Immaculate Conception

:This article refers to the theology of the immaculate conception of Mary, Mother of Jesus. For the story of the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ, see Virgin Birth (Christian doctrine).

History of the doctrine

Aside from the acceptability of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, and its necessity or lack thereof, is the history of its development within the Roman Catholic Church. The Conception of Mary was celebrated in England from the ninth century. Eadmer was influential in its spread. The Normans suppressed the celebration but it lived on in the popular mind. It was rejected by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Alexander of Hales, and St. Bonaventure (who, teaching at Paris, called it "this foreign doctrine", indicating its association with England). St Thomas Aquinas expressed questions about the subject but said that he would accept the determination of the Church. These famous churchmen had problems with the doctrine due to the medieval understanding of the physical workings of human conception and implantation in the womb. They did not believe that the soul was placed in the body at the moment of conception. Aquinas and Bonaventure, for example, believed that Mary was completely free from sin, but that she was not given this grace at the instant of her conception.

Related Topics:
England - Eadmer - Normans - Bernard of Clairvaux - Alexander of Hales - Bonaventure - Paris - Thomas Aquinas

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The Oxford Franciscans William of Ware and especially Blessed John Duns Scotus defended the doctrine despite the opposition of most scholarly opinion at the time. Scotus proposed a solution to the theological problems involved with reconciling the doctrine with the doctrine of universal redemption in Christ by arguing that Mary's immaculate conception did not remove her from redemption by Christ but rather was the result of a more perfect redemption given to her on account of her special role in salvation history. Furthermore, Scotus said that Mary was redeemed in anticipation of Christ's death on the cross. This was the same way that the Church explained the Last Supper (since Catholic theology teaches that the Mass is Calvary's sacrifice renewed, and Christ did not die before the Last Supper). Scotus' defence of the immaculist thesis was summed up by one of his followers potuit, decuit ergo fecit (God could do it, it was fitting that he did it, and so he did it). Following his defence of the thesis, students at Paris swore to defend the thesis and the tradition grew of swearing to defend the doctrine with one's blood.

Related Topics:
Oxford - Franciscan - William of Ware - Blessed - John Duns Scotus

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Popular opinion was firmly behind accepting this privilege for Mary, but such was the sensitivity of the issue and the authority of Aquinas that it was not until 1854 that Pius IX, with the support of the overwhelming majority of Catholic Bishops, pronounced the doctrine infallible.

Related Topics:
Bishop - Infallible

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