Mary, DOGMA
Dogmatic teachings
Main article: Catholic dogma
Marian Catholic dogmas present church teachings about Mary and her relation to Jesus Christ, held by the church to be infallible, and reflect the role of Mary in the economy of salvation.[54][55]
De Fide Definita or De Fide Credenda doctrines have the highest degree of dogmatic certainty. These doctrines come in several forms, namely the sacred scriptures and apostolic tradition[56] and teachings which have been specifically defined as revealed by an extraordinary definition by a pope or ecumenical council (extraordinary universal Magisterium), or those teachings infallibly taught to be revealed by the ordinary universal Magisterium.
As in the case of the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption, these doctrines were held by the church prior to the date of official definition, but open for discussion.
From the date of definition, they must be accepted by all members of the Catholic Church as contained specifically in the Deposit of Faith and owed supernatural faith in itself (de fide credenda).[54][55]
There are four Marian dogmas specifically defined by the Magisterium among a large number of other dogmas and doctrines about the Virgin Mary – for example, the Annunciation of Mary is dogma because it is in the scriptures, but it has not been formally defined by the Magisterium.
These four Marian dogmas include:
| Name | First magisterial definition | Substance of the dogma |
|---|---|---|
| Mother of God | Council of Ephesus (431) | Mother of God, not that the nature of the Word or his divinity received the beginning of its existence from the holy Virgin, but that, since the holy body, animated by a rational soul, which the Word of God united to himself according to the hypostasis, was born from her, the Word is said to be born according to the flesh. |
| Assumption into heaven | Pope Pius XII (1950) | Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. |
| Immaculate Conception | Pope Pius IX (1854) | Mary, at her conception, was preserved immaculate from Original Sin. |
| Perpetual virginity | Synod of Milan (389)[57] | 'Perpetual virginity of Mary', means that Mary was a virgin before, during and after giving birth. |