Expert: Sal - 1/14/2007

Question
Sal,
I met you a few years ago at a WIC luncheon.  I mentioned that I enjoyed your letters in The Southern Cross. You passed on your AllExperts contact information.  I am finally using it, thanks.  A recent convert to Catholicism asked me if I had ever heard that Jesus was not born, that he just "appeared" in the stable (cave or whatever) as he later appeared to the disciples in the uppper room after his crucifixion.  I had NEVER heard this after attending Catholic school K -12th grade and spending a fair amount of time as an adult learning more about the faith. I was certain that my friend had misinterpreted what she heard but another person in the class heard the same thing.  I have searched the catechism and not found anything to support this, but I am befuddled.  A local pastor is the one who presented the class. Help!
Amy Stallings

Answer
Hi Amy!

It is nice to hear from you. I hope that everything is going well for you. I'm still working for WIC.

The idea that Jesus just appeared instead of being actually born is a new one to me as well. The first thing that jumps to my mind is the Nicene Creed that we recite at every mass. "...born of the Virgin Mary..." It does not say, "appeared with", but "born of". Every one of the Early Church Fathers that speaks of the birth of our Lord relates it as a birth not an appearing. Of course, the Bible no where mentions the birth being an appearing. St. Luke who gives us the most details about the events surrounding Jesus' birth states, "And she gave birth..." (Luke 2:7). St. Paul notes, "But when the fullness of time had come God sent his Son, born of a woman..." (Galatians 4:4). The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus was born as an infant appearing in the world by traveling down the birth canal of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I would be interested to know why this "pastor" is teaching new Catholics something that is not Catholic. It is not biblical, it has no support from the Early Church Fathers, and is not taught today by the Church. In other words, why he is passing off a theory of his as a teaching of the Catholic Church?

The only thing that I could find that remotely relates to the birth of our Lord is that some theologians have theorized that Jesus passed through his mother's hymen as he later passed through the door of the upper room. In this way the Blessed Virgin Mary remained a virgin. It is a teaching of the Church that Mary was a virgin before the birth, during the birth, and after the birth of our Lord.  

Thanks for the question! Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

God Bless You,
Sal