The Perpetual

Virginity
What is the meaning of
the Second Marian
Dogma?
• The Dogma of the Perpetual
Virginity of Mary, which was
included in the Apostle’s Creed
(First Century) and solemnity
defined by the Council of Nicea
(325 AD), states that she
remained virgin for her whole
life.
• The Greek term for this dogma
is Aeiparthenos, which means
“Ever Virgin.” this implied that
Mary remained virgin before,
during and after the birth of
Christ.
What does virginity
before birth mean?
• The virginity of Mary before the birth
of Jesus is stated at the
Annunciation: Gabriel was sent to “a
virgin betrothed to a man, whose
name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-35).
Mary confirmed her virginal status,
when she said: “How can this be,
since I have no relations with a
man?” (Luke 1:34).
• Afterwards, an angel appeared
in a dream to St. Joseph and
said: “Do not fear to take Mary
your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).
What does virginity
during birth mean?
• We believe that the virginity of
Mary was not in the act of giving
birth to Jesus, as affirmed by the
Catechism of the Council of Trent
(1545-63): “Jesus Christ came
forth from his mother’s womb
without injury to her maternal
virginity.”
• This teaching was confirmed
by the Second Vatican Council
(1962-65): “Christ’s birth did
not diminish his mother’s
virginal integrity but sanctified
it” (Lumen Gentium 57).
• The council of Trent also added that “The
Virgin Mary brought forth Jesus the Son
of God without experiencing any sense of
pain. “but the painless birth was not
mentioned by the Second Vatican Council
and by the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, because it seems to contradict
the Book of Revelation, when it speaks of
the birth of Christ.
• “A woman {Mary} clothed with
the sun, with the moon under her
feet, and on her head a crown of
twelve stars, was with the child
[Jesus] and wailed aloud in pain
as the labored to give birth”
(Revelation 12:1-3).
 What does
virginity after
birth means?
• The virginity of Mary after
the birth of Jesus has been
universally accepted by the
Church on the following
arguments:
1). Nowhere in the Bible it is written
that Mary had other children from
Joseph. The fact Jesus was Mary’s
“Firstborn son” (Luke 2:7), and that
Joseph “Had no marital relations with
Her until she gave to a son” (Matthew
1:25), does not imply the existence of
other siblings, or material relationship
with Mary.
2). It was not proper that
the Virgin mother of the
Messiah should have
other children in a
natural manner.
Who are the brothers
and sisters of Jesus
mentioned in the
Gospel?
• Against the Dogma of the Perpetual
Virginity of Mary, the objection is
sometimes raised that the Gospel
mentions the “Brother and Sisters”
of Jesus (Mark 3:32). The Church has
always understood that these
passage did not refer to other
children of the Virgin Mary for the
following reasons:
1). The Greek word adelphoi
used in the Gospel could mean
either “Brothers” or “Relatives”.
Even nowadays, we call our
fellow Christians as brothers
and sisters because we share
the same faith, though not the
same Blood.
2). If Jesus had real brothers and
sisters, from the cross he should have
entrusted Mary to them, and not to St.
John, in accordance with Jewish
tradition and the dictates of filial love.
The fact that Jesus said: “Woman,
behold your son” (John 19:25),
indirectly confirms that Jesus was the
only child of Mary.
THANK YOU
AND GOD
BLESS!!!