†　カトリック玉造教会

 The Virgin is standing in the center of the facade with a clear sky-blue background amidst light cream-colored tiles spread over the entire surface. Her feet are on the clouds. This is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and like the previous Cathedral in Kawaguchi, Osaka, this Cathedral is dedicated to this Virgin. The Virgin in the large mural in the cathedral is also seated on a cloud.

 Under the cloud is our world, and the entrance to and from the cathedral.

 

 What is this “Immaculate Conception” that we say when referring to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary? The human ancestors Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree and ended up dying (see Genesis 2:4-25; 3:1-19). Thus, not only the human ancestors but all mankind were to die. This is called original sin. To overcome this fate of death, the only begotten Son of God became man and conquered death (Rom. 5:12). This is the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Virgin Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, as he became man. While the Blessed Mother was also a virgin, was she not specially protected from the stain of original sin in order to carry God’s only begotten Son in her body? This innocence is called Immaculacy. This is not mentioned in the Bible. However, as a result of reasoning based on the Bible, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin became widely believed in

the Church. Thus, the Immaculacy of the Virgin was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854 as authentic faith.