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by Rev. Juniper B. Carol, OFM, STD

The effort to disassociate the Mother of Christ from the tragedy of Eden has root in the earliest tradition of Christianity. Yet the extent of that disassociation has caused much discussion among scholars. The theological debate was partially settled by the dogmatic pronouncement embodied in the bull Ineffabilis Deus of 1854. Still some disputed aspects of the doctrine concerning Mary's Immaculate Conception were untouched by the papal definition, thus leaving the matter open to further discussion by theologians. One of these disputed aspects concerns the so-called debitum peccati of Our Lady. From all indications, it would seem that this age-old controversy, which has engaged the best minds of the Church for centuries, has lost none of its traditional verve with the passing of time. Father Juniper Carol's book is a tangible proof of it, if any proof were needed.