Pope John Paul II distinguishes the adoration owed exclusively to God from the veneration offered to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although Mary receives the highest honor among the saints, Marian devotion is filial affection toward the Mother of God, not worship of the Holy Trinity. It leads believers toward the Trinity by deepening their knowledge, love, and glorification of Jesus Christ and their obedience to his commandments.

Mary’s motherhood also opens a way to contemplate the Father’s tenderness and the Holy Spirit’s continuing work; her traditional titles do not replace the Spirit’s role but point toward his gifts. The Church honors Mary because of her exceptional holiness, her unique participation in Redemption, and the gifts God has given her. Christians therefore approach her with filial trust and ask her intercession, while the honor given to her remains ordered toward Christ and the journey to eternal life.