The Immaculate Conception
From the days of Dons Scotus the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was
received very generally by the universities and theologians. The Dominicans,
feeling themselves called upon to support the views of St. Thomas, who argued
against the Immaculate Conception as understood in his own time, opposed the
common teaching. The question was brought before the schismatical assembly at
Basle (1439), where it was defined that the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin was in harmony with reason and Scripture, and should be approved and
accepted by all Christians. This teaching was confirmed by several provincial
synods in France and Germany, as well as by many of the universities. Paris and
Cologne, for example, obliged all their members to swear to defend the doctrine.
Sixtus IV. bestowed indulgences on those who would observe the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception (1476), but although favoring the doctrine he forbade the
defenders or opponents to charge each other with heresy (1483).
When in the discussions on Original Sin at the Council of Trent the subject
was raised, no formal decision was given because the Fathers were determined to
direct all their attention to the doctrines that had been rejected by the
Reformers. At the same time the opinion of the Fathers was expressed clearly
enough, since they declared that in their decrees regarding the universality of
Original Sin they did not mean to include the Immaculate Virgin Mary (V. Sess.
1546). Pius V. condemned a proposition of Baius, in which it was laid down that
Christ alone escaped the guilt of Original Sin, and that the Blessed Virgin
suffered death on account of the guilt she contracted by her descent from Adam
(1567).
A Spanish Franciscan, Francis of Santiago, having claimed that he had a
vision in support of the doctrine, a sharp controversy broke out in Spain, to
end which Philip III. besought the Pope to give a definitive decision. Paul V.
contented himself, however, with renewing the decrees of his predecessors Sixtus
IV. and Pius V. forbidding charges of heresy to be bandied about by the
disputants (1616), but in the following year he forbade any public defense of
the theses directed against the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Gregory
XV. though unwilling to yield to the request of the Spanish Court for a formal
definition, prohibited either public or private opposition to the doctrine
unless in case of those who had received special authorization from the Holy
See. Finally in 1661 Alexander VII. in the constitution, Sollicitudo omnium
Ecclesiarum, explained the true meaning of the doctrine, and forbade any
further opposition to what he declared to be the common and pious belief of the
Church.
Of related interest:
Original text by James MacCaffrey, edited and revised by
Dainial MacÀdhaimh - this text © 2005.
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The Immaculate Conception