MARY'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
By Fr. Casmir Odundo On a day like today, exactly 166 years ago (8 th December 1854) Pope Pius IX issued the Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, in which he pronounced and defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He stated that, “the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin." This means that Mary was given immunity from original sin. She was given sanctifying grace before sin could have taken effect in her soul. Whereas, Original sin is the “General rule” for all of humanity, Mary is thus the singular exemption to that rule. Again, whereas, original sin is removed from the rest of humanity through baptism, Mary was completely excluded from it. Mary was thus depraved of all emotions, passions, and frailties, essentially pertaining to original sin. She was thus conce