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''On the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary Against Helvidius'' () is an apologetic work of Saint
''On the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary Against Helvidius'' () is an apologetic work of Saint Jerome
Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome.
He is best known ...
which refutes Helvidius
Helvidius (sometimes Helvetius) was the author of a work written prior to 383 against the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. Helvidius maintained that the biblical mention of "sisters" and "brothers" of the Lord constitutes solid evidence ...
’ stance on Mary’s virginity. (–420).
Helvidius took the view that although Mary was a virgin at the time she conceived Jesus, she and Joseph had sexual relations subsequently — hence the brothers and sisters of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels. Jerome, in contrast, argued vigorously for the perpetual virginity of Mary, whom he deemed exemplary for women making (or contemplating) vows of virginity. In Jerome's interpretation, the brothers and sisters of Jesus became cousins, while Joseph himself (in correction of earlier traditions) was transformed into a lifelong celibate to serve as a model for Christian men. For Jerome, Joseph was Mary's guardian, not her husband; the relation was not a marriage, which for Jerome implied sex.
Saint Jerome maintains against Helvidius three propositions:
*That Joseph
Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...
was only putatively, not really, the husband of Mary.
*That the "brothers
A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingl ...
" of the Lord were his cousins, not his own brothers.
*That virginity
Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereo ...
is better than the married state.
See also
*Brothers of Jesus
The brothers of Jesus or the ''adelphoi'' () are named in the New Testament as James, Joses (a form of Joseph), Simon, and Jude; unnamed sisters are mentioned in Mark and Matthew. They may have been: (1) sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus ...
Sources
External links
* * * {{librivox book , title=The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary , author=Jerome 4th-century Christian texts Works by Jerome Sexuality in Christianity