The dogmas of the Catholic Church are teachings that the Church has declared definitively. These teachings are to be held by all the faithful as a part of being Catholic. Most dogmas have been declared by Ecumenical Councils, which are the gathering of all bishops, with the approval of the Pope, but some dogmas have been declared by the Pope himself directly.
Over the centuries, the Church has established four dogmas about the Virgin Mary: 1) Mary's Divine Motherhood, which makes her the Mother of God, 2) Mary's Immaculate Conception, meaning that she was conceived without original sin, 3) Mary's Perpetual Virginity, having remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ, and 4) Mary's Assumption into Heaven body and soul at the completion of her earthly life.
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Photo Credit: Overview of advent wreath in 2023 at Masarykovo náměstí street in Třebíč, Třebíč District from Wikimedia Commons.
