EDITORIAL: A White House message marking the Immaculate Conception repeated a common misunderstanding about when the Incarnation began — a truth central to the Church’s pro-life witness.
The White House marked the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception — the first of two major Marian feasts this week with a direct connection to the sanctity of unborn human life — with a presidential message celebrating the occasion.
For the most part, President Trump’s message was extremely welcome. It’s reflective of the priority this administration has assigned to recognizing America’s Christian foundation, and the contributions made to American public life by individual Catholics and the Catholic faith in general.
But the Dec. 8 message also included an unfortunate error with respect to the moment the Son of God took on our humanity and commenced his earthly life as Jesus Christ.
According to the presidential message celebrating the Virgin Mary’s own conception without any stain of original sin, “God became man when Mary gave birth to a son, Jesus, who would go on to offer his life on the Cross for the redemption of sins and the salvation of the world” [emphasis added].
That’s not correct. The Son of God joined his
