The Immaculate Conception is often erroneously linked to the Conception of Jesus rather than Mary. Jesus would have had no need for an Immaculate Conception, assuming his deity. According to this doctrine, Mary, being human, was given the grace of perfection before her birth so as to serve as the vessel of the Lord.
[[File:Giambattista Tiepolo, The Immaculate Conception, 1767 - 1769.jpg|thumb|left|[[Giovanni Battista Tiepolo|Giambattista Tiepolo]], The Immaculate Conception, 1767 - 1769.]]
The medieval Catholic philosopher and theologian, [[Duns Scotus]], famously argued for this doctrine as follows: ''Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit'', which is [[Latin]] for ''God could do it, it was appropriate that God do it, therefore God did it''. Scotus argued that since God could have caused Mary to be miraculously conceived free of original stain, and it was fitting for God to do so, therefore God must have so done.
These passages allow the possibility that not even Mary could have been without blemish at some time in her life.
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