Adversus Helvidium

Oldest known image of Mary, mother of Jesus, here depicted nursing her son (Roman catacombs, 2nd century AD)

On the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary Against Helvidius (Latin: De perpetua virginitate beatae Mariae adversus Helvidium) is an apologetic work of Saint Jerome (c. AD 342/7–420). It is an answer to Helvidius.[1]

Helvidius was the author of a work written about the year 383 against the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary (the mother of Jesus).

Saint Jerome maintains against Helvidius three propositions:

  • That Joseph was only putatively, not really, the husband of Mary.
  • That the "brothers" of the Lord were his cousins, not his own brothers.
  • That virginity is better than the married state.

See also

  • Brothers of Jesus

Sources

  1. ^ Hunter, David G. (Spring 1993). "Helvidius, Jovinian, and the Virginity of Mary in Late Fourth-Century Rome". Journal of Early Christian Studies. 1 (1). Johns Hopkins University Press: 47–71. doi:10.1353/earl.0.0147. S2CID 170719507. Retrieved 2016-08-30.

External links

  • Jerome (c. 383), "The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary - Against Helvidius", in Philip Schaff; Henry Wace; Kevin Knight (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6, Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley, Buffalo, New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co. (retrieved from New Advent)
  • "The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary Against Helvidius". clerus.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  • The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary public domain audiobook at LibriVox