Mother of God

So a friend and I were exploring the Council of Ephesus and the dogma of Theotokos (that Mary is the Mother of God, not merely Christokos, Bearer of Christ) and we got to thinking:

Would it be heretical to suggest that Mary is Mother of the Triune God, or is it sufficient to say she is Mother of God the Son (or Mother of the Second Person of the Trinity) only?

I think we should convene a Council to solemnly define the matter, but until that happens, I've been surfing the net for an answer.

I found an article on Mariology by Fr. Hardon in which he says:

"Mary, then of course, bears the most distinctive relationship to the Second Person. Let’s make sure we know what the Church teaches us when she calls Mary the Mother of God the Son. There are three persons in the Trinity, but only one of them became man, and we have to keep reminding ourselves; there are three persons. Absolutely speaking, might God the Father have become man? Absolutely speaking, yes. In fact, there was a very sophisticated heresy in the early Church which taught just that with the long polysyllabic name of Patripassionists. In other words, the Father suffered on the Cross to the redeem the world. Nonsense. He didn’t. The point is, only one person became a human being, and Mary is the human Mother of that Second Person of the Trinity. The Word, as John tells us, became Flesh. So it did, but it became flesh thanks to Mary. So much so that Augustine later on would say: 'Caro Jesu, caro Mariae.' The flesh of Jesus is the flesh of Mary. Thus, the only reason we have the Blessed Sacrament and receiving the living Body and Blood of Christ is because He received that flesh and blood from His Mother."

Note that Fr.Hardon titles Mary as Mother of God the Son, and then describes Patripassionism. If it's heretical to suggest that God the Father died on the Cross, is it also heretical to suggest that Mary bore God the Father in her womb? Would that be "Patritokism?"

Then I found a dinger by Fr. Dan Thomas:

"The Church's position on devotion to Mary is based on Scripture and on the fact that God picked her to be the mother of His Son. That, incidentally, is the answer to the problem or difficulty that some people have with Catholics calling Mary the Mother of God. It certainly is not because she is the mother of the Triune God. It is because Jesus is both human and divine, and if Jesus is God, we ask; 'who was His mother'? The answer is obvious, hence the title 'Mother of God'. In concluding this reflection, it might be helpful to note that when we praise a work of art as the best in a gallery filled with paintings, and the artist is standing right there, the artist is not going to be offended or jealous."

Third time's a charm, with this response by Fr. Monty:

"Mary, chosen to be mother of the divine Son, Jesus Christ, was and always will be God's creature. Because her Son is divine, she is called the mother of God. This is part of the mystery of the incarnation. The Divine Word of God, the Second person of the Blessed Trinity, became flesh and dwelt amongst us. In this sense Mary is the 'earthly mother' of the Word made flesh, but not a Divine Mother of the Triune God as you correctly suggest. The statement about Mary as Mother of God(Theotokos) from the Council of Ephesus, 431 A.D. was really a statement about Christ, who is affirmed as the Divine Son of God, not just a human manifestation. The one who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity."

Okay, so she's a Theotokos, but not a Patritokos (and likewise not a Spiritokos). It seems unlikely that the Church could call Mary the Trinitokos either. But is there a formal declaration to this effect? I only find more quotes:

"One might say, 'If Mary is the Mother of God, does that mean she is the mother of the Trinity?' Well, to make them go in the right direction, let us relate Mary to the Persons of the Trinity. Mary is the daughter of the Father; therefore she is the daughter of God. Mary is the wife of the Spirit; therefore she is the wife of God. And of course, Mary is the mother of Jesus; therefore Mary is the mother of God."

From Dr. Howell on the Coming Home Network:

"In A.D. 431 the ancient Christian Church defined Mary as the Mother of God because the Church wanted to protect the full divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. This title, Mother of God (or better Godbearer), asserted that the child in Mary’s womb was nothing less than fully God and fully man. But the title Mother of God never has been nor should be interpreted to mean that Mary is the mother of the Trinity. Mary bears a distinct relation to each member of the Trinity, but she is not the mother of the Father, nor of the Holy Spirit."

Here's one from Catholic Insight: "This conclusion, of course, is heretical. Mary is not the mother of the Triune God, that is, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but of the Son only." Mario Derksen declares it so; but he does not point to a document or Council that names this heresy.

Finally, something definitive, a figurative dialogue from Envoy Magazine:

"Pastor Gary is a bit shell-shocked. 'But Mike, if the Catholic Church claims Mary is the Mother of God, wouldn't that make her divine? God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If Mary were the Mother of God, she would have to be the mother of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, right?'

'Actually, Gary, remember what the Catechism said in paragraph 495. It said that Mary is only the Mother of the second Person of the Trinity, by virtue of the Incarnation. The Father and the Holy Spirit were not incarnated.' "

I still think they should convene a Council.