Mary's Conception

EXACTLY 150 YEARS ago, on 8 December 1854, Blessed Pope Pius IX issued the bull Ineffabilis Deus, which defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The central part of the definition runs as follows: We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God, and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

Privileged creature

After the sin of Adam and Eve, all human beings inherit this sinful condition by being born as their descendants. The Virgin Mary, however, by virtue of the foreseen merits of Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, was never subject to original sin, but was completely preserved from the original taint.
This unique privilege places the Mother of God in a condition of absolute perfection. However, the privilege encompasses, through Mary's intercession, the whole of humanity, and is, in John Paul's own words, a pledge of salvation for every human creature, a pilgrim on this earth.
The privilege granted to Mary by the Immaculate Conception has been recognised since the earliest days of Christendom. Basing themselves on Luke the Evangelist's account of the Annunciation, where the Angel addresses Mary as full of grace, and from the way she was greeted by Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who called her blessed among women, it was clear to the early Church Fathers that the Mother of God enjoyed certain privileges not accorded to ordinary mortals; most specifically, that she had not been contaminated by the universal 'decadence' which ensued after Adam's sin. One need only consult the works of such saints and Fathers as Justin, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Augustine, and many others to find wonderful and deeply moving praises sung in honour of Mary as privileged creature.

Universal veneration

The Eastern Church has been using the term 'Immaculate' from the earliest times, whereas the Western Church adopted this terminology only much later, from the 7th century onward. In a letter which Pope Honorius I (who sat on Peter's throne from 625 to 638) addressed to Sergius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, we find the following statement, In fact the Christ, who was conceived sinless by the Holy Spirit, was also born sinless from the womb of the holy and immaculate Virgin, the Mother of God.
The third canon of a Lateran Synod, held in 649, states: Those who do not worship the truth of Mary, Mother of God, as holy, and always Virgin and Immaculate, as established by the Holy Fathers, may they be condemned. In other words, the Church had, by then, evolved the doctrine of Mary as a privileged creature almost to the point of making it an article of faith.
This conviction had also taken deep roots among the faithful. The formula can be found in many of the expressions used by ordinary people in the first Christian communities. The Eastern Church was already celebrating a feast in honour of the Immaculate Conception in the 7th century. The feast later spread to the West, starting from Ireland in the 11th century.
The West, however, never fully accepted the idea. Despite the strong appeal that Marian devotion had among common folk, resistance persisted among some Western theologians, who objected that an immaculate conception was incompatible with redemption brought about by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If Mary was conceived immaculate, they argued, then it means that she was conceived by God in such a way as to exempt her from the stain of original sin, the common lot of all of Eve's children. If this is true, she had no need of Christ's redemption, but this concept contradicts the universal nature of Christ's sacrifice, performed on behalf of all of Eve's children, the Virgin included.
These views led to interminable debates, unending quarrels and splits within schools of thought, communities and even parishes. These conflicts came to a head at the end of the 13th century. The Dominicans, distinguished for their learning, were in the main against the doctrine of Mary as a privileged creature, and maintained that the doctrine was not confirmed by Scripture. One truly outstanding Dominican, however, Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the greatest of the Scholastic philosophers, and a Doctor of the Church (often referred to as Doctor Angelicus), was not of this opinion. His celebrated work Summa Theologiae, contains this apology in favour of the privilege theory, The Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God, has a certain infinite dignity from the infinite good, which is God

Knights of the Immaculate

In opposition to the Dominicans, the Franciscans were the great champions of the doctrine of the Immaculate. It was, in fact, a Franciscan who first evolved a new doctrine that would eventually solve the Gordian knot. This friar was Blessed John Duns (1266-1308). His nickname Scotus indicates a Scottish origin.
John Duns argued that the Virgin had been redeemed by Christ just like any other common mortal, however, an this was the novelty, that her redemption was a 'preventive' one; in other words, that Mary was in need of redemption like any other human being, but through the merits of Jesus' crucifixion, given in advance, she was conceived without the stain of original sin. 'Preventive' means anticipatory: the grace she received at her conception was given in anticipation (Latin praevenire) of Christ's merits, which earned that grace. This is not strange, for to the eye of God, all time is present. As Pope Paul VI wrote, She was preserved due to merits won by the Saviour.
The theory, which initially received a lukewarm reception, gained momentum, and gradually managed to quell all internecine disputes. Other Franciscans carried on the legacy of John Duns, the most notable of whom was Saint Bernardin of Siena, who died in 1444. By that time, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was already very popular. In 1480, Pope Sixtus IV (a Franciscan) approved an Officium and a missa Immaculatae Conceptionis, and solemnly confirmed them in 1483.
Meanwhile, devotion continued to grow. In the 18th century, another great defender of the privilege theory appeared among the Franciscans, Saint Leonard of Port Maurice. Then, in 1830, the Virgin herself appeared to saint Catherine Labouré. This French nun received from the Virgin the task of spreading the devotion of the Miraculous Medal which contained an image of the Immaculate.
The devotion in the form of the medal spread so rapidly, and was so popular among ordinary people, that many bishops began to pressure the Pope to proclaim the Immaculate Conception as a truth of faith.

Fulgens Corona

These are the events leading up to the promulgation of the dogma on 8 December 1854. Despite the centuries-long preparation, the promulgation was a bold act on the part of Pius IX because he knew that this dogma would arouse anger among the enemies of Christianity, resentment in some Catholics, and that it would also widen the breach with the Protestant and Orthodox Churches. However, he knew that truth had to be proclaimed against all odds, and this was the first dogma in history to be defined directly by a pontiff, and not by an Ecumenical council.
Four years after the controversial definition, the Virgin herself appeared at Lourdes in France, and confirmed what the Pope had proclaimed as a truth of faith.  Bernardette Soubjruos, the seer, declared that in the apparition of 25 March 1858, the Virgin had said to her I am truly the Immaculate Conception. In Bernardette's own words She raised her eyes to heaven, and folded her hands in prayer after they had been open and directed to the ground, and said, 'Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou', 'I am the Immaculate Conception'.
The local parish priest was taken aback by the whole incident, because Bernardette could neither read nor write, and had never even gone to catechism lessons - she could therefore have known nothing of what had been proclaimed in Rome.
Despite ongoing criticisms, the successors of Pius IX continued on with his work, and expanded upon the theological consequences of the definition contained in the dogma. This was particularly the case with Pius XII, who proclaimed a second Marian dogma, that of the Assumption in Heaven of the Body and Soul of the Virgin. In his words, the dogma of the Assumption was the crowning completion of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. In his encyclical Fulgens Corona, issued on the occasion of the centenary of the Immaculate Conception, Pius XII wrote, the greatest possible glorification of her virgin body is the complement, at once appropriate and marvellous, of the absolute innocence of her soul, which was free from all stain; and just as she took part in the struggle of her only-begotten Son with the wicked serpent of Hell, so also she shared in His glorious triumph over sin and its sad consequences. (paragraph 21)

Wojtyla's pilgrimage

Pope John Paul II has been constantly reminding the faithful of the importance of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and in August of this year, defying a debilitating and painful illness, he went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, the very place where the Virgin had said to Bernardette I am the Immaculate Conception (see Editorial on pg.1 of our October 2004 issue). It was certainly no coincidence that the Pope's visit occurred on the 15th of that month, the day of the feast of the Assumption. In this way, John Paul stressed the inner connection between the two dogmas, that of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption.
While being racked by pains made worse by a sweltering sun, the Pope summoned the strength to say to those present:
'Que soy era Immaculada Councepciou' The words which Mary spoke to Bernadette on 25 March 1858 have a particular resonance this year, as the Church celebrates the 150th anniversary of the solemn definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Blessed Pius IX in the Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus.
I have greatly wished to make this pilgrimage to Lourdes in order to celebrate an event which continues to give glory to the Triune God. Mary's Immaculate Conception is the sign of the gracious love of the Father, the perfect expression of the redemption accomplished by the Son, and the beginning of a life completely open to the working of the Spirit.
Today the Church celebrates Mary's glorious Assumption body and soul into Heaven. The two dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption are closely related. Both proclaim the glory of Christ the Redeemer and the holiness of Mary, whose human destiny is even now perfectly and definitively realized in God.

Interview with Jude Winkler

In order to obtain greater clarity on some aspects of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we have turned to Father Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. Author of many illuminating and inspiring religious publications, he is one of the most qualified Catholic theologians in the United States, and a long-standing contributor to our magazine.

Dear Father Jude, what does the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception have to say to the faithful in this third millennium?
There are a number of aspects to this dogma which are important for us today.
First of all, it reminds us of our own brokenness. We are affected by the sinfulness of the world even before we are born. While a child is in its mother's womb, it is damaged when it comes into contact with toxic elements (e.g. drugs, cigarette smoke, alcohol). It is also true that children in the womb are damaged every time that their mother, father, or even people around them choose sin and selfishness. Those choices make the environment of that developing child toxic. By the time that the child is born, it is often easier for that child to say no to God's invitation rather than yes. Mary was protected from that sinfulness and its damage. She reminds us to create a safe, holy environment in which children can grow in holiness (even while they are still in the womb).
A second consideration is that Mary, because she was protected from the damage of sin, can offer us a totally unconditional mother's love. Our own biological parents, however good they were, were sinners and therefore the love that they could give us was always at least a little bit selfish (for we often show others love that is based primarily upon our own needs and desires). Mary, on the other hand, is pure. This can be very healing, for this means that we can be loved with a totally unconditional mother's love.
Third, since Mary was protected from sin, she could be vulnerable and respond favourably to God's call. As we grow in our conversion, we, too, can learn how to be more vulnerable and available to God's call in our life.
Finally, this dogma reminds us that God has a plan for salvation (our salvation and that of the world). God prepares us for what life holds in store for us (just as He did for Mary). This is the source of our belief in divine providence.

In your opinion, is this Dogma understood by Catholics?
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is not well understood by many people. Catholics in the United States were asked about the dogma recently, and many thought that it referred to the Annunciation (the conception of Jesus and not that of Mary). The problem, I believe, is not a lack of papal teaching, but rather a failure to teach that dogma in terms that are understandable and pastorally applicable.

Why has this Truth aroused so much controversy among theologians?
Many theologians feel that there is very little scriptural basis for this dogma. They question whether it helps us understand who Mary is, and how she affects our lives. They ask whether the dogma actually made her seem more distant and aloof from us (by emphasizing her differences from us and not her similarities to us).
Furthermore, the dogma has caused ecumenical difficulties. For Protestants whose devotion to Mary is not as strong as that of Catholics, the feeling was that this dogma is not sufficiently scriptural. Protestants might even accuse us of being overly Marian centred. For Orthodox communities (who never had a problem with the concept of the Immaculate Conception), the difficulty was in declaring a dogma that was not approved in a truly ecumenical gathering (as the early dogmas of the Church had been).

Some theologians maintain that this Dogma does not belong to the essence of the Christian faith because it has no solid foundations in Scripture. Is this true?
There is very little scripture behind the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Yet, the Church has always taught that there are two forms of the one revelation: scripture and tradition. Throughout the history of the Church, we have always been coming to a fuller understanding of what Jesus revealed. While the revelation itself does not change, our ability to comprehend and apply it does change.
I, personally, would feel more comfortable if this dogma were more scripturally based. This does not, however, negate the fact that the Holy Father can and did declare the dogma.

Is it possible to be a Catholic and not believe in dogmas?
There is a hierarchy of dogmas, some being more important than others, i.e. the trinity, the fact that Jesus is both God and human, etc. Yet, one cannot pick and choose what one is going to believe. By rejecting a dogma, one is choosing to stand outside looking in. How serious this separation is depends upon one's intentions, the importance of the dogma, etc.
Yet, there is a difference between rejecting and not understanding. One could easily not understand how a dogma could be true and not necessarily reject it. There are many things we do not fully understand, and yet do not reject. I do not understand the laws of gravity or quantum physics, yet I do not reject them. Could one take such a position on this dogma and still consider oneself a Catholic? I believe so. These are, after all, mysteries of the faith, and mysteries are very often beyond our comprehension. This requires, on our part, however, the suspension of unbelief - an admission that we do not know everything, and a willingness to accept (or at least not reject) those teachings that we find difficult.