Is Mary the woman in Rev 12?

Who should we believe–lay Catholic pop apologists or their religious superiors? I'll side with the bishops:

[12:1] The woman adorned with the sun, the moon, and the stars (images taken from Gn 37:9–10) symbolizes God’s people in the Old and the New Testament. The Israel of old gave birth to the Messiah (Rev 12:5) and then became the new Israel, the church, which suffers persecution by the dragon (Rev 12:6, 13–17); cf. Is 50:1; 66:7; Jer 50:12.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12