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Hello,
I''m a Protestant considering becoming a roman Catholic,
Does one have to believe in the immaculate conception of Mary, and that she is co-equal , and co-redeemer with Christ Jesus? I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me this way, but this doctrine ,I ''m sure I can''t accept that the holy mother is co-equal with the son.
Thank you,
sapj
Dear "sapj,"
As I said in your question about papal infallibility, yes, any Catholic must believe that Mary was conceived without original sin and lived a sinless life through the grace of God. As the teaching goes, this was a special grace afforded Mary for her role in salvation as the mother of our Lord, and it is celebrated every December 8th. She was indeed saved by Christ at her conception.
However, you misunderstand what this means. This does not make Mary a co-equal nor co-redemptor. In fact, in the 1990s, this title for Mary came up; by a vote of 26-0, every theologian of Mary said, "No, she does not share in the redemption given us through Christ. She is not a co-redeemer with Christ." And since Christ was a divine person with both a human and a divine nature, Mary is neither the co-equal with Christ. She was a human being, like you and me, afforded a special singular grace.
Now, as I have pondered, she is the only sinless human being who was not divine (Christ being a divine person who was without sin), so this does make Mary very special in Catholic devotion. But she is not equal to God in any way shape or form. She is, in our devotion, the first among the saints.
The two topics you mentioned--the role of the Pope and Mary--are the two topics which do separate Catholics from Protestants. I can only hope my answers help clear up your confusion and help you understand the differences so you can embrace Catholicism fully, if that is where the Spirit is leading you.
Grace and Peace,
Fr. Chris
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