The Assumption of Mary is a required belief because it is deeply rooted in the minds of the faithful and has been affirmed by the Church's ordinary doctrinal authority and the faith of the Christian people. (Sensus fidei in the life of the Church 42)
Pope Pius XII, in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus, stated that the belief in Mary's Assumption is a truth revealed by God and contained in the deposit of faith entrusted to the Church. (Sensus fidei in the life of the Church 42) This means that the Assumption of Mary is considered to be a dogma, a truth that has been infallibly defined by the Church and is to be held by all the faithful.
The Assumption of Mary is closely connected to her role as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church (General Audience of 2 January 2008: Mary, Mother of God). Mary's unique and unrepeatable position in the Community of Believers stems from her fundamental vocation as the Mother of the Redeemer. (General Audience of 2 January 2008: Mary, Mother of God) As the one who brought forth the Savior, Mary could not be subject to the corruption of original sin. (General Audience of 2 January 2008: Mary, Mother of God)
Her Assumption, both body and soul, into Heaven is a sign of sure hope for all believers, showing us the eschatological goal that the sacrament of the Eucharist enables us to have a foretaste of. (Sacramentum Caritatis 33) Mary's Assumption also reveals the "sacramental" way that God comes down to meet his creatures and involves them in his saving work. (Sacramentum Caritatis 33)
While it is true that there are many true things that the Church does not require people to believe, the Assumption of Mary holds a special significance in the life of the Church and in the faith of the faithful. (Sensus fidei in the life of the Church 42) It is a truth that has been deeply cherished and celebrated by the Christian people throughout history. (Sensus fidei in the life of the Church 42)
The Assumption of Mary is not meant to distance her from us, but rather to bring her close to us as a mother and a sister, offering us hope and comfort on our pilgrimage of faith. (General Audience of 2 January 2008: Mary, Mother of God, General Audience, 16 August 2006: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Therefore, the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has deemed it necessary to require the belief in the Assumption of Mary as a way to honor her and to strengthen the faith of the faithful in the saving work of Christ and the hope of eternal life. (Sensus fidei in the life of the Church 42, Sacramentum Caritatis 33)
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