[rjsimmon]

You simply know very little or nothing of the teaching of Immaculate Conception.

As someone who went through the Ordination ceremony for priesthood, I would disagree.

Mary knew quite well that she was in need of a Savior. Only a person, lost to sin, would have this awareness. Mary was a sinner, saved by Grace. She was not born sinless, did not lead a sinless life, was not a perpetual virgin, was not assumed into Heaven before death. Show me ANYWHERE in scripture where these claims are validated!

[Petronski]

As someone who went through the Ordination ceremony for priesthood, I would disagree.

Suuure you were.

Mary knew quite well that she was in need of a Savior.

And she had one! She was redeemed from the moment of her Immaculate Conception.

Explanation of the dogma

In Catholic teachings the dogma is explained as follows:

1. The essence of original sin consists formally in the lack of sanctifying grace. Being preserved from original sin, Mary entered existence in a state of sanctifying grace.

2. Mary's freedom from original sin was an unmerited gift of God's grace.

3. The efficient cause of the Immaculate Conception was Almighty God.

4. The meritorious cause was the Redemption by Jesus Christ. It follows from this that even Mary was in need of redemption and was, in fact, redeemed "by the grace of Christ" in a more perfect way than other human beings. Christ's redemption frees all humanity from original sin. The uniqueness of what Christ has done for Mary is that she was freed from original sin before ever inheriting it, while the rest of humanity is freed after it has been inherited from Adam and Eve. Thus, this dogma in no way contradicts the dogma that all children of Adam are subject to original sin and in need of a savior.

5. The final cause of the Immaculate Conception is her Motherhood of God.

Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, p. 199, via wikipedia.

[agere_contra]

Mary knew quite well that she was in need of a Savior. Only a person, lost to sin, would have this awareness

That's like saying "only a person who has crashed through a windshield would be aware he needed to wear a seat-belt"

Mary knew what had been done for her. She was aware of her own salvation.

[Petronski]

As someone who went through the Ordination ceremony for priesthood, I would disagree.

Would you care to share any further information about this rather extraordinary claim?

[Petronski]

Petronski: You simply know very little or nothing of the teaching of Immaculate Conception.

rjsimmon: As someone who went through the Ordination ceremony for priesthood, I would disagree.

Petronski: ROFLOL