Immaculate Conception | Definition, History, & Feast | Britannica

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External Websites

• Church Life Journal - To Stay on Target: The Immaculate Conception
• EWTN - The Immaculate Conception
• EWTN - Immaculate Conception

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What is the Immaculate Conception?

The Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic dogma asserting that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved free from the effects of original sin from the first instant of her conception.

When is the feast of the Immaculate Conception?

The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8. It is usually a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics (a day on which they are required to attend mass).

What is the difference between the Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception?

The Virgin Birth is traditional Christian doctrine that states Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine also states that Mary was Jesus’ sole natural parent and that he had no natural father. It is a belief accepted by Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant churches and by Muslims. However, Mary’s perpetual virginity—the belief that she remained a virgin throughout her life—is accepted only by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. By contrast, the Immaculate Conception is Roman Catholic dogma that states Mary was preserved free from the effects of original sin from the moment of her conception.

Who argued that Christ’s redemptive grace was applied to Mary?

The 13th-century Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus argued that Christ’s redemptive grace was applied to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to prevent sin from reaching her soul.

When was the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception officially declared?

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was officially declared on December 8, 1854, by Pope Pius IX in the bull Ineffabilis Deus (Latin: “Ineffable God”).

Immaculate Conception, Roman Catholic dogma asserting that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved free from the effects of the sin of Adam (usually referred to as “original sin”) from the first instant of her conception.

Quick Facts

• Feast date: December 8
• Observed by: Roman Catholic Church
• Celebrates: The belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved free from sin from the moment of her conception.
• Declared dogma by: Pope Pius IX in 1854

Although various texts in both the Old and the New Testaments have been cited in defense of the doctrine, it seems to have arisen from a general acceptance in the early church of Mary’s holiness. Especially after Mary had been solemnly declared to be the mother of God at the Second Council of Ephesus in 431, most theologians doubted that one who had been so close to God could have actually experienced sinful acts. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8 and is usually a holy day of obligation (on which Catholics are required to attend mass).

The view that Mary had been spared also from the disposition to evil inherent in original sin was not clearly articulated until the 12th century, when considerable debate was centered on an English celebration of Mary’s conception. The discussion was clouded by medieval views of the biological aspects of conception and by a concern that the belief in the universal redemption effected by Jesus should not be threatened. The latter concern (particularly associated with St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century) was countered not long after by the Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus, who argued that Christ’s redemptive grace was applied to Mary to prevent sin from reaching her soul and that this special intervention resulted in a more perfect redemption in her case. Mary’s privilege, thus, was the result of God’s grace and not of any intrinsic merit on her part.

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A gradual acceptance of the Franciscan’s views over the next several centuries was reflected in the teaching of various popes (especially Sixtus IV in the late 15th century) and the councils of Basel (1439) and Trent (1546). It was not, however, until December 8, 1854, that Pius IX, urged by the majority of Catholic bishops throughout the world, solemnly declared in the bull Ineffabilis Deus (“Ineffable God”) that the doctrine was revealed by God and hence was to be firmly believed as such by all Catholics.

Discover More Why Do Catholics Pray to Mary? Mariology Marian apparitions Virgin Birth The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by René Ostberg.