Was John the Baptist sinless?

[fireproofpoodle]

I know it’s not a dogma, but is it possible for a Catholic to believe John was sinless in light of: “no one born of woman is greater than he.”?

God bless.

 

[FightingFat]

No.

 

[MarcoPolo]

There is no dogma about John the Baptist and his sinlessness. However, there is some language throughout Tradition. I want to say I’ve read it in some of the ECFs that he was freed from sin in the 6th month in his mother’s womb (when he “leapt for joy” in the Gospel of Luke). He was not freed from original sin, of course, as was Mary.

Pope Leo XIII, in 1894 used language that sounds like this may be a valid position to hold in the encyclical Iucunda Semper Expectatione, in which he writes:Then St. John the Baptist, by a singular privilege, is sanctified in his mother’s womb and favored with special graces that he might prepare the way of the Lord; and this comes to pass by the greeting of Mary who had been inspired to visit her cousin.

 

[Belloc_Fan]

There is no dogma about John the Baptist and his sinlessness. However, there is some language throughout Tradition. I want to say I’ve read it in some of the ECFs that he was freed from sin in the 6th month in his mother’s womb (when he “leapt for joy” in the Gospel of Luke). He was not freed from original sin, of course, as was Mary.

Pope Leo XIII, in 1894 used language that sounds like this may be a valid position to hold in the encyclical Iucunda Semper Expectatione, in which he writes:Then St. John the Baptist, by a singular privilege, is sanctified in his mother’s womb and favored with special graces that he might prepare the way of the Lord; and this comes to pass by the greeting of Mary who had been inspired to visit her cousin.

That just means he was cleansed of original sin prior to birth, which is why his nativity is one of three celebrated on the Liturgical calendar (along with Mary and Jesus’). In fact, the fact that he was sanctified in his mother’s womb, rather than prevented from experiencing original sin (like Mary and Jesus), directly contradicts the notion he was sinless.

 

[MarcoPolo]

In fact, the fact that he was sanctified in his mother’s womb, rather than prevented from experiencing original sin (like Mary and Jesus), directly contradicts the notion he was sinless.

I specifically said in my post he was not free from original sin.

 

[Belloc_Fan]

I specifically said in my post he was not free from original sin.

You’re right - my mistake, I didn’t see that. I’m confused, then. Since you apparently understand what the pope means, how do you infer that this removal of original sin means that he’s sinless? I may by misunderstanding your point.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I know it’s not a dogma, but is it possible for a Catholic to believe John was sinless in light of: “no one born of woman is greater than he.”?

God bless.

We accept that John the Baptist was sanctified in his mothers womb and born without Original sin.

 

[Evan]

We accept that John the Baptist was sanctified in his mothers womb and born without Original sin.

So the OP may be modified to ‘Could a Catholic believe St John never committed an actual sin from the time he was born?’

 

[MarcoPolo]

Yes, I think that’s more accurate. I think it is acceptable to believe he DID have original sin but was freed from such in the womb by singular privilege, and committed no actual sin in life. Again, this is not dogma, but is acceptable belief.

 

[Roman_Army]

It is crystal clear from Scripture that St. John the Baptist was baptized within his mother’s womb through his encounter with the unborn Jesus within Mary’s womb. It is also clear that Jesus spoke highly of John, saying: “Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). This clearly expresses that he was free of all sin from that point on. St. John the Baptist did not feel worthy to even loose the straps of Jesus’ sandals for the simple fact that he was conceived with original sin and was cleansed of it in-utero by encountering Christ in the womb of Mary. So, I would say that this is an indispensable dogma, not merely because the Pope and Bishops throughout the centuries have proclaimed it unanimously, or merely because the Church celebrates St. John the Baptist’s Nativity in her sacred liturgy, but also because it is explicitly in Scripture.

 

[NHInsider]

It is crystal clear from Scripture that St. John the Baptist was baptized within his mother’s womb through his encounter with the unborn Jesus within Mary’s womb. It is also clear that Jesus spoke highly of John, saying: “Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). This clearly expresses that he was free of all sin from that point on. St. John the Baptist did not feel worthy to even loose the straps of Jesus’ sandals for the simple fact that he was conceived with original sin and was cleansed of it in utero by encountering Christ in the womb of Mary. So, I would say that this is an indispensable dogma, not merely because the Pope and Bishops throughout the centuries have proclaimed it unanimously, but also because it is explicitly in Scripture.

This is a very, very broad use of “explicit.”

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

So the OP may be modified to ‘Could a Catholic believe St John never committed an actual sin from the time he was born?’

He was conceived with Original Sin and therefore was subject to the effects of Original Sin. But very well could have received the graces necessary to avoid personal sin.

 

[VociMike]

That just means he was cleansed of original sin prior to birth, which is why his nativity is one of three celebrated on the Liturgical calendar (along with Mary and Jesus’). In fact, the fact that he was sanctified in his mother’s womb, rather than prevented from experiencing original sin (like Mary and Jesus), directly contradicts the notion he was sinless.

Since original sin is not actually sin (see the Catechism), I would have no problem saying that somebody who committed no sin was sinless.

I really, really, really wish we had a different and more descriptive term than “original sin” for the phenomenon/condition. It is so misleading.

 

[thistle]

I know it’s not a dogma, but is it possible for a Catholic to believe John was sinless in light of: “no one born of woman is greater than he.”?

God bless.

There is no teaching on this but tradition has it that John was conceived in original sin but was born free from orginal sin.

 

[brb2]

We accept that John the Baptist was sanctified in his mothers womb and born without Original sin.

I agree. John was singularly unique. Who Baptized him ? Baptized in the Womb, by H.S. per scripture.

No one ever accused him of sin. Christ even called him Elijah returned … or his equivalent.

 

[CentralFLJames]

At the bottom of it we can ALSO conclude that the presence of the Christ Child in the womb sanctifying John also in the womb ratifies 100% the spiritual truth that the unborn children are real humans with real souls and that the sanctify of life has a definate scriptural basis in the verses quoted above as well as the ancient Sacred Tradition.

John was redeemed in the womb but was conceived into a consequence of original sin just like ALL the rest of us EXCEPT the ONE woman BLESSED ABOVE all WOMEN - Mary. Since Eve was originally made sinless by the hand of God directly but fell it is child’s play to see that Mary could never sin for the scripture verse of “Blessed above all women” to be true since for Mary to sin she would need to be lower than Eve - which is a contradiction.

And we know that Christ Himself it the new Adam and He like Mary as new Eve are the ONLY two human prototypes in the economy of grace to be given to be the new protoypes for “the new humanity” conjoined & sanctified to God as His Children through this new spiritual family lineage. John The Baptist came very close but John himself admits that he is not worthy to unfasten Christ’s sandal thong – the lowest form of servitude known in Jewish times. A person baptised into Christ and born into the kingdom and remains so all his life is greater than even John.

James

 

[Kepha15]

When Jesus said no one “born of women” was greater than John, he was likely referring to the fact that those “born of the Spirit” would be greater even than he, while at the same time exalting John as the greatest and last of the Old Covenant prophets.