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Immaculate Conception |
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BASIC R.C.BELIEF See list of other articles on Mary
On December 8, 1854, Pius IX , in his encyclical "Ineffabilis Deus", defined this dogma as follows - "The most Blessed Virgin Mary at the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in virtue of the merits of Christ Jesus, . . . was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin. [This] has been revealed by God, and on this account must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful. If any should presume to think otherwise. . . they are condemned by their own judgment, [and] have suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." This doesn't refer to the Virgin Birth of Christ, nor does it teach that the conception of Mary was other than natural. This dogma does teach that God intervened and, anticipating the sacrifice of Christ, preserved her free from the taint of original sin. From WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, E.R. Hull, S.J., page 35. "The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception simply means that Our Lady, in view of her exalted office, was endowed with God's grace from the first moment of her existence, instead of being conceived and born in original sin. . . We cannot infer that Mary did not owe her redemption to Christ's death, but only that the grace of redemption was conferred beforehand." Through the centuries this was widely discussed in Roman Catholic circles. From about 1350, a Feast was celebrated to commemorate Mary's conception, but the idea of an Immaculate Conception was not incorporated. Some theologians taught the Immaculate Conception, notably Franciscans under Duns Scotus. St. Thomas Aquinas rejected it. He said, "if the soul of the Blessed Virgin had never been stained with the contagion of Original Sin, this would have detracted from Christ's dignity as the savior of all men." and the Dominicans who followed him (Thomists) were in violent disagreement with the Scotists. In 1854, Pius IX, defined this as a dogma. He did confer with theologians about this, but the actual definition was made without a Church Council. It was a harbinger of the infallibility with which the same pope was recognized 16 years later. In 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes under the title, "I am the Immaculate Conception." The feast of the Immaculate Conception is a Holyday of Obligation. The scripture theologians used to "prove" this dogma was Song of Solomon 4:7. They declare the whole book to be an allegory between Christ and His Mother. CATHOLIC JOURNALS From ST. ANTHONY MESSENGER, November 1993, p. 16. "But the West had theological objections. Opposing the doctrine (of the Immaculate Conception) were some of the biggest names of the Middle Ages: Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Albert the Great, Bernard of Clairvaux. Thomas Aquinas said that 'if the soul of the Blessed Virgin had never been stained with Original Sin, this would have detracted from Christ's dignity as the savior of all men.' "(Duns) Scotus is said to have taken part in many theological disputations. Apparently there was one very dramatic and powerful one, at which he defended the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception against all comers. His convincing argument was summed up in the Latin words 'Potuit docuit, ergo fecit': God could do it, it was fitting that he did so, therefore he did (preserve Mary from all sin). "Taught by many of his Franciscan predecessors, Scotus seems to have turned the tide of theological opinion..." CHRISTIAN COMMENT Besides proclaiming that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), the Bible explains that abundant grace is needed where there is abundant sin (Romans 5:20), and Mary herself speaks of her spiritual joy in her Saviour (Luke 1:46-47). See THE VIRGIN BIRTH and the Immaculate Conception. SeeMediator, Advocate and Co-Redemptrix
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