[metmom]

Apostolic Fathers: Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas, Epistle to Diognetus, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus.

The churches of Crete and Cyprus and Antioch and Jerusalem were all founded before 100 AD.

Yeah, the churches were founded then. So what about it? What does it prove relating to the claims of Mary's perpetual virginity?

[Mrs. Don-o]

What it proves is that the entire Church was convinced of Mary's perpetual virginity, and the suggestion that she had other children from her womb got no traction with them.

We're not talking about "Rome", if by that one means the Latin church as source or enforcer of doctrine --- it was not -- but every church in every liturgy (order of public worship), as far back as we can go.

So Mary's ever-virginity is not dispositively proven by the Scriptures (which were handed on to us by Apostolic authority), but by the churches (which were handed on to us by Apostolic authority) in their universal practice. We refer to the Sacred Texts to show that this doctrine is NOT in contradiction to Scripture --- is not ruled out ---and that it IS harmonious with everything else we know about Mary from Genesis to Revelation, and congruent with God's character and covenants.