![\"Pope](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/959\/2018\/12\/Pope-Francis-Juniper-Serra-Canonization.jpg\")
<\/a>It\u2019s crazy what gets spread online today. One website was posting that Pope Francis denied the Immaculate Conception in his Christmas greetings to Vatican employees. Really? I will include their claim, explain why it\u2019s wrong, point to the times Francis affirmed the Immaculate Conception, and conclude with a note on interpretation.<\/p>\n
The Claim of Denial<\/h2>\n
Gloria.tv wrote a piece<\/a> titled, \u201cFrancis Denying Immaculate Conception: \u2018Mary Not Born A Saint.'\u201d This attributes heresy to the following lines:<\/p>\n In his Christmas greetings to the employees of the Holy See on December 21, Pope Francis spoke about Our Lady and Saint Joseph in the Nativity scene being full of holiness and joy.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cAnd you will tell me: of course! They are Our Lady and Saint Joseph! Yes, but let us not think it was easy for them: saints are not born, they become thus, and this is true for them too.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Catholic doctrine Our Lady was conceived without original sin and therefore born a saint.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is odd when an article has a quote attributed to a person in the title but that quote is not in the article.<\/p>\n The Vatican website includes the full text of the address<\/a>. The key section is:<\/p>\n Let us look at the Nativity scene. Who is happy, in the Nativity? I would like to ask you children, who love to look at the little figures \u2026 and maybe even move them a bit, putting them in different places, angering their dad, who arranged them with such care!<\/p>\n So who is happy in the Nativity scene? Our Lady and Saint Joseph are full of joy: they look at the Child Jesus and they are happy because, after a thousand worries, they have accepted this gift of God, with so much faith and so much love. They are \u201coverflowing\u201d with holiness and therefore with joy. And you will tell me: of course! They are Our Lady and Saint Joseph! Yes, but let us not think it was easy for them: saints are not born, they become thus, and this is true for them too.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now, what is Pope Franics\u2019s\u00a0point? It seems to be that each person \u2013 even Mary and Joseph \u2013 needs to grow in holiness. We become saints by our actions. Of course, Mary was born Immaculately Conceived but she still had free will and if she chose sin she would not have been a saint. She still had to strive for holiness.<\/p>\n Pope Francis has even clearly affirmed the Immaculate\u00a0Conception on multiple occasions. Here are a few.<\/p>\n In view of this motherhood, Mary was preserved from original sin, from that fracture in communion with God, with others and with creation, which deeply wounds every human being. But this fracture was healed in advance in the Mother of the One who came to free us from the slavery of sin. The\u00a0Immaculata<\/i>\u00a0was written in God\u2019s design; she is the fruit of God\u2019s love that saves the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You are all-beautiful, O Mary! The Angel Gabriel calls Mary \u201cfull of grace\u201d (Lk 1:28): in her there is no room for sin, because God chose her from eternity to be the mother of Jesus and preserved her from original sin.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Today the People of God celebrate, they venerate you, the Immaculate, ever preserved from the stain of sin. [\u2026]\n<\/p> Though we are sinners, we are still your children, the children of the Immaculate, called to that holiness that has shown resplendent in you by the grace of God from the beginning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n He [Jesus] was made equal to us in every way, except one thing, that \u2018no\u2019. Except sin. For this reason, he chose Mary, the only creature without sin, immaculate. In the Gospel, with one word only, she is called \u201cfull of grace\u201d (Lk 1:28), that is, filled with grace. It means that, in her, full of grace\u00a0from the start<\/i>, there is no space for sin. And when we turn to her, we too recognize this beauty: we invoke her, \u201cfull of grace\u201d, without a shadow of evil.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even the greatest saints were sinners and everything in reality, even the most beautiful things, are corroded by evil: everything, except Mary. She is the one \u201cevergreen oasis\u201d of humanity, the only one uncontaminated, created immaculate so as to fully welcome, with her \u2018yes\u2019, God who came into the world and thus to begin a new history.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Pope Francis often speaks casually and informally, versus using strict theological language. Whatever you think of this stylistic choice, it is only fair to interpret informal addresses knowing this. When Pope Francis wants to say that even Mary and Joseph faced challenges\u00a0being holy, I think we all agree. In saying they became saints through their life, he isn\u2019t denying the Immaculate Conception but focusing on Mary\u2019s actions. Let\u2019s read Francis fairly.<\/p>\nThe Actual Address<\/h2>\n
Francis on the Immaculate Conception<\/h2>\n
December 8, 2013<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
Also, December 8, 2013<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
\nIn you there is no sin.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\nDecember 8, 2014<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
Also, December 8, 2014<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
December 8, 2016<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
December 8, 2017<\/a>:<\/h5>\n
Please Read Francis Fairly<\/h2>\n