Catholic Truth and Beauty: The Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception of

the Blessed Virgin Mary

December 8th

"The Immaculate Conception" by Murillo

There are a large amount of people who are ignorant of important facts about the "Immaculate Conception" through no fault of their own.

This is a sad but inevitable consequence of a wishy washy, dumbed down Catholicism in the Catholic school system, lack of leadership and doctrinal teaching by the Irish Catholic Bishops and Priests since the 1960s and a growing and rampant modern Paganism / none belief.

Most people get the "Immaculate Conception" confused with the "Virgin birth" and think it is referring to the conception of Christ.

This is understandable, but completely incorrect.

The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was finally promulgated and formally defined as an Infallible Dogma of the Church in 1854 by Pope Pius IX after exhaustive consultation with all the Bishops of the world.

The subject had been discussed and generally believed for centuries since approximately the 4th Century following the decision of the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD to declare that Mary was "Mother of God" due to Jesus Christ being both True God and True Man, Truly Human and Truly Divine, both natures being present in the person of Jesus.

"Mater et Dei" Mother of God

This Title, Mother of God, was granted in order to emphasise the Divinity of Jesus, against various Heresies.

These Heretical sects such as the "Gnostics," were teaching that Jesus was only Human or that He was only partly Human, or even that He was only Divine and was not really a Human Being at all.

To counteract this Heresy, the General Church Council of Ephesus under the Authority of the Pope, Pope Celestine I, granted the Blessed Virgin Mary the title of "Mother of God"

This Title "Mother of God" is all about Jesus and not about Mary, although she is obviously honoured in the Title as well.

Mother of God is really a Title to defend and honour Jesus Christ who was Truly God and who became incarnated as a Human Being from a Human Being.

"Mother Most Pure"

The Immaculate Conception is actually about Jesus Christ.
Mary was preserved free from the sinfulness that affects all humans (Original Sin) by God because she was privileged to be chosen to be the Mother of the Saviour.

The proclaimed Roman Catholic dogma states, "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."^[3]

This is the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, it is Marys Conception in her mothers womb, not the conception of Jesus.

"Mater Ecclesia"

"We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the New Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in Heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the body of Christ, the people of God, which is the Church"

(Pope Paul VI 1964) Mater Ecclesia.(Mother of the Church)

Interestingly, 4 years after the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was announced in 1854, it received Heavenly confirmation during the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous (now Saint Bernadette) at Lourdes in southern France in 1858.

When requested to state her name, the beautiful lady of the Apparitions of Lourdes, raised her eyes to Heaven, smiled and said:

"I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION"

Large Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes located in the processional esplanade

of the beautiful Sanctuary of Lourdes, France.

Many Churches and Altars have been dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

Here are a few lovely examples:

Oh what a lovely "Altar of the Immaculate Conception"

Oh what a delightful "Altar of the Immaculate Conception"

Here is a picture of a very nice Fireman in Rome, placing a wreath of flowers on the Statue of the Immaculate Conception on behalf of the Holy Father, the Pope, which occurs every December 8th.

The Statue is mounted on a very tall column at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome. (Piazza de Spagna)

"Immaculate Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us"

Pope Benedict XVI actually went up in the cherry picker with the Fireman in 2010 and placed the wreath on the Blessed Virgins arm himself!

Benedict XVI was fab and great.

However, Vatican officials subsequently felt that from a Risk Analysis point of view, it was safer for the Fireman to do it alone in future.

I suppose it wouldnt look good for the Fire Department in Rome if the Pope fell off the cherry picker with Sky News televising live!

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

I also want to mention the "Medal of the Immaculate Conception" or as it is known the "Miraculous Medal" due to the extraordinary amount of graces and conversions wrought due to it.

This gives me an opportunity to show a few lovely pictures:

Many people wear a Miraculous Medal, the devotion is very widespread.

It is not a magical talisman, neither is it superstition.

The Immaculate Virgin Mary appeared to Catherine Laboure, (a Daughter of Charity of St Vincent de Paul )in Paris in 1830.

Saint Catherine Laboure

Daughter of Charity.

Incorrupt body of St Catherine Laboure,

Chapel of the Miraculous Medal Apparitions,

Rue de Bac

Paris.

In these Apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary asked for a Medal to be struck with the words

"O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN, PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE"

engraved on it. During the course of the Apparitions, Mary promised great graces to those who would wear the Medal.

Immediately it was struck, the stories of healing, conversion and miracles spread throughout Paris.

One of these miracles of conversion was of a Jewish gentleman Mr Rattisbonne,a prominent Jeweller, who was notorious in Paris for his Anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-church newspaper column.

During a severe thunderstorm, he took temporary shelter in a Catholic Church.

Out of curiosity he went inside, where he witnessed a "Statue of the Blessed Virgin become alive and animated" and who had "rays of light emanating from her hands which penetrated my soul, my very being, to its depths".

He fell to his knees and from that moment converted to the Roman Catholic faith.

Mr Rattisbonne was instrumental in persuading the Archbishop of Paris, to permit the devotion of the Miraculous Medal to be promulgated throughout France and the World.

O Mary Conceived without Sin, Pray for Us who have Recourse to Thee

Fabulous Altar of the Miraculous Medal Apparitions

Rue de Bac, Paris.

The United States of America has as its Patroness, the "Immaculate Conception"

A beautiful Basilica and "National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception" has been built in Washington DC.

Basilica and National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,

Washington DC, USA

The Book of Revelation in the Bible has an interesting passage that many believe foretells the Maternal role that God has granted Mary in Salvation history:

"A Woman clothed with the Sun, with the Moon under her feet and with a Crown of Twelve Stars on her head"