Why is the perpetual virginity of Mary an essential teaching?

[eichenb2]

Celibacy needs to be practiced by all single people. Holiness is the real and universal vocation of every one of us. We try our best to be holy in whatever state we choose, marriage, single life, or consecrated life such as the priesthood or religious life. There are Catholics who view the consecrated life as somehow the ideal one. That is simply a personal opinion.

I have a simple thought experiment. Can you name 10 Saints, off the top of your head? How many were celibate? If you are honest with yourself, you will acknowledge that the overwhelming majority were celibate.
Additionally, Paul writes in the NT that he prefers that all are celibate (sounds like a Shaker). Also, the model of human behaviour for males and females (Mary & Jesus) were both celibate. Catholic doctrine sees original sin as passed on through intercourse. If this is not enough to show that the Church has a “necessary evil” view of intercourse, then nothing will.

 

[grannymh]

I have a simple thought experiment. Can you name 10 Saints, off the top of your head? How many were celibate? If you are honest with yourself, you will acknowledge that the overwhelming majority were celibate.

My Mother and Dad are saints and they definitely were not celibate. Of course, I am assuming they are in heaven. Simply put, everyone who reaches heaven is considered a saint. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has canonized individuals which means that a person is officially declared as residing in heaven. In canonization, the Church proclaims that an individual practiced heroic virtue and faithfully followed God’s will. This is why Mary is considered a saint. Canonized individuals are public examples of the holiness within the Church. They are not the only ones in heaven.

Additionally, Paul writes in the NT that he prefers that all are celibate (sounds like a Shaker).

 

[eichenb2]

 

[grannymh]

Your were officially sainted by the Catholic Church ???
Sweeeeet!

Sorry, that reply went past me… ???

 

[eichenb2]

Sorry, that reply went past me… ???

your parents were officially canonized as saints by the Church.?

 

[grannymh]

your parents were officially canonized as saints by the Church.?

No. No official canonization. However, I can assume that they are in heaven. Since everyone in heaven is considered a saint… even without the official stamp of approval.

In fact, there is a Holy Day dedicated to all these people who are in heaven. It is the Feast Day of All Saints (which includes everyone in heaven) on November 1st each year. The Church does recognize married people as being saintly.

 

[Evan]

your parents were officially canonized as saints by the Church.?

This would fall under private revelation. Such as my Sainted grandmother, who is in heaven, but only known to those to whom it has been revealed privately.

We also have such saints as St Mark and St Jerome who are ‘official’ saints but I do not believe were ever canonized in the formal sense, only in the sense of being declared saints by the people of the time and kept as saints via the Church’s traditions. No review of their life, no requirement of miracles (which is not required for martyrs).

 

[grannymh]

IIs there any earlier evidence of Mary’s perpetual virginity? Why is the perpetual virginity of Mary an essential teaching of the Catholic faith which must be believed in order to be saved? How would it change faith if we learned that Mary’s virginity ended after the birth of Jesus?

There are two reasons to believe that Mary was ever virgin.

1. When Mary said “yes” to the Holy Spirit, she was giving herself totally, body and soul, to God, forever. In effect, she consecrated herself to God completely.
2. Mary’s life was devoted to Jesus which included standing at the foot of His cross. John 19: 26-27 “When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”
   Apparently, Mary was a virgin needing someone to take the place of her Son, Jesus.

Blessings,
granny

All human life is sacred from the moment of conception.

 

[diggerdomer]

The last question is very interesting. The only answer that I have ever been given was that “it was fitting”. In my opinion, that is not good enough. So, please, can someone answer this question? It seems, to me, that this may be the source of why Catholics seem to view celibacy as the ideal state and closer to holiness. It makes the whole conjugal thing seem kind of dirty.

Catholics aren’t required to view celibacy as the ideal state and closer to holiness.

It is quite likely that some do. Certainly in the history of Christianity there have been times when celibacy and asceticism seemed elevated over and above marriage with regards to holiness.

The last question is indeed very interesting. I expect answers would vary from Catholics. Personally, it would not change my faith at all. The teaching of the perpetual virginity of Mary is theological, primarily, imho, not simply a biological statement (if it were merely a biological statement, it would not be a matter of faith).

 

[diggerdomer]

I have a simple thought experiment. Can you name 10 Saints, off the top of your head? How many were celibate? If you are honest with yourself, you will acknowledge that the overwhelming majority were celibate.
Additionally, Paul writes in the NT that he prefers that all are celibate (sounds like a Shaker). Also, the model of human behaviour for males and females (Mary & Jesus) were both celibate. Catholic doctrine sees original sin as passed on through intercourse. If this is not enough to show that the Church has a “necessary evil” view of intercourse, then nothing will.

Then, I guess, nothing will.

By the way, that’s an incredibly questionable interpretation of St. Paul, to make the conclusion you imply from what is in the New Testament. Also, to clarify terms, celibacy is confusing as a term…many of us use it in the classical sense of “unmarried” so we would say Mary was not celibate.

Many in the Christian tradition did view Original Sin as passed on through intercourse, but this is not authoritative Church teaching. It’s one part of Christian tradition. That’s all. If you are sincerely interested in what the Church teaches about the transmission (so to speak) of Original Sin, I’d suggest starting with para 404 of the Catechism: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/404.htm

Hope this helps.