Welcome to Pined with Aquinas episode 74. I'm Matt Frad. If you could sit down over a pint of beer with St. Thomas Aquinas and ask him any one question, what would it be?

In today's episode we'll ask him is it true that Mary was always a virgin even after the birth of Christ?

Hey guys, thanks so much for being with us here at Pined so the Gwinas. The show where you and I pull up a bar stall next to the angelic doctor to discuss the

Olegian philosophy. I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you who listen to Pined so the Quinas week after week.

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Today we'll be talking about the perpetual virginity of Mary. I'd like to read directly from the sumitheologia and then respond to questions that people might have concerning it.

Now we'll be reading from the third part of the sumitheologia question 28 and article 3.

The question is did she remain a virgin after his birth? Seems pretty appropriate, doesn't it?

Let me read his primary answer and I want to just preface this by saying Aquinas is painfully nuanced.

He doesn't speak hyperboleically ever. He uses words extremely carefully in order to convey the truth.

And yet when we read this answer it's quite surprising just how forceful he is and I think you'll notice that if you're a regular listener to Pined with Aquinas or if you read Aquinas regularly.

Here's what he says regarding the question.

Without any hesitation we must abhor the error of Helvides who dared to assert that Christ's mother

after his birth was calmly known by Joseph and bore other children.

For in the first place this is derogatory to Christ's perfection.

For as he is in his Godhead the only begotten of the Father being thus his son in every respect perfect.

So it was becoming that he should be the only begotten son of his mother as being her perfect offspring.

Secondly this error is an insult to the Holy Ghost whose shrine was the virginal womb wherein he had formed the flesh of Christ.

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