On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. However, many Catholics haven't a clue as to the true meaning of this dogma. What I'm about to reveal here may shock and surprise you, but it is exactly what the Church of Rome teaches as written in the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church.
First, let's look at what people think this means. Many think it refers to the virgin birth of Christ, how Mary, while being a virgin, conceived, and gave birth to our Lord. (Isaiah 7:14). Well, that is not the case. The dogma of Immaculate Conception has NOTHING to do with the virgin birth of Christ. The virgin birth has been believed for 2000 years, but the Immaculate Conception was declared dogma only 150 years ago.
So what does it teach?
1. That Mary was redeemed (saved) at the point of her conception
and
2. That Mary never sinned throughout her life.
Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God,134 was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992 Ed., Paragraph #491, Emphasis mine)It is thus claimed in the Church of Rome that Mary was sinless. But what does the Holy Bible have to say?
The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God "the All-Holy" (Panagia), and celebrate her as "free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature". By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long. (Para # 493, Emphasis mine)
. . .from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life. (Para #508)
For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:10-12
There has never been a human, with the exception of Jesus Christ, who was sinless. The Bible is clear on this. Thus Mary was a sinner like the rest of us. Jesus didn't sin because He was God Almighty. To declare that Mary was without sin is to make this humble handmaid equal to God Himself. If Mary was really sinless, she would have not needed a saviour to save her from her sins. Why, then did she say "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:46, 47)? Mary herself admitted that she needed a saviour! And what did she need a saviour from? Her sins! "...thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall SAVE his people from their SINS. (Matthew 1:21) God plainly said that all mankind are sinners, and Jesus was the only person to live a sin-free life. To say that Mary was sinless is to call God a liar. Immaculate Conception is a horrible blasphemy elevating the creation to the level of the creator. But this is only one of many heresies about Mary.
If you are a Catholic, please prayerfully consider the above. Ask yourself why your church blatantly contradicts the Word of God to keep it's own traditions.
If you too would like to learn how to be saved from your sins, click here.
The dogma of Immaculate Conception should really be called Immaculate Deception because it:
1. Most people think it means something that it doesn't.
2. The actual dogma is not found in the Holy Bible, and contradicts Biblical doctrine.
