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Joseph – Widower with Older Children? Nieces and Nephews?
A friend of mine pointed me to an interesting exchange of the blind leading the blind over at the “Catholic Answers” forums. A first poster (“Glomung”) wrote: A very simple explanation for the whole scenario is that Joseph was a widower, who already had several children. This explains Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Joseph happened to…
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Jesuit Historian Fitzmyer on the Perpetual Virginity
… one’s understanding of the doctrine of the continuous or perpetual virginity of Mary. Such church teaching was formulated by early Christians in the post-Apostolic era, making use of an interpretation of some passages in the New Testament that passed over others that were problematic, such as Jn. 1:45; 6:42; Lk. 4:22 (quoted above). The…
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Response to Jerome’s Response to Helvidius – Part 4a
Jerome wrote a response to Helvidius regarding the virginity of Mary. This post is the first part of a fourth in a series of responses to what Jerome wrote. Jerome wrote: 4. Let us take the points one by one, and follow the tracks of this impiety that we may show that he has contradicted…
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Response to Jerome’s Response to Helvidius – Part 3
Jerome wrote a response to Helvidius regarding the virginity of Mary. This post is the third in a series of responses to what Jerome wrote. Jerome wrote: 3. His first statement was: “Matthew says, [Matthew 1:18-20] Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph,…
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Response to Jerome’s Response to Helvidius – Part 2
Jerome wrote a response to Helvidius regarding the virginity of Mary. This post is the second in a series of responses to what Jerome wrote. Jerome wrote: 2. I must call upon the Holy Spirit to express His meaning by my mouth and defend the virginity of the Blessed Mary. I must call upon the…
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Response to Jerome’s Response to Helvidius – Part 1
Jerome wrote a response to Helvidius regarding the virginity of Mary. This post is the first in a series of responses to what Jerome wrote. Jerome: 1. I was requested by certain of the brethren not long ago to reply to a pamphlet written by one Helvidius. I have deferred doing so, not because it…
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Calvin and the Perpetual Virginity (?) of Mary … plus the Real Francis Turretin
In his commentary on the synoptic gospels, Calvin wrote: And knew her not This passage afforded the pretext for great disturbances, which were introduced into the Church, at a former period, by Helvidius. The inference he drew from it was, that Mary remained a virgin no longer than till her first birth, and that afterwards…
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Out of Tune with the Roman Magisterium?
Mr. Shea has posted a still further response on the topic of Mary’s birth pangs or lack thereof and the woman of Revelation 12 (link to Shea’s post). Mr. Shea seems to think our arguments “flat-footed” and compares discussing this with us to discussing music appreciation with a deaf man. This flatfloot, however, is less…
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Rome Teaches?
Mr. Shea seems to think that because Rome’s teaching on the painlessness of Mary’s birth is not explicit in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it’s not one of Rome’s teachings (link). To put that issue to bed, let’s provide him with that teaching from a bishop of Rome. Sorry it’s not Benedict XVI or…
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Why Do Roman Catholics Think that Mary Didn’t Have Pain During Childbirth?
One belief that is common in Roman Catholicism today is that Jesus was born without Mary suffering any pain. While sometimes Roman Catholics think that this fits with the concept of Mary being immaculately conceived, when we examine this doctrine prior to the acceptance of the view of Mary’s immaculate conception, we see some slightly…