De Mazenod: There in 1854
It’s true. Our founder,
St. Eugene De Mazenod, was present when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma
of the Immaculate Conception. Of course, the literal connection
between the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the dogma of the Immaculate
Conception is obvious. But the story goes much deeper. It
goes back to a time before the dogma was even officially introduced.
It goes back to a time when the Oblates were still only a handful
of men dedicated to spreading God’s love.
At first, the Oblates were simply
known as the Missionaries of Provence. They were mainly based in
Provence, in the south of France. Eventually, other areas began
recognizing the ability and worth of St. De Mazenod’s Oblates,
and soon, were asking him for assistance. Understanding that the
organization would grow, De Mazenod realized that they should be
recognized as an official Congregation. He chose a more universal
name: The Oblates of St. Charles.
While traveling to Rome for
approbation, he met with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, hoping to join
their two groups together. The head of the Oblates of the Virgin
Mary turned down the offer. But somewhere in this time, De
Mazenod decided that his Congregation would be known as the Oblates of
Mary Immaculate. No one was exactly sure why he suddenly made
this choice, but De Mazenod later gave this explanation:
“We glorify God in the masterpiece of His
power and love... it is the Son whom we honour in the person of His
Mother.”
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate
received approval from Pope Leo XII on February 17, 1826.
As you may know, the Missionary Oblates produce a
yearly calendar for our benefactors. This year, in honor of the
Immaculate Conception, we will be creating a calendar in honor of the
Blessed Mother. This calendar will bear beautiful artwork
depicting Mary under her many titles. If you would like to
receive one, please fill out the imformation by clicking on the
enclosed link.
This year marks the 150th
Anniversary of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It
wasn’t until 1854, when Pope Pius IX published Ineffabilis Deus,
that the doctrine of Mary’s Immaculate Conception became official
Church dogma. However, in the long history of the Roman Catholic
Church, one must ask, why is this particular doctrine so young?
Does this mean that it took nearly 2000 years from the event of
her Son’s death for the Church to recognize Mary’s special
grace? The answer is no.
The celebration of Mary’s
conception has a long and interesting history in the Church. In
reality, Mary’s Immaculate Conception had already become popular
tradition by the time Pope Pius IX published Ineffabilis Deus. He
made into official dogma what was a popular belief among Catholic
scholars and clergy. Also, he fully defined the dogma which,
prior to Ineffabilis Deus, existed in many different forms throughout
the universal church.
What is the Immaculate Conception?
First, to eliminate any confusion,
the Immaculate Conception is not the celebration of Jesus’ conception by the Holy
Spirit, nor is it the miracle of the virgin birth. The Immaculate
Conception refers wholly to Mary’s conception without the
stain of original sin.
In Pope Pius IX’s words, the
Blessed Virgin Mary “in the first instance of her conception, by
a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of
Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from
all stain of original sin.”
Through baptism, you and I
remove the stain of original sin, but this stain was never on
Mary’s soul. It was excluded entirely. She was
created as Adam and Eve were, without the weight of original sin.
In fact, Mary is known as the new or second Eve, who became
mother to the new Adam, the Savior of all humankind.
of the Immaculate Conception
A Brief History of the
Immaculate Conception
Belief in the Immaculate Conception
can be traced as far back as the seventh century. At that time,
monasteries in Palestine were celebrating the Conception of Mary,
though it was called the Conception of Anne, Mary’s mother.
However, these celebrations were not identical to
today’s concept of the Immaculate Conception. They were
simply feast days similar to those held for saints, and they did not
address the issue of sinlessness.
By the tenth and eleventh
centuries, the Feast of the Conception of Mary began spreading in the
Western Church, and developed most strongly in England. However,
after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the celebration was abolished.
The Normans, unfamiliar with this celebration, believed it to be
an exclusively English observance, and therefore, eliminated it.
It wasn’t until the early
1100s that the feast day returned to recognition. When Anselm,
nephew of St. Anselm, was appointed Abbot of Bury St. Edmund’s,
he established the feast there. Through his efforts it spread to
the other monasteries. Much controversy and disagreement ensued.
When finally brought before the Council of London in 1129, the
synod decided in favor of the feast. This lead to the widespread acceptance
of the feast day—officially held on the date we recognize today,
December 8.
In the middle ages, the feast
received more controversy than it ever had before. Great scholars
including St. Peter Damian, St. Bonaventure, and St. Thomas Aquinas,
questioned the celebration’s validity. Catholic historians
agree that most of the conflict came from a lack of doctrine.
With nothing definite from Rome specifying what the feast day
truly represented, there was too much room for argument.
Enter Duns Scotus. With
singular vision, he settled all of the major objections, and he
established a widely understood and accepted rationale for the Feast of
the Conception of Mary. From his work, all of the great
universities and theologians ardently supported the feast day.
So, on December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX, surrounded by cardinals
and bishops, set forth the Immaculate Conception as dogma.
The Immaculate Conception and Our Lives
Some people believe that due
to the Immaculate Conception, Mary did not have to live a life like the
rest of us. This is not true. Mary was created in the same
fashion as Adam and Eve: free from sin. Similarly, she could have
fallen as they did. She could have sinned against God. But,
she didn’t. When Gabriel announced to her that she would
bear the Son of God, she responded with faith, “I am the
Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:38
The Feast of the Immaculate
Conception reminds us that Our Blessed Mother was blessed from the
beginning, but we can still follow her in faith. She is the
perfect example of God’s grace. This year on her feast day,
remember the sacrifice and struggle she endured as we prepare to enter
into the Christmas season—where through her, God’s will was
done.
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the
Immaculate Conception
