[Alkhin]

Which means that Christ's immaculate conception was what? Pointless? Redundant? See, that speaks to the whole issue of what I am starting to hear come out of Marionology : that the Path to Salvation can be obtained by submission to Mary because of her Divinity.

This was NOT what I was taught, and I grew up in a fairly conservative RCC parish.

The way I understand it is that Mary was human, born human with all the human frailities instilled in her as a descendent of Eve. YET, because of her love of God, and her purity of spirit and soul, she found favor with God and God asked her to become the Mother of the Word of God : Christ, God Incarnat, BOTH Man and God. That is all. It was HER free will to say yes or no.

To ascribe divinity to Mary is to say that she was 'pre-made' for the position, and God just went through the motions. I find that idea very offensive, and is one reason why I left the RCC.

[Siobhan]

First, it is Mariology not "Marionology." Second, the Immaculate Conception did not make Mary divine. It meant she was fully human as God intended for us to be in the Garden.

Jesus' conception is called the Miraculous Conception because he was conceived without a human father. Being conceived by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, Jesus received both Divinity and humanity by his Miraculous Conception.

By her Immaculate Conception, and her Fiat Mary becomes the highest human being that ever lived who in nature was human alone. Christ being both God and man is more than human: he is both human and divine. His mother is God's creature; he is God's son. This makes all the difference in the world.