Immaculate Conception

Definition and Meaning

The Immaculate Conception is a doctrine of the Catholic Church. It teaches that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved by a special grace of God from original sin (the state of sin believed to be inherited by all humanity since Adam's Fall) from the first moment of her conception in her mother's womb. In Latin it is called Immaculata Conceptio ("spotless conception").

The term refers to the conception of Mary herself. It is distinct from the "Virgin Birth," the teaching that Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit without the involvement of a man. In Korean churches the two concepts are not uncommonly confused.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Catholic Church connects this doctrine with Luke 1:28, where the angel greets Mary with the words "Hail, thou that art highly favoured," and with Genesis 3:15, which says that the seed of the woman will bruise the serpent's head. However, it presents the doctrine as one that developed within church tradition rather than one stated directly in Scripture.

In the Middle Ages the question was debated among theologians. Thomas Aquinas had reservations about the view, noting that all human beings need the redemption of Christ. Duns Scotus is known to have defended it through the concept of "preservative redemption," according to which Mary was protected in advance by the merits of Christ. On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed it a formal dogma of the Catholic Church in the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus ("Ineffable God").

The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Mary as the "Most Holy" but does not accept this dogma, because it understands original sin differently.

Practice in Korea

The Catholic Church in Korea observes December 8 each year as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It also honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without original sin, as the patron saint of the Korean church.

Protestant denominations do not accept this doctrine. Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel denominations cite Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned," and Luke 1:47, where Mary calls God "my Saviour." They hold that Jesus Christ alone is without sin. The Catholic Church responds that Mary too was saved through Christ's redemption, the only difference being that she was preserved in advance. The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea likewise do not hold it as official doctrine.

By contrast, the Virgin Birth is affirmed in the confession "born of the Virgin Mary" in the Apostles' Creed and is believed by Catholics and Protestants alike. In Protestant churches the Immaculate Conception is mentioned mainly when explaining the differences between Catholic and Protestant understandings of Mary.