The Immaculate Conception is a Roman Catholic Church doctrine that states that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived like Jesus without “original sin”. This doctrine is often confused with the Incarnation, the birth of Jesus without original sin. The doctrine was only formally defined with the Catholic Church in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, as he declared “ex cathedra”, which implies papal infallibility. It is celebrated on December 8. The Catholic church defends this late doctrine by saying it was widely held by the Church informally starting early in the church age around the 12th Century. Before that time, arguments are made in support of this doctrine with only quotes that ambiguously may refer to this doctrine from such notable people as Augustine, who said that he does not know but that Mary may have had sufficient grace to overcome sin “of every sort” (omni ex parte).

Once established as official church doctrine, it logically flowed to another recently accepted doctrine of the Catholic Church, The “Assumption of Mary“. Since Mary was supposedly conceived like Jesus without original sin, Mary also qualified like Jesus to be bodily assumed up to Heaven. This is celebrated on August 15. It was formally adopted as doctrine by the Catholic Church on November 1, 1950, also declared “ex cathedra” by Pop Pius X11.

It was inevitable that upon the basis of these doctrines that elevated Mary above all humanity except Jesus, that she would also assume a form of pre-eminence in the churches. Today, the Catholic Church says the Mary is a “Co-Mediatrix” with Christ, serving in the heavenly realm as a Divine Intercessor between God and man. The Catholic Church has always had saints that were regarded in some form of mediator role in Heaven, but never equated with Christ as an equal in this capacity. The Mediatrix of Mary was formally adopted during the Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965).