Four chief truths about the Blessed Virgin Mary, her relationship with Jesus, and her role in God’s saving plan have been defined as dogma by the Catholic Church so far. All Catholics must accept and believe these teachings.
Dogmas are the highest form of truth revealed by God through Sacred Scripture or Sacred Tradition. The faithful are obligated to believe these infallible teachings of the Catholic Church about faith or morals.
All dogmas about the Virgin Mary are ancient teachings that have been believed by Catholics since the earliest days of the Church, even though some were clarified or defined as dogma in response to challenges or heresies that came later.
The four current Marian dogmas are the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Mary the Mother of God, the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.
The dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception teaches that Mary was filled with grace from the moment of her conception and preserved from the stain of Original Sin in anticipation of Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice on the Cross.
As the mother of Jesus, Mary is also the Mother of God because Jesus’ human nature and divine nature are united in one divine person. This dogma also refers to Mary as Theotokos, or “God-bearer” since she carried Jesus in her womb.
The dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary teaches that Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Ever-Virgin, Mary had no other children.
At the end of her life on Earth, Mary was gloriously assumed into Heaven as a reward for her faith. The dogma of Mary’s Assumption teaches that both her body and soul were taken up into Heaven, not by her own power but by the power of Jesus.
All of the what the Catholic Church teaches about Mary is based on what it believes about Jesus Christ. Learning about Mary’s life of charity, humility, and obedience ultimately clarifies and strengthens faith in her Son.
Teachings about Mary’s unique place in God’s plan:
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For He has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Luke 1: 46-49
What Catholics believe about who Mary is:
Four teachings of the Church about Mary:
Four truths about Mary:
What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 487
Beliefs about Mary that have existed since the early Church:
Knowing about Mary leads to knowledge about God:
The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an intrinsic element of Christian worship. The honor which the Church has always and everywhere shown to the Mother of the Lord, from the blessing with which Elizabeth greeted Mary right up to the expressions of praise and petition used today, is a very strong witness to the Church’s norm of prayer and an invitation to become more deeply conscious of her norm of faith. And the converse is likewise true. The Church’s norm of faith requires that her norm of prayer should everywhere blossom forth with regard to the Mother of Christ. Such devotion to the Blessed Virgin is firmly rooted in the revealed word and has solid dogmatic foundations.
Pope Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, 2 February 1974
Declaring truths to correct false teaching:
Church teaching develops and grows:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
Imitating the Creator through art:
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