Among non-Catholic Christians, a common misunderstanding about the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is that it is the doctrine that Mary miraculously conceived Christ in her womb whilst still remaining a virgin. What the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is actually about is the conception of Mary in her mother’s womb – the fact that we celebrate the Immaculate Conception on December 8 and celebrate Mary’s birthday exactly nine months later on September 8 is a bit of a giveaway.
But even once this misunderstanding is cleared up, there still remains the question of how we are to understand Mary’s conception and the nature of her sinlessness over the centuries this has led to much theological debate.
