What IS good, and how do we determine it?

[abaris]

The Orthodox and Catholic Church have both long held a traditio that Mary rose bodily into heaven at the end of her life; the main disagreement historically was if she was alive or dead when it happened. It was something that had always been around, all Pius (I thought it was XII?) did was say "we believe in this". They always did if you look back at Catholic art; most of the flying virgin pictures are from the 18th century long before the Dogma was pronounced. There's Byzantine icons of it long before them even still.

Yes, being a historian, I know that. But it goes to show that dogma is at least as much public acclamation as real theological argument. It changes with the lay of the land. Otherwise we wouldn't have a careful acceptance of evolution nowadays.

And Pius XII held the papacy between 1939 and 1958. It wasn't that late.