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To: metmom; verga; vladimir998; terycarl; Salvation; Mrs. Don-o; daniel1212; Elsie; Mark17; MHGinTN
Does Catholicism teach that one has to believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary to be saved?

I'd love to hear from our catholic friends their response to this question.

I would think it would be a simple yes or no reply.

409 posted on 03/13/2016 7:08:27 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: ealgeone
The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary was upheld as Biblical by a number of ecumenical councils in the first millennium of Christianity. It is believed de fide (held an essential part of faith) by Catholics as well as by Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, the Apostoic Churches of Armenia and Persia, and the Assyrian Church of the East, i.e. all of the ancient Apostolic-era Churches, which is to say all of Christendom, not only those parts with historic ties to the See of Rome.

(Incidentally, it was also held by the founders of the Protestant faiths of Anglicanism, Methodism and Lutheranism: Luther, Latimer, Cranmer, Wesley, etc.)

So, to formally reject this is heresy, and involves rejecting the teaching authority which Christ guaranteed to His Church.

And that's a biggie. If you don't accept the virginity of Mary on the authority of the Church, why would you accept the doctrines of the Incarnation, or the Trinity, Baptism or the Lord's Supper or even the canon of Scripture on the authority of the Church? If you reject Christ's guarantees to His Church in principle, you've rejected what He constituted as the pillar and foundation of the Truth.

Whether one can be "saved" while rejecting the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, is another question. If one is in the mortal sin of heresy, no.

However, I don't think most theological dissenters are formal heretics. This is because they lack --- I think --- either the degree of knowledge or the degree of intentionality which would have to be there, to constitute a mortal sin. Denial of Mary's virginity is a material heresy ----an error --- but most who have fallen into this error don't reject the foundation of Truth formally, knowingly and contumaciously. That is, they are not willfully and obstinately disobedient to Christ.

At least, so I must assume in charity.

424 posted on 03/13/2016 8:05:13 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("The Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the Truth." - 1 Timothy 3:15)
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