The Feast of the Immaculate Conception Originally called the Conception of Mary; under the name of Immaculate Conception, the observance in the West celebrates the Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For the film Dogma, see Dogma (film) Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek , plural ) is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization, thought to be authoritative and not to be disputed or doubted. ... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... Our Lady redirects here. ...

History

A feast called the Conception of Mary arose in the Eastern Church in the seventh century (prior to the Great Schism of 1054). It spread to the West in the eighth century. In the eleventh century it received its present name, the Immaculate Conception, in the West. In the eighteenth century it became a feast of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the only one of Mary's feasts that came to the Western Church not by way of Rome, but instead spread from the Byzantine area to Naples, and thence to Normandy during their period of dominance over southern Italy. From there it spread into England, France, Germany, and eventually Rome.^[1] ( 6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ... For the later Papal Schism in Avignon, see Western Schism. ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

Prior to Pope Pius IX's definition of the Immaculate Conception as Church dogma, most missals referred to it as the Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The festal texts of this period focused more upon the action of her conception rather than the theological question of her preservation from original sin. A missal published in England in 1806 indicates the same collect for the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was used for this feast as well.^[2] The Blessed Pope Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, ( May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878) was pope for a record pontificate of over 31 years, from June 16, 1846 until his death. ...

The propers for the feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medieval Sarum Missal, perhaps the most famous in England, merely address the action of her conception. The Proper (Latin proprium) is a part of the Christian liturgy that varies according to the date, either representing an observance within the Liturgical Year, or of a particular saint or significant event. ... The Sarum Rite, more properly called the Sarum Use, was a variant of the Latin Rite practiced in Great Britain & Ireland from the late 11th Century until the Reformation. ...

The collect for the feast reads:

O God, mercifully hear the supplication of thy servants who are assembled together on the Conception of the Virgin Mother of God, may at her intercession be delivered by Thee from dangers which beset us.^[3]

In 1854, Pius IX gave the infallible statement Ineffabilis Deus: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin." ^[4] 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Blessed Pope Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, ( May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878) was pope for a record pontificate of over 31 years, from June 16, 1846 until his death. ... The Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances. ... Ineffabilis Deus (Latin for Ineffable God) is the name of an Apostolic constitution written by Pope Pius IX. It defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ...

Cultural Impacts

It is a public holiday in Austria, Nicaragua, Chile, Spain, Portugal, Italy,Macau, Malta, Peru, and Paraguay. It is also a public holiday in the Philippines and is a Holy Day of Obligation, as it is in the United States and Ireland.

In Ireland, it may well be the busiest day of the year in the cities. As the day is so near Christmas, the cities are already extremely busy. This, coupled with the fact that all civil service workers are off work (which in turn means the schools are closed), makes 8 December the most popular day for parents to bring their children to the cities in order to do their Christmas shopping. It can be so busy that Bus Éireann often has to run its services at five times its normal capacity.^{[citation needed]} Christmas is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bus Éireann, or Irish Bus, provides bus services in the Republic of Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. ...

Anglican Communion

In the Anglican Communion, the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be observed as a Lesser Festival on 8 December, and many Anglo-Catholic parishes do so. The Anglican Communion uses the compass rose as its symbol, signifying its worldwide reach and decentralized nature. ... Lesser Festivals are a type of observance in the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Festival, but more significant than a Commemoration. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... ...

Eastern Orthodoxy

While the Eastern Orthodox Churches have never accepted the Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate conception, they do celebrate December 9 as the Feast of the Conception by St. Anne of the Most Holy Theotokos. While the Orthodox believe that the Virgin Mary was, from her conception, filled with every grace of the Holy Spirit, in view of her calling as the Mother of God, they do not teach that she was conceived without sin.^[5] The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as: the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, having maintained unbroken the link between its clergy and the Apostles by means of Apostolic Succession. ... Theotokos of Kazan Theotokos (Greek: , translit. ... Look up Grace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Christian religions that trace their roots to belief in the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit (Hebrew: Ruah haqodesh; Greek: ; Latin: ; also called the Holy Ghost) is the third consubstantial Person of the Holy Trinity or the Godhead. ... Russian Orthodox Icon of the Theotokos Theotokos is a Greek word that means God-bearer or Mother of God. It is a title assigned by the early Christian Church to Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. ...

The Orthodox feast is not a perfect nine months before the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8) as it is in the West, but a day later. This feast is not ranked among the Great Feasts of the church year, but is a lesser-ranking feast (Polyeleos). // Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Easter/Pascha The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Easter or Pascha, is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... // Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church Easter/Pascha The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Easter or Pascha, is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

Notes

An Apostolic constitution (Latin constitutio apostolica) is a very solemn decree issued by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

See also

• Immaculate Conception

Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ...

External links

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception, AmericanCatholic.org
• Conception of the Theotokos Article about the Orthodox feast from Orthodoxwiki.org
• The Conception by Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Mother of God Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion of the feast