Q. for Catholics: was Holy Mary a virgin until death?

Question

Protestants and Evangelicals believe Mary had children after Jesus Christ was born and their names are given in the Gospels. Catholics say those names are near kinsmen, perhaps cousins. I have heard some Catholics say Mary was virginal unto death.
What is your answer?

Joh 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
EBD NTB SBD
Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
EBD NTB SBD TTT
Joh 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Answer 1

Catholics believe this because the mother of Constantine the emperor worshiped the queen of heaven, a pagan cult. So he combined this religion with his idea of Christianity. the result: The roman catholic church. They deny that Jesus had siblings, even though the Bible says so. They try to make sense of it by saying they are Jesus' stepbrothers. yeah right.

Answer 2

Yes, most Christians including Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary was a virgin all of her life.

+ Brothers and Sisters of Jesus +

How was James, “the brother of the Lord,” (Matt. 13:55, Acts 15:13-21, 1 Cor. 15:7, Gal. 1:19) related to Jesus. All believers agree he was related, but no one knows exactly how.

The possibilities are that James was:

1. A full brother of Jesus, another Son of God born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. No one to my knowledge accepts that God had another child by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2. A half-brother of Jesus, a younger son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some Christians believe this possibility but most Christians including those who are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox believe that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life.

3. A stepbrother of Jesus, a son of Joseph and a previous wife. Many Christians believe that Joseph had a least one previous marriage that resulted in children.

4. A stepbrother of Jesus, an adopted son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. When parents died, relatives frequently took their children in and raised them as thier own. An adopted orphaned boy would be considered the brother of Jesus.

5. A cousin of Jesus. The Aramaic language has no word for cousin. Aramaic frequently uses the word “aha,” which we translate into Greek as “adelphos” or English as brother, for cousin.

6. A comrade of Jesus. This is a remote possibility. Greek uses adelphos the same as English does in “a band of brothers.”

Possibilities 1 and 2 obviously go against Catholic beliefs.

The Catholic Church prefers possibility 5 but 3, 4 and 6 would not go against doctrine.

+ Woman, behold your son +

John 19:26-27 states:

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple (John) took her into his home.

This was Jesus entrusting the Apostle John with the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary who by Jewish law and tradition would be without support after Jesus' death.

This threatened loss of support for Mary also strengthens the logic that Jesus' "brothers and sisters" were not the natural children of Mary who should have stepped in to care for her.

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Non Catholic here.
Using the New American Bible, which is a Catholic translation of the Bible, we can see that the perpetual virginity of Mary is not taught in the Bible. Matthew 1:25 NAB tells us, "He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus." He, Joseph, did not have sexual relations with her, Mary, UNTIL after she bore a son, Jesus." The meaning of this Scripture is abundantly clear. Joseph and Mary did not have sexual relations until after Jesus was born. Matthew 13:55-56 NAB declares, "Is He not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not His sisters all with us?" Catholics claim, correctly, that the Greek terms from "brothers" and "sisters" in these verses could also refer to male and female relatives, not necessarily literal brothers and sisters. However, the intended meaning is clear, they thought Jesus to be Joseph's son, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and the brother of the unnamed and unnumbered sisters. Father, mother, brother, sister. It is straining the meaning of the text to interpret brothers and sisters as "cousins" or "relatives" with the mentioning of Jesus' mother and father.

Matthew 12:46 NAB tells us, "While He was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and His brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with Him." See also Mark 3:31-34; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:12; and Acts 1:14. All mention Jesus' mother with His brothers. If they were His cousins, or the sons of Joseph from a previous marriage, why were they mentioned with Mary so often?

Answer 4

Here's what i posted a few weeks ago concerning a similar issue on here,regarding The Blessed Virgin which should answer your question. 1stly I'd just like to point out that Mary and Joseph were not married as some above would have you believe.
The Protoevangelium of James (AD150) records that when Mary’s birth was prophesied, her mother, St. Anne, vowed that she would devote the child to the service of the Lord, as Samuel had been by his mother (1 Sam. 1:11). Mary would thus serve the Lord at the Temple, as women had for centuries (1 Sam. 2:22), and as Anna the prophetess did at the time of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:36–37). A life of continual, devoted service to the Lord at the Temple meant that Mary would not be able to live the ordinary life of a child-rearing mother. Rather, she was vowed to a life of perpetual virginity.

However, due to considerations of ceremonial cleanliness, it was eventually necessary for Mary, a consecrated "virgin of the Lord," to have a guardian or protector who would respect her vow of virginity. Thus, according to the Protoevangelium, Joseph, an elderly widower who already had children, was chosen to be her spouse. (This would also explain why Joseph was apparently dead by the time of Jesus’ adult ministry, since he does not appear during it in the gospels, and since Mary is entrusted to John, rather than to her husband Joseph, at the crucifixion).

According to the Protoevangelium, Joseph was required to regard Mary’s vow of virginity with the utmost respect. The gravity of his responsibility as the guardian of a virgin was indicated by the fact that, when she was discovered to be with child, he had to answer to the Temple authorities, who thought him guilty of defiling a virgin of the Lord. Mary was also accused of having forsaken the Lord by breaking her vow. Keeping this in mind, it is an incredible insult to the Blessed Virgin to say that she broke her vow by bearing children other than her Lord and God, who was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Answer 5

Of course Mary was always a virgin. She was and still is the Immaculate Conception, chosen from all creatures before time began to be the Mother of God, as revealed by the Roman Catholic Church i.e. the church founded by Christ.
Revelation didn't stop with the end of the New Testament.

Answer 6

I only know of Jesus being concieved of the Virgin Mary. It doesn't say much about the later years.

Answer 7

The fairy tale book said that Joseph knew her not until she gave birth to Jesus. So I'm guessing that Joseph knew her after Jesus was born which would shoot down the catholic conception that a virgin mary is playing middle line backer and intercepting prayers for the almighty.

Answer 8

Yes, Mary is the virgin of virgins. She is the Blessed virgin Mary.

Answer 9

I am not a catholic , but in Psalm 69:8 , Matthew 13:55 ,Mark 6:3 , 15:40 it states that mary had other siblings after Jesus , James ,Joses, Judas ,Salome ,Simon , and sisters.

Answer 10

Poor girl wasnt a virgin past the tender age of 14