celebrated the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15 August
Christian canonical scriptures do not record the death or Dormition of Mary
Hippolytus of Thebes, a 7th- or 8th-century author, claims in his partially preserved chronology of the New Testament that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of Jesus, dying in AD 41
The use of the term dormition expresses the belief that the Virgin died without suffering, in a state of spiritual peace
This belief does not rest on any scriptural basis, but is affirmed by Orthodox sacred tradition
Some apocryphal writings testify to this opinion, though neither the Orthodox Church nor other Christians accord them scriptural authority
The Orthodox understanding of the Dormition is compatible with Roman Catholic teaching, and was the dominant belief within the Western Church until late in the Middle Ages, when the slightly different belief in the bodily Assumption of Mary into heaven began to gain ground
S. in the Julian Calendar) as the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Dormition not on a fixed date, but on the Sunday nearest 15 August. In Western Churches the corresponding feast is known as the Assumption of Mary, with the exception of the Scottish Episcopal Church, which has traditionally celebrated the Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 15 August. Christian canonical scriptures do not record the death or Dormition of Mary. Hippolytus of Thebes, a 7th- or 8th-century author, claims in his partially preserved chronology of the New Testament that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of Jesus, dying in AD 41. The use of the term dormition expresses the belief that the Virgin died without suffering, in a state of spiritual peace. This belief does not rest on any scriptural basis, but is affirmed by Orthodox sacred tradition. Some apocryphal writings testify to this opinion, though neither the Orthodox Church nor other Christians accord them scriptural authority. The Orthodox understanding of the Dormition is compatible with Roman Catholic teaching, and was the dominant belief within the Western Church until late in the Middle Ages, when the slightly different belief in the bodily Assumption of Mary into heaven began to gain ground. Pope Pius XII declared the latter a dogma of the Catholic Church in 1950.