The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Virgin MaryThe Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (Latin Immaculata conceptio) is a Catholic dogma according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived from ordinary parents, but her original sin did not pass. The dogma is rejected by Orthodoxy (the immaculate conception of Mary, but not her virginity), Protestantism, and smaller Christian currents.

The Biblical justification for Mary’s virginity was contained in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah (7:14), which the Gospel of Matthew attributed to Mary: “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the Virgin will receive in her womb, and she will bear a son...”

The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary should not be confused with the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin does not state that she was conceived in an eternal way, but emphasizes only the removal of the Divine will from the Virgin Mary of original sin.

The dogma was established in 1854. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8 and is one of the main theological holidays in the Catholic calendar.

The Holy Virgin Mary is the patroness of Spain and celebrates this day as a national holiday. Festivals are held and priests are dressed in blue. This privilege was granted to them by the papacy in 1864 as a thank you for defending the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary in Spain.