Immaculate Conception

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The Immaculate Conception is a doctrine in the Catholic Church that refers to the belief that the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin. It does not refer to the virgin birth of Jesus, but rather to the conception of Mary herself in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. The belief is that from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved by God from the stain of original sin.

Dogma:

This doctrine was formally defined as dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854 in the papal bull "Ineffabilis Deus". It states that Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, "by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, preserved free from all stain of original sin."

Theologically, this doctrine underscores the role of Mary as the mother of God (Theotokos) and her suitability to bear the sinless Christ. It is seen as a special grace given to her due to her role in salvation history.

While not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, supporters of the doctrine point to various scriptural passages like Genesis 3:15 (where enmity is put between the serpent and the woman), Luke 1:28 (where Mary is called "full of grace"), and others as indirect references or foreshadowing of this belief. The doctrine also relies heavily on tradition and the writings of Church Fathers.

Misconceptions

  1. Many mistakenly believe this refers to the birth of Jesus without human intervention, which is actually termed the "Virgin Birth" of Jesus.
  2. Others think it might imply that Mary was conceived without human intervention, which is not what the doctrine teaches.

Parishes

Immaculate Conception
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