Was the Blessed Virgin Mary impeccable?

[Richca]

As the title suggests, was the Blessed Virgin Mary impeccable (not able to sin) or otherwise (able to sin) ? From what I understand, there is no definitive teaching of the Church on this so catholics can have opposing opinions. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
I do not wish to discuss Mary’s sinlessness as I believe that to be of catholic faith. But I have sometimes wondered about the impeccability of Mary. If you google it, you will find various opinions. The old Catholic Encyclopedia states that theologians assert that Mary was impeccable. I believe Fr. John Hardon in one of his works states that Mary was impeccable. In one of Pope John Paul II letters or encyclicals ( I can’t seem to find which one presently), I seem to remember reading where he said that although Mary was gifted with extraordinary graces and priviledges, we shouldn’t forget about her cooperation with grace.
I tend to lean on the side that the Blessed Virgin Mary was able to sin but did not through her perfect cooperation with grace. If you have an opinion, please post it and if you have time, cite some sources such as scripture, church documents, saints, popes, etc. Thank you.

 

[R_C]

We were just discussing this issue, but with regards to the Lord, here.

The conclusion would seem to be that due to free will, she was free to choose…however, being full of grace ever since conception, the Blessed Virgin could not have chosen anything other than to do God’s will perfectly, because her choice was definite and perfect, perhaps the closest reflection of the Lord in this matter.

I like to think of it with the metaphor of blindness: Mary was truly never blind, by God’s grace, so she always followed the light and never could have fallen. The only human being higher in perfection would have been Christ, who Himself was the Light.

 

[minion]

^ Doesn’t that contradict free will?

My understanding of Mary was that she was immaculately conceived, free of original sin. She was essentially in the state of Eve before the Fall. The key difference was that Mary simply chose not to make the mistake Eve made, because Mary is just that nice.

 

[thistle]

As the title suggests, was the Blessed Virgin Mary impeccable (not able to sin) or otherwise (able to sin) ? From what I understand, there is no definitive teaching of the Church on this so catholics can have opposing opinions. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
I do not wish to discuss Mary’s sinlessness as I believe that to be of catholic faith. But I have sometimes wondered about the impeccability of Mary. If you google it, you will find various opinions. The old Catholic Encyclopedia states that theologians assert that Mary was impeccable. I believe Fr. John Hardon in one of his works states that Mary was impeccable. In one of Pope John Paul II letters or encyclicals ( I can’t seem to find which one presently), I seem to remember reading where he said that although Mary was gifted with extraordinary graces and priviledges, we shouldn’t forget about her cooperation with grace.
I tend to lean on the side that the Blessed Virgin Mary was able to sin but did not through her perfect cooperation with grace. If you have an opinion, please post it and if you have time, cite some sources such as scripture, church documents, saints, popes, etc. Thank you.

Adam and Eve were created free from sin but they were able to sin.

 

[runningdude]

^ Doesn’t that contradict free will?

My understanding of Mary was that she was immaculately conceived, free of original sin. She was essentially in the state of Eve before the Fall. The key difference was that Mary simply chose not to make the mistake Eve made, because Mary is just that nice.

Mary was also full of grace, which Eve did not have the benefit of.

Objectively speaking, it was always in Mary’s best interest to choose God, so it does not contradict free will that she chose the rational choice at every juncture, trusting fully that God had her best interest at heart.

That Adam, Eve, and every human in between made irrational and often sinful decisions does not itself demonstrate a lack of free will on Mary’s part. It simply means Mary was an exceptionally rational being!

 

[centurionguard]

As the title suggests, was the Blessed Virgin Mary impeccable (not able to sin) or otherwise (able to sin) ? From what I understand, there is no definitive teaching of the Church on this so catholics can have opposing opinions. If I’m wrong about this, please let me know.
I do not wish to discuss Mary’s sinlessness as I believe that to be of catholic faith. But I have sometimes wondered about the impeccability of Mary. If you google it, you will find various opinions. The old Catholic Encyclopedia states that theologians assert that Mary was impeccable. I believe Fr. John Hardon in one of his works states that Mary was impeccable. In one of Pope John Paul II letters or encyclicals ( I can’t seem to find which one presently), I seem to remember reading where he said that although Mary was gifted with extraordinary graces and priviledges, we shouldn’t forget about her cooperation with grace.
I tend to lean on the side that the Blessed Virgin Mary was able to sin but did not through her perfect cooperation with grace. If you have an opinion, please post it and if you have time, cite some sources such as scripture, church documents, saints, popes, etc. Thank you.

Here’s a few sources to consider:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p2.htm

The Immaculate Conception

490 To become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role."132 The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”.133 In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God,134 was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.135

492 The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son”.136 The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love”.137

493 The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God “the All-Holy” (Panagia), and celebrate her as “free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature”.138 By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.

“Let it be done to me according to your word. . .”

494 At the announcement that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High” without knowing man, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary responded with the obedience of faith, certain that “with God nothing will be impossible”: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word."139 Thus, giving her consent to God’s word, Mary becomes the mother of Jesus. Espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly, without a single sin to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son; she did so in order to serve the mystery of redemption with him and dependent on him, by God’s grace:140

As St. Irenaeus says, "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race."141 Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert. . .: "The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith."142 Comparing her with Eve, they call Mary "the Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through Eve, life through Mary."143

Mary’s divine motherhood

495 Called in the Gospels “the mother of Jesus”, Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as “the mother of my Lord”.144 In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly “Mother of God” (Theotokos).145

AD DIEM ILLUM LAETISSIMUM
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS X
ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_02021904_ad-diem-illum-laetissimum_en.html

 

[nordskoven]

It’s the Immaculate Heart versus Immaculate Conception. What is the import of the Immaculate Heart? Why all the brouhaha at Fatima about consecrating Russia to the Virgin Mary under her title “Immaculate Heart”? The Virgin Mary was created sinless, as were Adam and Eve. Through her free-will choice, she united herself with God’s will, and that is the reason “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” Because, of course, the best way to show devotion to her Immaculate Heart is to emulate her purity of intent. That grounds us in loving obedience, the first fruit of love, doing as we’re directed to by God as the Virgin Mary did.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced with a sword of sorrow that the thoughts of all may be revealed, conquer the Father of Lies and Murder by revealing all thoughts, cleansing them in the fire of love which is your Son Jesus Christ’s Sacred Heart, all for God’s honor and glory. AMEN

 

[J_Peterson]

Inspired by something I read by Aquinas regarding Mary and her fullness of Grace I though of walking on a path.

Without faith you are walking through the woods with no light at all (cloudy moonless night) only your sense of touch to guide you (natural law). It would be very difficult to find the path in these conditions. If you had a book of matches you will have a better chance but it would still be difficult. Maybe the more holy among us have a flashlight, or have the light of the full moon, etc.

Mary was walking in full daylight along a path lined with rose bushes in full bloom. Sure she could stray from the path if she chose but it would be too painful to try.

ETA: It’s possible I got this imagry from somewhere else but I’m not sure (Secrets of the Rosary perhaps?)