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From: jhpb@granjon.garage.att.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Mary's Virginity & Jesus's Siblings
Message-ID: <Jul.13.05.04.02.1990.12084@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 13 Jul 90 09:04:04 GMT
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Consecrated virginity is universally viewed as a higher state of life
than the married state in the early Church.  There are multiple works of
the Fathers on the subject, and numerous other isolated passages
touching on it.

Note the "consecrated".  Remaining single for the sake of the kingdom of
Heaven, not because you don't like children, or whatever.

Pius XII wrote an encyclical (Sacra Virginitas) on the subject, which
deals with the Catholic doctrine in depth:

	This then is the primary purpose, this the central idea of Christian
	virginity; to aim only at the divine, to turn thereto the whole mind
	and soul; to want to please God in everything, to think of Him
	continually, to consecrate body and soul completely to Him.

	This is the way the Fathers of the Church have always interpreted
	the words of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Apostle of the
	Gentiles; for from the very earliest days of the Church they have
	considered virginity a consecration to God...

There are a number of Scriptural passages involved; the encyclical goes
through them.  One of the most important is Matt. 19:10-12.

There is also this consideration: there is no marriage in Heaven.  Those
who embrace consecrated virginity as a state of life merely start to
live now what they will live in Heaven.

That our Lady was in the state of consecrated virginity for her whole
life is also the ancient teaching.  I have never checked, but I find it
extremely doubtful that one will find any other teaching among the
Orthodox, and perhaps the Monophysites, just because of the antiquity of
the doctrine.  Martin Luther also held to this belief.

Some orders of nuns wear wedding rings; they are spiritually spouses of
Christ, desiring to do everything that He desires.

Joe Buehler