Immaculate Conception

"From the first moment of her creation and infusion into the body, she had been preserved immune from the stain of original sin by a special grace and singular privilege of God, in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, His Son and Redeemer of the human race."

"To say that corrupt means corrupt the ends is to believe in the immaculate conception of ends and principles."

"Immaculate Conception means that Mary anticipated, in some way, the ultimate condition towards which we are heading. In her, our future condition is revealed with privileged transparency."

"The Christian clergy are, in like manner, attired in the cast-off garb of the heathen priesthood; acting diametrically in opposition to their God's moral precepts, but nevertheless, sitting in judgment over the whole world. When dying on the cross, the martyred Man of Sorrows forgave His enemies. His last words were a prayer in their behalf. He taught his disciples to curse not, but to bless, even their foes. But the heirs of St. Peter, the self-constituted representatives on earth of that same meek Jesus, unhesitatingly curse whoever resists their despotic will. Besides, was not the "Son" long since crowded by them into the background? They make their obeisance only to the Dowager Mother, for — according to their teaching — again through "the direct Spirit of God," she alone acts as a mediatrix. The Ecumenical Council of 1870 embodied the teaching into a dogma, to disbelieve which is to be doomed forever to the 'bottomless pit.' The work of Don Pasquale di Franciscis is positive on that point; for he tells us that, as the Queen of Heaven owes to the present Pope "the finest gem in her coronet," since he has conferred on her the unexpected honor of becoming suddenly immaculate, there is nothing she cannot obtain from her Son for "her Church."*"

"She was prevented and preserved by God's special grace from contracting original sin, and in the first moment of her conception she was saved not from the sin that was in her, but from the sin that would have been in her, if the Holy Spirit had not redeemed her in a new way of sanctification."

"This same holy Synod doth nevertheless declare, that it is not its intention to include in this decree, where original sin is treated of, the blessed and immaculate Virgin Mary, the mother of God; but that the constitutions of Pope Sixtus IV., of happy memory, are to be observed, under the pains contained in the said constitutions, which it renews."

"We have diligently considered the authorities and reasons that have been presented before this holy Council for many years in public relations on both sides, and having seen many others on this same point, and having weighed them with mature consideration; we define and declare that doctrine which says that the glorious Virgin Mother of God, Mary, by a singular grace of the divine Spirit, never succumbed to original sin, but was always immune from all original and actual sin, and was holy and immaculate,be a pious doctrine and in accordance with ecclesiastical worship, the Catholic faith, right reason and Holy Scripture; and therefore must be approved, held and embraced by all Catholics; and it shall no longer be lawful for anyone to preach or teach to the contrary: furthermore, renewing the institution of celebrating her holy Conception, which is celebrated in both the Roman Church and other Churches on 8 December according to ancient and praiseworthy custom, we decree and order that this same celebration be held on the aforementioned day in all Churches, monasteries and convents of Christendom under the name of the Conception."

"Mary was conceived without sin. Behold! what the Church of Paris glories in professing and maintaining; what her Doctors hold it an honor to teach and defend; what her children are jealous of preserving as one of their dearest possessions after the sacred dogmas of faith; what they do not hesitate to regard as an immediate consequence of their faith, not believing it possible to separate in Mary, the title of Immaculate Virgin from that of Virgin Mother of God, and not considering it possible to refuse the privilege of a Conception without spot, to her who was to receive and who indeed did receive, that of the divine Maternity."

"I had a conversation with John Spivak, the Communist writer, a few years ago, and he said to me, "How can you believe? How can you believe in the Immaculate Conception, in the Virgin birth, in the Resurrection?" I could only say that I believe in the Roman Catholic Church and all she teaches. I have accepted Her authority with my whole heart. At the same time I want to point out to you that we are taught to pray for final perseverance. We are taught that faith is a gift, and sometimes I wonder why some have it and some do not. I feel my own unworthiness and can never be grateful enough to God for His gift of faith. St. Paul tells us that if we do not correspond to the graces we receive, they will be withdrawn. So I believe also that we should walk in fear, "work out our salvation in fear and trembling.""

"...29. Concupiscence and pride were lurking in the tree of knowledge: the Virgin conceived fruit without concupiscence, that the deadly concupiscence of the human race might through her forever be done away."

"Words cannot tell the abhorrence nature has of the piecemeal captivity of little constraints. And as to little temptations, I can readily conceive a man having the grace to be roasted over a slow fire for our dearest Mother's Immaculate Conception or the Pope's Supremacy, who would not have the grace to keep his temper in a theological conversation on either of these points of the Catholic faith."

"...Among pure creatures, you are the most perfect, Mary; you alone are blessed, among women you are called: Oh, Immaculate Conception. Let everyone praise her, the Immaculate Queen of Heaven!..."

"The soul is an immaculate virgin...Then it goes out and gets fucked by the world all day long & staggers back a baggy-eyed old whore, still hoping that after a sleep the Moment of purification will come again. (p. 27)"

"Blessed be the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin."

"O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon thy holy name, and as suppliants we implore thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St. Michael, thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen."

"To thee, O blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our affliction, and having implored the help of thy thrice holy Spouse, we now, with hearts filled with confidence, earnestly beg thee also to take us under thy protection. By that charity wherewith thou wert united to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly love with which thou didst cherish the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray that thou wilt look down with gracious eye upon that inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by His blood, and wilt succor us in our need by thy power and strength. Defend, O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, the chosen off-spring of Jesus Christ. Keep from us, O most loving Father, all blight of error and corruption. Aid us from on high, most valiant defender, in this conflict with the powers of darkness. And even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the peril of His life, so now defend God's Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity. Shield us ever under thy patronage, that, following thine example and strengthened by thy help, we may live a holy life, die a happy death, and attain to everlasting bliss in Heaven. Amen"

"Despite what many think, the Vatican may not impose teachings on an unwilling faithful. Through the concept of reception, Catholics have a role to play in the establishment of church law. The popular notion that whatever the pope says on a serious topic is infallible is an exaggeration of the principle of infallibility. While some ultra-conservative groups claim that the teaching on abortion is infallible, it does not in fact meet the definition of an infallible teaching. Since the doctrine of papal infallibility was first declared in 1870, only three teachings have been declared infallible: the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Assumption of Mary, and the declaration on infallibility itself."

"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds 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, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

"Did you notice that Our Mother in Lourdes did not simply say, as she did in Paris on Rue du Bac, that she was conceived without sin, but rather, “I am the Immaculate Conception”! She waited for the Church's proclamation of the dogma of her Holy Immaculate Conception to give us her personal identity before God."

"Mary Immaculate, whose feast day is celebrated on December 8, is, by God's will, a sign of absolute perfection in a human creature: no person comes close to her heights of goodness and beauty, and no one, not even all the angels and saints combined, has greater intercessory power with the Almighty."

"The Holy Spirit descends upon you, who are the Immaculate One, to make you purer and give you the virtue of fertility."

"No, father. She said exactly that: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”"

"What joy! I have always felt that this ray was missing from the splendour of Catholic truths. It is a gap that could not remain in religion."

"The Immaculate Conception of Mary could be called a gift that the Father gives to the Son. Mary is certainly saved by the Son, but in this there is a kind of accompaniment of the Son's work by the Father. Like a trial before the trial. Like the certainty that the Father gives to the Son on his journey, that everything will be fine. The original sin from which we are all marked has the property of giving rise to new sins. In the Immaculate Conception, Mary receives the task of proclaiming the ever-greater purity of the Son and his divinity. She is like a wedding ring that the Father gives to the Son, a pledge of the success of the work of redemption."

"I esteem immensely the Mother of God, the ever chaste, immaculate Virgin Mary."

"Christ ... was born of a most undefiled Virgin."

"It was fitting that such a holy Son should have a holy Mother."