To the sceptics out there

[deleted]

Ironclad Iconoclast,

May I offer some clarification to a previous post of ours? It has to do with the concept of the Immaculate Conception.

The birth of Jesus is the Virgin Birth. Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit and Mary remained a virgin at His birth. As I said, this is the Virgin Birth. The Immaculate Conception is a different belief -- and one that many practicing Catholics confuse with the Virgin Birth.

Catholic teaching states that everyone is born with original sin, inherited from Adam and Eve and the first sin ever committed -- the eating of the fruit/apple in the Garden of Eden. (Original sin is cleaned away in baptism.) In order to save mankind from original sin and all sins, God became man in Jesus and offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins. Mary of Nazareth was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, which meant that she would be the Mother of God Himself. God, being God, could not come into a person with a sinful soul. So it is believed that God kept Mary from sin all her life. She would be pure and holy as God is pure and holy. This also meant that Mary could not have been born with original sin; she had to kept pure and holy. To that end, Mary was born without original sin. She was conceived without original sin. Her conception was pure, immaculate. This is what Catholics believe of as the Immaculate Conception, that the Virgin Mary was conceived and born without original sin so that she would be holy to receive God into herself.

This is not a new idea. It was taught as far back as the 9th century. Even though it is an ancient belief of the Catholic Church, it was celebrated only locally as priests and bishops decided. It was not until a papal bull issued by Pope Pius IX in 1854 that the Immaculate Conception became a universal celebration in the Catholic Church. This is what makes St. Bernadette's explanation so important.

As I said, the belief in and the celebration of the Immaculate Conception was localized until 1854. St. Bernadette's visions occurred in 1858. The concept was still very new and not fully understood by most Catholics of the time (and, as I said, several Catholics of our own day.) When asked who she was, Bernadette's Lady could have answered "the Blessed Mother," "the Virgin Mary," the "Mother of God," or any other name that would have been familiar to a poorly educated working-class girl. However, she called herself the Immaculate Conception, which according to Catholic teaching, could only be one person. In the movie this term confused Bernadette, and probably did so in real life as well. But the parish priest, who had asked for the Lady's identification, it would have made sense, and would have surprised him. Would a girl like Bernadette, who struggled with her catachism, not only know of this term, but also understand who and what it meant? This answer to his question gave Bernadette's account more credibility with the Church.

I'm sorry for such a long post. I am not trying to proselytize, just to add clarification. My explanation is in my own words, and, whether theologically believed or not, I hope it is understood.

Thanks for your well-written posts on this thread.

"Thanks for the wings"
Spin