This is the final installment of my series on Roman Catholicism.

(23) Do you honestly and sincerely believe the following about Mary? If so, why?

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1854. The RCC also teaches that "in consequence of a Special Privilege of Grace from God, Mary was free from every personal sin during her whole life" (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, p. 203).

“In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace” (CC, 490).

“Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854 – ‘The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin” (CC, 491).

In addition, “By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (CC, 493).

The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary was proclaimed by the Council of Trent in 1545-63. The Catechism affirms the following:

“The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the Church to confess Mary’s real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made man. In fact, Christ’s birth ‘did not diminish his mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified it.’ And so the liturgy of the Church celebrates Mary as Aeiparthenos, the ‘Ever-virgin’” (CC, 499).

But Matthew 1:25 appears to say that Mary was a virgin only “until she had given birth to a son.” See also Luke 2:7 where Jesus is described as her “first-born” son. If she had remained a virgin, would not Luke have described Jesus as her “only” son? Jesus' half-brothers and half-sisters are mentioned in the NT (Mk. 3:31-35; 6:3; Lk. 8:19-21; Jn. 2:12; 7:1-5,10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19). These were not, as the RCC claims, his cousins (see below). Even if Mary did not have other children, this does not prove she remained a virgin all her life. This doctrine would also require us to believe in the perpetual virginity of Joseph! This idea is based on an ascetic, un-biblical view of sex, according to which sexual relations are defiling or demeaning.

The references to Jesus' “brothers and sisters” were interpreted in three different ways in the early church. (1) Epiphanius (4th century) argued that they were Joseph's children by a previous marriage. Joseph was a widower who thus brought to his marriage with Mary at least four sons and two daughters (Mk. 6:3). (2) Jerome (4th century) was the first to suggest they were “cousins”. A problem with both these views is the way Mark 6:3 and Matt. 12:46 closely associate Jesus' “brothers and sisters” to Jesus' “mother” rather than to Joseph. (3) They were Jesus' younger brothers and sisters, born to Joseph and Mary in later years.

(24) This belief about Mary was officially defined by an “infallible” declaration from Pope Pius XII in 1950.

“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (CC, 966).

Mary’s role as mother of the Messiah, together with the doctrines espoused by Rome, as noted above, have contributed to a growing emphasis on her contribution to human redemption. Thus, we read in the Catechism that “Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus, she is a ‘preeminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church’; indeed, she is the ‘exemplary realization’ of the Church” (CC, 967). Why should we believe this? It certainly isn’t taught in Scripture.

Because of her singular cooperation with God “she is a mother to us in the order of grace” (CC, 968). This motherhood of Mary continues even today: “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix” (CC, 969).

So do you now believe that Mary intercedes for you, when the NT speaks only of the intercession of the Son and the Spirit? And do you believe that Mary “continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation”?

We should also take note of the following papal declarations. Although they alone are not given absolute authority as are papal statements made in conjunction with the College of Cardinals, they accurately reflect what the so-called “Vicar of Christ” believes.

“God has committed to Mary the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is his will, that we obtain everything through Mary” (Pope Pius IX, 1846-78).

“As no man goes to the father but by the son, so no one goes to Christ except through his mother” (Pope Leo XIII, 1953).

“It is the will of God that we should have nothing which is not passed through the hands of Mary” (Pope Pius XII, 1953).

The Church’s devotion to Mary “is intrinsic to Christian worship” (CC, 971). Mary is honored with the title “’Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration” (CC, 971).

(25) Are you prepared to faithfully attend worship services in which there is virtually no exposition of Scripture and in which people ritualistically and, it would seem, almost mindlessly repeat over and over and over again, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen”? Is this really honoring to the Lord and the centrality of Jesus Christ in all things?

(26) Do you believe that believers in heaven “do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus” (CC, 956)? Are you prepared to recognize certain, but not all, believers as “saints” who are given to us as “models and intercessors” (CC, 828)? Do you actually believe that these “saints” are interceding and praying for you? Why would you believe that we are to pray to anyone other than God?

As I read Scripture, it is only the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:27) and the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25), who intercede on our behalf.

(27) In his prefatory word to the Catechism, John Paul II said this:

“I beseech the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Incarnate Word and Mother of the Church, to support with her powerful intercession the catechetical work of the entire Church on every level, at this time when she is called to a new effort of evangelization” (6).

Do you really believe that we have reason from God’s Word to pray to Mary? Do you really believe that Mary has the power to intercede on our behalf with God? If so, why? And is it not eternally and gloriously greater to pray directly to God through Jesus Christ? I simply cannot fathom why the Pope (or you) would pray to Mary for help, as if she could hear you, as if, hearing you, she could help you. Why not go directly to God at the throne of grace (Heb. 4:14-16)?

(28) Do you now believe that Muslims worship the same God as do Christians? The Catechism declares:

“The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day” (CC, 841).

This it declares in spite of such texts as John 8:42, 47; 1 John 2:22-23.

(29) This next comment is merely a personal observation on my part, and yet is one reason why I find the RCC so objectionable. The pomp and clerical garb and rituals and institutionalism, together with all the many doctrines I’ve just enumerated, detract from a singular focus on Jesus. The focus is so often on the Pope or on the Church or on the sacraments or on being certain that one has observed the many requirements of what being a faithful Catholic is. I prefer to focus on Jesus and his all-sufficiency and the glory and beauty and truth of his Word.

(30) Why would you want to be a part of a church system that forbids its ministers from getting married? Given that the Apostle Paul clearly speaks of an Elder/Pastor being “the husband of one wife” I wonder why you would support Rome’s obvious disobedience to this biblical principle. Here we have another instance where tradition trumps the inspired and written Word of God.

(31) Why would you submit to a system that requires you to confess your sins to a “priest”? Nowhere in the NT do we find any such requirement. James tells us to “confess our sins to one another” (James 5:16) but says nothing about doing this in the presence of a priest.

(32) Although I’m sure there are exceptions here and there, my sense is that throughout the last 2,000 years of church history Rome has labored to enslave people to “religion” rather than to direct them into the freedom of a “relationship” with Jesus Christ.

(33) The entire Catholic system is designed to bind people more to the Church and to cultivate a dependence on it rather than trust in the all-sufficiency of who Jesus is and what he has done.

(34) What I’m struggling most to understand is how an individual such as yourself, who has studied and meditated on Scripture for years and has openly and sincerely affirmed belief in the beauty, truth, and sufficiency of God’s written Word could so readily embrace so many ideas and “doctrines” for which there is no biblical support or against which the Bible speaks so definitively.

That you would turn your back on what you have known and loved and embrace a religious system like Catholicism leaves me incredulous.

(35) One final word. As you know, a Roman Catholic cannot in good conscience pick and choose which of the preceding doctrines to believe. It’s a package deal! Every word that comes from the Magisterium is regarded as authoritative and infallible and is binding on the conscience of all faithful Catholics. So think about this: Are you able and willing and do you believe it is pleasing to God and honoring of his glory to confess, affirm, and live in accordance with all that has preceded? Your answer to that question is of eternal significance.