I agree. Very sad to see so many fight the truth.
Several posters here have asked, “Why is this important? It matters not in the matter of Salvation.”
Protestants wish to believe that Catholics defend this doctrine because they desire to justify their Catholic faith.
It is truth, though, that it only requires a defense because in the latter years of this “reformation” protestant preachers who found their own churches have seized upon this doctrine as proof that the Catholic Church is wrong on it and therefore is apostate and has no authority.
The truth is that this doctrine MUST be rejected by them because the Church must be rejected.
It is important because we see here most clearly the chaos Christians fall into when they reject the authority of the Church.
Just look within this thread and you will see posits that Mary could have divorced and remarried. Or married again after becoming a widow. I don’t have to remind you narses of the heinous remarks of a certain poster(in a different thread) that Mary could have been a prostitute after the birth of Jesus and that would matter not a whit.
It may be that Tertullian did not believe or espouse Mary’s perpetual virginity, but that is truly something that does not matter. The Church rejected that belief and for hundreds of years the matter was pretty much closed.
So, really, why does it matter?
It matters because the Eucharist matters and it is only in the Apostolic churches that one can receive the Eucharist. The Bread of Life which is Jesus and the Cup of the New Covenant which is His blood.
It matters and it is of the utmost importance because one risks eternal life with the rejection of Christ’s church and His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.