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Hi, David —
The footnote is referring to the teaching that our Lady did not suffer
or shed blood in giving birth to our Lord, and remained physically intact
in her virginity throughout. Such a privilege is indeed a miracle.
Here are a couple of texts about the conception and birth of Our Lord
which indicate the teaching in general terms.
I'm quoting from The Church Teaches, an English-language anthology
of translated texts from Church documents pp. 205-206.
The First Council of the Lateran, 649, summoned by Pope St. Martin I: [New Advent]|[Wikipedia]
| "If anyone does not profess according to the Holy Fathers that in
the proper and true sense the holy, ever-Virgin, immaculate Mary is the
Mother of God, since in this last age not with human seed but of the Holy
Spirit she properly and truly conceived the Divine Word, who was born of
God the Father before all ages, and gave him birth without any detriment
to her virginity, which remained inviolable even after his birth: let such
a one be condemned. " |
Pope Paul IV, [New Advent]|[Wikipedia]1555: the constitution Cum Quorundam:
| "With Our apostolic authority we call to account and warn... on
behalf of the omnipotent God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
all those who have asserted or who have believed: .... that [the Lord]
was not conceived of the Holy Spirit according to the flesh in the womb
of the most Blessed and ever-Virgin Mary, but that his conception in no
way differed from the conception of other men, and that he was conceived
of the seed of Joseph; or that the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and God,
did not submit to the cruel death of the cross to save us from sin and
from eternal death and to reconcile us to the Father for everlasting life;
or that the same most Blessed Virgin Mary is not the true mother of God
and that she did not remain a perfect virgin before, while, and forever
after she gave birth." |
Admittedly, this is a difficult teaching for people like me who may not
have known about it.
I'm the sort of person who wants to know exactly what
happened, in order to understand how much of the event was a miracle and
how much was not.
As I said above, the texts describe the teaching in general terms. They
don't go into the bodily details of how the birth of Jesus happened while
still preserving the physical virginity of Our Lady. I suppose I can't
really expect them to do that. Perhaps that is a matter of speculation
on which authorities have not specifically taught.
Still, I think the intent of Pope Martin I, the Lateran Council, and
of Pope Paul IV is clear enough, so that I am duty-bound to hold the doctrine
as they have taught it.
I hope this is useful!
God bless —
Richard Chonak
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