writers of the dogmatic texts of Vatican II with the bases and structure of their thought. We do not doubt that they themselves would make this confession.” Second, while Vatican II’s Mariology is clearly in continuity with the prior tradition, the council ardently sought to develop a Mariology that was ecumenically sensitive, one that was determined to prune back Marian excesses so as to avoid theologies that developed Mary’s place in the church without explicit reference to Jesus Christ.