Although he came before Luther, the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) often takes a back seat in discussions about the Reformation, perhaps because he did not have the same commanding personality as Luther. But while Luther was studying the Scriptures in Germany and coming to the conclusions that would ultimately cause him to be excommunicated, Ulrich Zwingli, a Catholic pastor in Switzerland, was also troubled by abuses within the Roman Catholic Church and was personally engaging the Scriptures. Both men began to call for reform within the Catholic Church.

Devotion to Mary

Some theologians say that Zwingli was the most devoted to Mary of all the reformers. It is certainly the case that the first wave of reformers, including Zwingli and Martin Luther, were far more Marian in their personal devotions and sermons than the second wave of Reformers, including John Calvin.

Zwingli had a very particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and he was concerned that people knew about it, especially because his calls for reform may have caused some to think that he held positions that he did not. On September 17, 1518, he sent a sermon he'd written to his brothers with a note attached that said, “If you are told that I despise God or his Mother, or that I falsify God's teaching, do not believe it.”

Like Luther, Zwingli felt that a measure of reverence for Mary was intrinsic to Christian piety. Many people may be surprised to discover that Zwingli held the conviction that good Christians would be in the habit of reciting the Hail Mary, although he, like Luther, he would have only been familiar with the first, Biblical portion of this prayer, “Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” He would not have been familiar with the later addition, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our deaths. Amen.”

Zwingli often spoke of Mary when he commented on the Bible. This was especially the case between 1516 and 1518 when he served as a chaplain at the monastery. During these years, one of his primary responsibilities was to offer sermons to flocks of pilgrims who came to venerate a statue of the Virgin Mary. Mary would have naturally been on the minds of these pilgrims and she was certainly part of the equation in Zwingli's thinking.

Like Luther, Zwingli held to the the ever-virginity of Mary. He was also comfortable with the title Theotokos, as a term for describing the Virgin Mary's unique role in the history of salvation.

Zwingli also often referred to Mary as Immaculate. He believed that she occupied a special place among the saints because the weakness toward sin was not passed on to her through her parents, Joachim and Anna, as it had been passed down to every single human being since the Fall. Zwingli was, however, concerned about the widespread practice of asking the saints, and particularly Mary, for prayers. He did not feel that this was an appropriate way to pray.

Contemplating Mary

Zwingli did encourage contemplation of Mary, especially contemplation of her heart. He believed that the practice of meditating on her heart was rooted in Luke 2:51. According to this passage, when Mary was pregnant with Jesus she pondered all things in her heart and kept them. Because of this, Zwingli felt that it was a fruitful project to contemplate Mary's heart, which was so full of God's intention for the world. Like Luther, Zwingli felt that Mary's witness was also to be contemplated. But Zwingli was always careful to make clear that Mary never intended to draw attention to herself. Her value was directly related to her relationship with her son and her obedience to God. According to Zwingli, Mary was not just a great example in her faithfulness, but also in the struggles she faced. He stated, “therefore may you, with your poverty and your weariness, find an example in her: this misery that is so well known to humans must be borne, since the holy Mother of God was not sheltered from it.”