For many believers in the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity, the exchange between Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1:28-35 is positive evidence that at least lends credence to the belief that Mary was a perpetual virgin.
Most focus on Mary’s response to Gabriel’s announcement that she will conceive a child: “How can this be since I know not man?” It’s argued that this question makes sense only if she wasn’t intending to have sexual relations with Joseph.
But it’s not just her question that suggests this. Gabriel’s supernatural visit itself also supports it.
We’re told in verse 26 that the angel Gabriel “was sent from God” to visit Mary. And part and parcel of this supernatural visit was to announce to Mary that she would “conceive in [her] womb and bear a son,” and this would happen in a miraculous way: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35).
Now, think about it: if Mary had intended the normal course of events for a marriage, which would have involved sexual intercourse with Joseph, then why would there be a need for a supernatural visit from an angel, “sent from God,” to announce that Mary would conceive a child and that this conception would happen by the power of the Holy Spirit? The only reasonable answer is that Mary wasn’t expecting to conceive a child in her marriage with Joseph.
Consider the angel’s visit to Zachariah. The reason for such a supernatural visit and annunciation that Elizabeth would conceive John the Baptist was that there was no expectation that Elizabeth would conceive a child, given her age. If conceiving a child was in the cards, then there would have been no need for such an announcement.
Similarly, if conceiving a child was in the cards for Mary—that’s to say, if she planned on conceiving a child by having relations with Joseph—then there would have been no need for God to send an angel to her. But there was a need.
Therefore, like in the case of Elizabeth, there was no expectation for Mary to conceive a child. Hence the need for the annunciation.
And the only reasonable way to explain why Mary wasn’t expecting to conceive a child in her marriage with Joseph is that Mary wasn’t planning on having relations with Joseph. It’s not as if Mary was barren like Elizabeth.
We can summarize our argument as follows:
P1: If Mary intended to have children in her marriage with Joseph, then Gabriel’s supernatural visit and annunciation would have been futile.
P2: But Gabriel’s supernatural visit and annunciation can’t be futile.
C: Therefore, Mary did not intend to have children in her marriage with Joseph.
So the supernatural visit and annunciation that Mary would conceive Jesus itself supports the idea that Mary wasn’t planning on conceiving a child, which in turn suggests that Mary wasn’t planning on having sexual intercourse with Joseph.
***This article was originally published in the Indulgence column for Catholic Answers Magazine Online on January 23, 2025.