The Gospels show us the exceptional character of the birth of Jesus. The virginity of Mary, linked to the conception of this son, therefore remains a historical fact, recognized by all Christians, but Mary afterward bore other children to her husband Joseph.
Matthew 1.24–25 ()
When Joseph woke up, he did what the had commanded him and took his wife home with him,
25 but he had no marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Jesus.
(Louis Segond translation )
Matthew takes care to specify that Joseph, although he is Mary’s husband, is not the biological father of this first child. We must not confuse this dogma, the perpetual virginity of Mary, with the miraculous birth of Jesus.
We have already noted that the writing , the Ascension of Isaiah, reports to us a wonder concerning the restoration of Mary's virginity after the birth of Jesus. With this account, we leave the concrete reality of life to enter into legend.
Luke 1.34–35 ()
34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God.
(Louis Segond translation )
The birth of the child Jesus remains supernatural and unique, but afterwards Mary and Joseph lived a perfectly normal life, as the Gospels report to us; this implies that “the perpetual virginity of Mary” is quite simply impossible.
Read the appendix ANN018: The brothers and sisters of Jesus.