Assumption of Mary

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven at the End of her Earthly Life is a Defined Dogma of the Catholic Church. On November 2  1951  Pope Pius XII  Exercising Papal Infallibility  Declared in Munificentissimus Deus that it is a Dogma of the Church 'That the Immaculate Mother of God  the Ever Virgin Mary  Having Completed the Course of her Earthly Life  was Assumed Body & Soul into Heavenly Glory.' As a Dogma  the Assumption is a Required Belief of all Catholics:: Anyone who Publicly Dissents From the Dogma  Pope Pius Declared  'has Fallen away Completely from the Divine & Catholic Faith.'

While the Eastern Orthodox Believe in the Dormition  they Object to the Papal Definition of the dogma  Seeing it as Unnecessary  Since Belief in Mary's Bodily assumption  Tradition holds  goes back to Apostolic Times.

Pope Pius XII  in the Text Explaining his Definition of the Dogma of the Assumption  Refers Repeatedly to the Blessed Virgin's Death Before her Assumption  & the Consistent Tradition in both the East & the West holds that Mary did die Before she was Assumed into Heaven. However  Since the Definition of the Assumption is Silent on this Question  Catholics can Legitimately Believe that Mary did not die Before the Assumption. (For more Details on this Question  see Did the Virgin Mary Die Before Her Assumption?.)