The Immaculate Conception. God bless us and may the Virgin protect us!  

Next Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Today I am only posting some testimonies on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, while the day after tomorrow I will post, as usual, the commentary on the biblical texts of the liturgy of the Solemnity. You will find here today some testimonies on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Latin Catholic theologians, Eastern Catholic theologians, Orthodox theologians and also converts. I add at the end, simply for information, the testimony of a Muslim Sufi theologian to understand what role Mary plays for Islam. I will add in conclusion how many dogmas the Catholic Church has on Mary and what they are. 

1. Testimonies of theologians, saints and converts.

*St. Bonaventure, one of the most important Franciscan theologians, wrote that Mary was preserved from sin to be the 'worthy dwelling place' of Christ. Although he did not live when the dogma was formalised (1854), his view anticipates the logic of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He says that since Mary was chosen to be Mother of God, God preserved her from original sin from the first moment of her existence.

* Blessed John Duns Scotus, another 13th century Franciscan theologian, is one of the best known defenders of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which would later be proclaimed dogma by Pius IX in 1854. Scotus introduced the concept of 'preventive redemption'. According to Duns Scotus, Mary was preserved from original sin in anticipation of Christ's merits on the cross. In other words, although Mary was saved like all other human beings, she was saved before she fell into sin, precisely because of the unique role she would play as the Mother of God. This is often summed up in the phrase: 'Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit' ('God could do it, it was convenient to do it, therefore he did it').

*St. Maximilian Kolbe is one of the saints who made the dogma of the Immaculate Conception accessible and understandable through his deep Marian devotion. He linked Mary to the Holy Spirit, calling her: "The Immaculate Conception is the Bride of the Holy Spirit."

Kolbe saw Mary as the perfect reflection of God's purity and love. Her immaculacy was necessary so that she could receive Christ without any shadow of sin. According to Kolbe, Mary, in her absolute purity, is the model of holiness for the entire Church.

*St. John Paul II explained the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in a pastoral and accessible way, relating Mary to redeemed humanity. During a homily for the Immaculate Conception (8 December 1982), he said, "In Mary Immaculate we see the fulfilment of Christ's redemption, who not only freed humanity from sin, but also preserved Mary from sin from the beginning." For John Paul II, the dogma is not only a theological mystery, but also a message of hope: Mary is proof that God's grace can completely transform human life.

In conclusion: Among theologians, Blessed Duns Scotus provided one of the most elegant and fundamental explanations of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with the theory of preventive redemption. However, for a more spiritual and pastoral vision, St Maximilian Kolbe and St John Paul II offer understandable and devotionally rich reflections, making the profound meaning of Mary as 'the Immaculate' accessible to all.

*Of the Eastern theologians, the one who has written particularly beautifully and profoundly on the Immaculate Conception of Mary is St John Damascene (675-749), one of the greatest Fathers of the Eastern Church. Although the dogma of the Immaculate Conception would not be officially defined by the Catholic Church until 1854, St. John Damascene anticipated with his thought many elements that would be fundamental to the understanding of this mystery. St. John Damascene, in his 'Discourse on the Nativity of Mary', celebrates Mary's unique purity and holiness from the moment of her conception. He describes Mary as the 'All Holy' (Panagia), the living temple of God, the pristine tabernacle chosen to house the Incarnate Word. According to Damascene, Mary was preserved from all stain of sin in order to be worthy Mother of God (Theotókos). Here is a particularly significant passage of his thought: 'Today human nature receives the first fruits of its glorification. The Virgin, the pure and immaculate dwelling place of the God of all purity, is brought into the light." Although he does not therefore explicitly develop the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception as it would later be defined, John Damascene emphasises Mary's original and extraordinary holiness, which is central to Eastern reflection on the Mother of God.*The Orthodox Church does not accept the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception as it is understood and formulated by the Catholic Church (i.e. that Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception), but it is worth knowing how many Orthodox theologians have reflected deeply on Mary's holiness and her unique purity, albeit with a different emphasis than Catholic theology. There is certainly a difference in perspective between Catholics and Orthodox because for the Catholic Church, the Immaculate Conception is about preservation from original sin, whereas 

for the Orthodox Church, Mary is venerated as Panagia (All Holy), but without the need to postulate a preservation from original sin as defined in the West. Rather, the Orthodox emphasise Mary's progressive divinisation (theosis) through her free cooperation with God's grace.

Here are some Orthodox texts on Mary's purity. One of the most profound Orthodox theologians who have written on Mary's holiness and purity is St Nicholas Cabasilas (14th century). In his commentary on the life of the Virgin Mary, he states, "The Virgin, from the first moment of her existence, began to participate in a unique way in the holiness of God, growing more and more in it until she became the living Temple of the Word."

St Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), a great hesychast theologian, also wrote significantly on Mary's purity. He emphasises her progressive sanctification and the special action of the Holy Spirit upon her: "The Mother of God was purified and sanctified more than any other creature, not only before her birth, but also in the course of her existence, until she became the living throne of God."In conclusion, even if the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is not accepted in Orthodox theology, many Orthodox Fathers and theologians have written profound texts on purity, holiness, and Mary's unique role in the plan of salvation. The difference is not in denying Mary's purity, but rather in the different understanding of original sin and sanctification.

*I also present some writers and theologians converted to Catholicism who have written profound and inspired pages on Mary's Immaculate Conception, capturing the theological and spiritual beauty of this dogma. Prominent among them are names of great significance for their literary and theological contributions. First, John Henry Newman (1801-1890), a convert from Anglicanism who later became a cardinal and was canonised by Pope Francis in 2019. He devoted intense reflections to Mary, even though he initially found it difficult to accept the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. In time, Newman realised that this truth was perfectly consistent with the doctrine of incarnation and redemption and wrote: "Mary was preserved from original sin not for herself, but for Christ, that she might be a pure and worthy tabernacle for the Son of God." In his famous essay 'Letter to Pusey', Newman clearly defends Marian devotion and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) an English writer and apologist, converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism, did not directly write treatises on the Immaculate Conception, but a deep love and respect for the figure of Mary shines through in his works. In particular, Chesterton describes her as the model of humility and purity that is essential for understanding the Incarnation. In 'The Eternal Man', he writes: "Christianity has made the universe smaller to make a heart larger, and the world has found a Queen in the humility of the Virgin." Edith Stein (St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942), born Jewish, later a philosopher and disciple of Husserl, converted to Catholicism and became a Carmelite nun. In her spiritual and philosophical writings, she treated the figure of Mary as an example of purity, humility and total openness to God's will. Referring to the Immaculate Conception, she wrote: "Mary is the image of the perfectly redeemed creature: not only did she never sin, but she was preserved from the beginning, to be totally God's and the Mother of his Son." In his book 'Woman and her Vocation', he extols Mary's spiritual motherhood as the fruit of her immaculate purity. Louis Bouyer (1913-2004), a Lutheran pastor and later a Catholic theologian, Bouyer deepened Marian doctrine in his theological studies. In his book 'The Throne of Wisdom', he explores Mary's role in God's salvific plan, emphasising how the Immaculate Conception is the first step in the new creation: 'Mary was conceived by God as the fulfilment of ancient Israel and the dawn of the new humanity, without blemish, to welcome the Word who became flesh."

Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), a French philosopher who converted from agnosticism to Catholicism, wrote about the Immaculate Conception emphasising its metaphysical and spiritual significance. In his book 'La Vie de la Grâce', Maritain defines Mary as the masterpiece of God's prevenient grace: "Mary is the woman redeemed in advance, the perfect image of man as God had conceived him before the fall."

*Mary is also venerated and loved in the Islamic religion with all the differences of a theological nature that must never be forgotten. It is worth knowing, however, although not related to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception but nevertheless concerning Mary, a particularly significant text on the figure of Mary (Maryam) in Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf), that of Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240), one of the greatest Sufis in Islamic history. In his masterpiece Futuhat al-Makkiyya (The Revelations of Mecca), Ibn 'Arabi dedicates profound reflections to Mary, recognised in Islam as a model of purity, obedience and closeness to God. Ibn 'Arabi describes Mary as one of the highest manifestations of female wilaya (holiness) and sees her as a symbol of the perfectly purified soul that welcomes the divine Word. He compares her to the prophets, attributing to her a unique spiritual role: 'Mary is the symbol of the Virgin of the Soul who, purified of all worldly contamination, becomes the place where the divine Word becomes incarnate. Just as Jesus (ʿĪsā) was born of Mary for the world, so divine knowledge is born in the soul that has been made pure." According to Ibn 'Arabi, Mary's motherhood is not only physical, but also spiritual. In her, the mystery of the union between heaven and earth, between the divine and the human, is fulfilled: "Mary represents the human being who, while remaining a creature, becomes the receptacle of the Word of God (Kalimatullah), welcoming in her heart the breath of the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Qudus)."  Ibn 'Arabi emphasises that Mary's virginity is not just a physical fact, but a symbol of the inner purity required to receive the knowledge of God. Mary thus becomes the prototype of the human being who achieves spiritual perfection through complete submission to the divine will: "When the human soul is free from all attachment, it becomes like Mary: ready to conceive, in her virginal heart, the Word that comes from God."

For Sufis, Mary is the manifestation of one of the fundamental divine qualities: taharah (purity). She is worshipped not only for her physical motherhood, but for her spiritual role as an example of a perfect servant of God (abd Allah), who surrenders herself completely to the divine will: 'God chose Mary, purified her, and elected her above all the women of the world' (Qur'an 3:42). In this sense, Mary is not only the mother of Jesus, but also a guide for Sufi mystics who seek union with God through purity, humility and divine love. Ultimately, for Ibn 'Arabi and other Sufi mystics, Mary is not only a historical figure, but an eternal symbol of the possibility of each soul to become the place where God manifests Himself. Her life represents the inner journey towards knowledge, purity and union with the divine.

2. Finally, for the sake of completeness, I summarise the four dogmas of the Catholic Church concerning Mary 

1.Dogma of the Divine Maternity (Theotókos), Mary is Mother of God. It was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and this is the central sentence of the Council of Ephesus: "If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is God and that therefore the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God (Theotókos), let him be anathema; 

2.Dogma of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary is always a virgin: before, during and after the birth of Jesus and the dogma was proclaimed and officially defined by the Lateran Council of 649, but believed from the earliest centuries. The central phrase of the dogma: "Mary conceived virginally, gave birth without corruption, and remained a perpetual virgin."

3.Dogma of the Immaculate Conception (Mary is without original sin). The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined on 8 December 1854 by Blessed Pope Pius IX with the papal bull 'Ineffabilis Deus'. The dogma proclaims that Mary, from the first instant of her conception, was preserved free from original sin, thanks to the merits of Jesus Christ. The dogmatic definition is found in the final part of the bull, and reads, "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original guilt, has been revealed by God and, therefore, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful." 

*"First instant of her conception": Indicates that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne.

*"By singular grace and privilege": This special state of Mary is not by her own merit, but a free gift from God.

*'In anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ': Mary was saved from sin not independently of Christ, but through the redemption wrought by her Son. It is a preventive redemption, unique in its kind.

*'Revealed by God': The dogma is based on a revealed truth, which has been believed by the Church throughout the centuries, although only formalised in 1854. Faith in the Immaculate Conception of Mary was already rooted in the tradition of the Church, especially in medieval theology and popular devotion. In 1854, Pope Pius IX wanted to officially proclaim this doctrine to strengthen the Catholic faith in an era marked by increasing challenges to Christianity. The dogma was admirably confirmed a few years later, in 1858, when the Virgin appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, presenting herself with the words: "I am the Immaculate Conception." This event further strengthened the devotion and understanding of the dogma by the faithful.

4 Dogma of the Assumption of Mary. Mary was assumed in body and soul to the glory of heaven. It was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus on 1 November 1950. This is the central sentence of the dogma: "The Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed into heavenly glory in body and soul." At the end of her earthly life, Mary did not suffer corruption of the body, but was glorified in heaven. It is not specified whether she died or was directly assumed into eternal life.

+Giovanni D’Ercole