The Pope defined the dogma of The Immaculate Conception - confirming that, in the view of the Catholic Church, Christ’s mother Mary had not only been ‘full of grace’, but was completely absent of sin even at her own conception - on 8th December, 1854.

Despite this having been an unofficial concept amongst the faithful for centuries prior, it still proved controversial, with 10% of Bishops believing it should not be adopted as doctrine.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly marvel at just how recently this fundamental principle of Catholicism was established; probe around in James, Brother of Jesus’ Oedipal memoirs; and consider the role of Marian devotion in the Madonna-Whore complex…

Further Reading:

• ‘Christianity: Immaculate Conception’ (BBC, 2011): https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/immaculateconception.shtml

• ‘Did Jesus Have Siblings?’ (Franciscan Media): https://www.franciscanmedia.org/ask-a-franciscan/did-jesus-have-siblings

• ‘Pope Francis explains the Immaculate Conception’ (Catholic News Service, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCGZRGkTq3U

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.

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