Three Reasons the Church’s Enemies Hate The Immaculate Conception

TFP ^ | 12.08.06 | Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

[Coleus]

The following text is adapted from a lecture Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on June 15, 1973.  It has been translated and edited for publication without his revision.  Note, in this text, he uses the words Revolution and Counter-Revolution as he defined them in his book Revolution and Counter-Revolution.  In this sense, the Revolution is a centuries-old process, motivated by pride and sensuality, and therefore egalitarianism and liberalism, that dominates the modern world and seeks to destroy Christian civilization.  Counter-Revolutionaries are those dedicated to defeating this process and defending the rights of God. –Ed.

…One of the truly Counter-Revolutionary acts of Pope Pius IX’s pontificate was the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception. 

There are three reasons the definition of this dogma was especially Counter-Revolutionary and therefore hateful to the enemies of the Church.  

First Reason: An Anti-Egalitarian Dogma
As you know, this dogma teaches that Our Lady was immaculate at her conception, meaning that, at no moment, did she have even the slightest stain of Original Sin. Both she, and naturally Our Lord Jesus Christ, were exempt from that rigid law that subjugates all other descendants of Adam and Eve.  Thus, Our Lady was not subject to the miseries of fallen man.  She did not have bad influences, inclinations and tendencies.  In her, everything moved harmonically towards truth, goodness and therefore God.  In this sense, Our Lady is an example of perfect liberty, meaning that everything her reason, illuminated by Faith, determined as good, her will desired entirely.  She had no interior obstacles to impede her practice of virtue.

Being “full of grace” increased these effects.  Thus, her will advanced with an unimaginable impetus towards everything that was true and good.  Declaring that a mere human creature had this extraordinary privilege makes this dogma fundamentally anti-egalitarian, because it points out an enormous inequality in the work of God.  It demonstrates the total superiority of Our Lady over all other beings.  Thus, its proclamation made Revolutionary egalitarian spirits boil with hatred.

Second Reason: The Unsullied Purity of Our Lady
However, there is a more profound reason why the Revolution hates this dogma.  The Revolution loves evil and is in harmony with those who are bad, and thus tries to find evil in everything.  On the contrary, those who are irreproachable are a cause of intense hatred.  Therefore, the idea that a being could be utterly spotless from the first moment of her existence is abhorrent to Revolutionaries.  For example: Imagine a man who is consumed with impurity.  When besieged by impure inclinations, he is ashamed of his consent to them.  This leaves him depressed and utterly devastated.

Imagine this man considering Our Lady, who, being the personification of transcendental purity, did not have even the least appetite for lust.  He feels hatred and scorn because her virtue smashes his pride.  Furthermore, by declaring Our Lady to be so free from pride, sensuality and the desire for anything Revolutionary, the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception affirmed that she was utterly Counter-Revolutionary.  This only inflamed the Revolutionary hatred of the dogma all the more.

Disputing the Doctrine: A Counter-Revolutionary Struggle

Declaring that Our Lady was so free from pride, sensuality and the desire for anything Revolutionary, affirmed that she was utterly Counter-Revolutionary and inflamed the Revolutionary hatred of the dogma all the more.

For centuries, there were two opposing currents of thought about the Immaculate Conception in the Church.  While it would be an exaggeration to suggest that everyone who fought against the doctrine was acting with Revolutionary intentions; it is a fact that all those who were acting with Revolutionary intentions fought against it.  On the other hand, all those who favored its proclamation, at least on that point, expressed a Counter-Revolutionary attitude. Thus, in some way the fight between the Revolution and Counter-Revolution was present in the fight between these two theological currents.

Third Reason:  The Exercise of Papal Infallibility
There is still another reason this dogma is hateful to Revolutionaries: it was the first dogma proclaimed through Papal Infallibility.  At that time, the dogma of Papal Infallibility had not yet been defined and there was a current in the Church maintaining that the Pope was only infallible when presiding over a council.  Nevertheless, Pius IX invoked Papal Infallibility when he defined the Immaculate Conception after merely consulting some theologians and bishops.   For liberal theologians, this seemed like circular reasoning.  If his infallibility had not been defined, how could he use it?  On the contrary, by using his infallibility, he affirmed that he had it.

This daring affirmation provoked an explosion of indignation among Revolutionaries, but enormous enthusiasm among Counter-Revolutionaries.  In praise of the new dogma, children all over the world were baptized under the name: Conception, Concepcion or Concepta to consecrate them to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.

Pius IX: Bringing the Fight to the Enemy
It is not surprising that Pius IX so adamantly affirmed Papal Infallibility.  Very different from those who succeeded him, he was ever ready to bring the fight to the enemy.  He did this in Geneva, Switzerland, which then was the breeding ground of Calvinism, which is the most radical form of Protestantism.  When Swiss laws changed to allow a Catholic Cathedral in Geneva, Pius IX ordered that a statue of the Immaculate Conception be placed in the middle of the city, to proclaim this dogma in the place where Calvinists, Lutherans and other Protestants denied it more than anywhere else.  This is an example of Pius IX’s leadership in the fight against the Revolution. It is therefore entirely proper that all Catholics entertain a special affection for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which is so detested by the enemies of the Church today.

To read another commentary on the Immaculate Conception, click here.
To read Fr. Saint-Laurent's commentary on the Immaculate Conception, click here.
To order your free copy of a picture of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, click here.

[DungeonMaster]

Then why did the apostles go baptising whol houses?

Baptism is a testimony. Go get Baptized in Saudi Arabia and the significance of the testimony is a lot more clear.

[Pyro7480]

That is just unscriptural.

[DungeonMaster]

Why thank him when you choose to ignore what was said? To restate, faith is not heresy. The idea that faith exists apart from reason is heretical. Further, the idea that faith alone is what saves is heretical.

The definition was very nice to know what he was saying. Salvation by faith is all over the bible.

John 6:28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

[Pyro7480]

Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost

A man be born again, and you say that is physical birth? You mean as an infant? That doesn't make sense. The "again" means that the person is already born.

[Jaded]

The passage was quite specific. Water and the Holy Spirit.

[DungeonMaster]

When I was an athiest I asked a Christian what I had to do to go to Heaven. He said believe in Jesus. I believed. How did I know that was true?

[DungeonMaster]

We've alreadly covered that quite a few times.

[DungeonMaster]

Yes physical then spiritual.

[DungeonMaster]

That is just unscriptural.

As a side note, that's funny coming from someone with your tag line.

[Pyro7480]

Yeah, I know "Rosary" isn't in Scripture. ;-) But I never claimed to use Scripture only.

[kawaii]

Which of course is why Christ himself was baptised in the river Jordan...

[kawaii]

indeed his interpretation is nonsensical at best.

[Iscool]

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Getting baptized 'in water' is not being born of the flesh...Our bodies are 90% water...Isn't that what they say??? You can't get around it...

Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Nicodemus had no problem understanding the first birth was the natural, human birth...It wasn't baptism (in water)...

[DungeonMaster]

Which of course is why Christ himself was baptised in the river Jordan...

So you think Jesus was baptized for salvation?

[DungeonMaster]

Amen!

[G Larry]

Regarding the Rosary and Scripture:

The key elements of the Hail Mary are certainly in scripture as is the Our Father.

[kawaii]

No I think he was baptised to show us the meaning of baptism by water and the Holy Spirit.

Christ was baptised in a river of water, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove came down upon him.

Just as folks are baptised by water, and Chrismated by the Holy Spirit today.

[Iscool]

Basically, you are saying that God speaks through you (or me) - and as such, we will never know what He really says in the Bible, because we as people will never agree on it.

Now there you go, again...It's not a matter of agreeing on it...It's a matter of believing it...If you don't believe it, you make it say what you want it to say...

1Jo 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Do you agree with that, or disagree with that??? I don't do either...I just believe it...I have the Son of God so I have life...And that's eternal life...

One of your church Father's major feat (Origen) was to convince your early church to NOT believe the bible...To not take much of it literally...

So how could you expect someone to expound or teach a bible or any piece of literature when the first things he does is not believe it??? And yet, you follow Origen right into the ditch...

[kawaii]

Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,


Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.


Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?


Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:


Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.


Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.


Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire:


Mat 3:12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.


Mat 3:13 ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.


Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?


Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.


Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:


Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

[kawaii]

Mar 1:9 ¶ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.


Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:


Mar 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, [saying], Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.